Any One Care To Explain This To Me?
- Thread starter guidedbyechoes
- Start date
Honeythorn
Sugar coating and nicely nicely? I don't think so
If you click more info it say's potting soil for substrate. I've had good growth ( although not as lush as that! ) in my plants by using pond soil under the sand, and I haven't the time or expertise for CO2 and all that faff .
It’s easy to do. Low light means the plants don’t grow that fast. Thus they don’t need as many nutrients, and don’t need much CO2. Therefore they get the CO2 from the fish, filter bacteria and from the atmosphere, (when it goes into the tank via the water surface). And the nutrients come from fish waste (nitrogen cycle) and other stuff in the substrate.
The tank only has a few species of plant in it and chances are the owner doesn’t need to prune them often.
The tank only has a few species of plant in it and chances are the owner doesn’t need to prune them often.
OP
OP
guidedbyechoes
Fishaholic
I was thinking about trying my hand at a planted tank once more. Last time I had high light and it didn't work out very well. I'm guessing the harder water I have doesn't help either.
unless the water is really hard (over 400ppm) you should be able to keep a wide range of aquatic plants. Vallis usually does well in hard water and many swordplants do too.
If you have too much light and not enough nutrients or CO2, then you can have problems with algae. And if you have too much light and no nutrients, the plants tend to become all leggy, skinny and pale.
If you want to try a few plants but don't want to go to the extremes of setting up a plant tank, then get a 1litre icecream container or similar plastic pot. Put about 1/2 inch of gravel in the bottom, then add a thin layer of lawn fertiliser. Put a 1/4 inch layer of laterite (red clay) over this. Then put some more gravel over the laterite. Put the plant in the gravel and its roots will grow down into the clay and fertiliser. It should take off and do really well. Then just have a rock or some driftwood in front of the pot and you will see a nice plant growing in the tank.
If you have too much light and not enough nutrients or CO2, then you can have problems with algae. And if you have too much light and no nutrients, the plants tend to become all leggy, skinny and pale.
If you want to try a few plants but don't want to go to the extremes of setting up a plant tank, then get a 1litre icecream container or similar plastic pot. Put about 1/2 inch of gravel in the bottom, then add a thin layer of lawn fertiliser. Put a 1/4 inch layer of laterite (red clay) over this. Then put some more gravel over the laterite. Put the plant in the gravel and its roots will grow down into the clay and fertiliser. It should take off and do really well. Then just have a rock or some driftwood in front of the pot and you will see a nice plant growing in the tank.
Actually, potting soil and cat litter. Cat litter??? I'm certainly no expert on plants but I think that's the first time I've head that one although a search of the forum shows that it is mentioned often in the planted section. Potting soil and cat litter would seem to be a very inexpensive substrate.
drobbyb
Bowhead
lol!
Seriously though, unscented non clumping cat litter is nothing more than clay.
aaronnorth
www.ukaps.org
Cat litter has a high Cation exchange capacity (CEC) so it draws in positive elements into the substrate to make them available to plant roots such as K+ Ca++ Mg++
Hence why clay is used like the above poster said
Smoothy
Fish Crazy
Many people use cat litter for Bonsai too ... the Tesco own brand is excellent apparently 
When you compare the price of cat litter and potting soil to that of planted substrates such as Eco-Complete, It would appear to be a no-brainer as to which way to go. Enough EC for my 75 gallon would probably now run between $150 - $200. I woud think I could get enough cat litter and potting soil to do it for less than $50, depending on the mixture or depth of the layers as it were.
aaronnorth
www.ukaps.org
Akadama substrate is becoming more popular because it is cheap (£18 for 14L) and that also has a high CEC. More information here:
http
/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/akadama.htm
Great link. The tank in it looked spectacular before the change. Seemed a shame to take it down. But it also looked unbelievable immediately after too. I wish I have the knack and ability to aquascape like that.
Honeythorn
Sugar coating and nicely nicely? I don't think so
In what order would the soil and cat litter be used though? Soil over clay/litter or the other way round? Would gravel have to be placed over the top of all this or is it just planted up and left ?
If that's the case I can't help but think it's the sort of tank you can't really have loaches or cories in? They'd stir it all up surely?
If that's the case I can't help but think it's the sort of tank you can't really have loaches or cories in? They'd stir it all up surely?
aaronnorth
www.ukaps.org
cat litter on the bottom and it must be capped with another substrate. To stop bottom feeders reaching it then have a thick layer of substrate on top such as 2"
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