Adding More Substrate To A Fully Planted Tank

[tangokitty]

I just bought a new bag of planting media for my tank and would love to add it but I have a full tank of plants. (I don't yet know how to post pictures or I would) How would you recommend adding the new media?
Thanks
Vanessa

 

[Evad]

It wll be interesting to see what responses you get. I would think if you bought planting media it would be because some of your plants aren't doing as well as you like. I would work on pulling those plants, adding the media and replanting. If you just layer the media on top that won't get the results you are likely looking for.

Sorry if I am misunderstanding your question....

 

[tangokitty]

Actually my plants are doing great, but I just wanted a deeper substrate layer, it is only about 3 inches deep. I just added a Co2 unit (the homemade one with the yeast bottle) And the plants have really taken off. I also would like to get rid of all my kribensis and get a schooling fish instead. I have a 45 gallon and mostly bickering kribs! But I can't catch the little brats without damaging the plants. I really think about 20 schooling fish would be a lot nicer looking then the kribs. Thanks for any advice in advance!
this is a picture of the tank if you would like to comment on it

 

[fozziebear]

that substrate is fine, any deeper would be pointless, is there a particular reason why you want it deeper?

the plants look great btw, really like the look of the floating plants, more crypts in the front would look nice.

 

[tangokitty]

Sorry my tank isn't all that greatly aquascaped, but it is my first planted tank, this tank was salt water set up and the heater broke raising the temp to 103f killing everything. I was devested and went back to freash water but decided to do a planted tank. The picture doesn't do justice to the color of the plants.

 

[tangokitty]

So it doesn't need to be deeper? I thought that would make more room for the plants to grow.

I also would like to add some ground cover type plants to the front, any advice for that like what types? I have 2 55 watt compact flourecent lights for lighting. and was think of adding a third. The reason I would like to get the schooling fish is the kribs just hide when not fighting with each other. It was 1 pair then it turned to 15 of them. What would be the best way to get rid of them and how long do they normally live?

 

[fozziebear]

on the first point, no not really, it could be infinately deep but 2 to 3 inches is fine for a planted tank, you might want more at the back like 4 or 5 inches sloped from back to front, the plants wont mind either way if the substrate is just gravel with no nutrients.

the second point, crypts will spread over time but they take a while, it looks like the crypts in your tank are doing well at the moment so go with more of those, crypt parva is a good small type for the front, i wouldnt add that third light unless your going to be running pressurized co2 instead of that diy kit, the main cause of algae in a planted tank is insufficient or unstable co2, i would really consider getting a pressurized kit if you have the money, its well worth it.

 

[fozziebear]

wont let me edit my previous post grrr...

if you dont want to have kribensis anymore id say the best thing to do would be to sell them back to your local fish shop for store credit, then spend that credit on some nice tetras, i always find small fish like tetras look best in large groups of 1 species, instead of a jumbled lot of 4 or 5 different species, good types to look at would be neons, cardinals, black neons, and penguin tetras.

 

[tangokitty]

Yeah the crypts started as one plant then it multiplied and I spread it around a bit. I did get a algae problem that hasn't quite gone away yet, my mom was visiting and got me an automatic fish feeder since I usually just feed the fish every other day (due to my working schedual) and she thought it wasn't enough But the feeder way over fed and I had a algae outbreak! I don't really have a good algaer eater, just 5 ottos and they just aren't fast at eating the algae! How much do the Co2 units cost?

I don't know how to catch them without damage to the plants, I did catch a few when the babies where younger and took them back (that was about 17 of them) I would like some cardinals or neons. I do have 5 cherry barbs as well and 1 red tail shark and 1 skunk loach, that's it. So without the kribs, how many tetras could I add?

 

[fozziebear]

if you really want em gone, then your gonna have to take out the plants to catch em, but that will also give you a chance to rearrange the plants.

pressurized co2 kits can range from around £70 to a whomping £300 the best way is to buy a regulator off ebay then use a fire extinguisher as the co2 bottle, check out this article, its very informative, http/www.fishforums.net/content/Plants-a...ressurised-CO2/

give that a good read and it should give you an idea of what you need.

 

[fozziebear]

cant edit again grrrrrrrr.

im not very good with stocking but if you want any smaller fish to be happy i would take the RTBS back aswell, to me it just doesnt fit in with your stocking, the skunk loach also isnt ideal, is it there for eradicating snails? i would consider Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki its smaller and less aggressive, the skunk loach and rtbs are quite aggresive as are the kribs so i feel a bit sorry for you cherry barbs.


if it was my tank (which is isnt as its all up to you) i would rehome the kribs RTBS and skunk loach, then get some corydoras cats (something like c, paleatus) and increase the number of cherry barbs to something like 10 or 15 those will both complement the otocinclus more than the RTBS and skunk loach ever would, the rule for tanks is roughly 1 inch per gallon(only counting adult size) for small to medium sized fish, as fish get bigger this doesnt work so well because they are more messy.

 

[tangokitty]

The Red Tailed shark is about 7 years old and the longest fish I ever had, he doesn't seem to fight with anyone but the skunk loach. I only got the skunk loach to kill snails, but now i have no snails and would like to add shrinps, but he'll eat them I've heard, will the red tail eat shrimp as well? The Cherry barbs don't seem to be hassled by anyone, the kribs are to busy fighting each other and the red tail and the skunk loach but the barbs just cruise around. I would concider getting rid of all the fish but the Red tail. How long do they normaly live for?
Thanks

I'll look into that Co2 site you gave, Do you know the exchange rate of your money to american? I guess I could find that out on Ebay Thanks for all your advice!

will taking out the plants harm them in any way?

 

[fozziebear]

the RTBS will happily munch shrimp, im not sure how long they live, but if you want to keep him then you will need more robust fish, as the cherry barbs arent getting bothered getting more of them would be a good route to go down, skunk loaches can be aggresive so id definately consider rehoming him if hes fighting with the RTBS, i can see you love your rtbs a lot, so work your stocking around that fish, have a look at some info on red tails, then decide from that what would be good to go with it, as i said im not great with stocking myself.

its about 1.8 dollars to 1 pound, pressurized co2 can be expensive but that link i posted to a fire extinguisher co2 kit makes it more affordable thats what i did, ebay is a good place to buy it.


moving the plants shouldnt harm them, aslong as they are kept wet, and given time to recover after, but it will probably be the only way you are gonna catch the kribs.

 

[tangokitty]

ha ha ha now my boyfriend is telling me to go under the house and add braces under the tank before it falls through the floor. Is that really likely to happen has anyone ever had a tank fall through the floor of their house??

 

[tangokitty]

I do love the red tail he started out in a 20 gallon tank I had (I've sold that talk) he was the first fish in that tank and only a half inch long when I go it. That was back when this tank was a salt water tank. I worked at Petco at the time and was very into fish! Now I work at a vet and only have 1 tank, then I had 3.
I also want to do a mini tank for work with live plant to put on the counter in the lobby. I was thinking a 2 gallon bowl or jar. No heat or filter, just love plants and 2 white clouds. But maybe I will start a new topic to ask about that!