buying plants on-line

[jaylach]

I've never had much success with them I have 2 kinds in my tank at the moment a red and a patterned green, both have tiny leaves on at substrate level but from what I know when the leaves reach the surface and the plant can get oxygen that way, the aquatic leaves all tend to go to the surface. I like that look though so if I get them coming through to the surface I'd be happy - though I'd like 4-5 stems I suppose so would need a bit of tactics.

In terms of planting them, I've since read some advice that says to place them on top of the sand or aquasoil and let it send out roots to pull its self into the substrate rather than trying to bury them from the start. Not sure if this works but the people that did that had good success? Same info for Crinums and other bulbs too.

Wills

Thanks!

On the surface of the substrate is sure where this thing seems to want to be.

Would I be correct in that the red spikes sprouting would be the roots? Actually I'm surprised it is doing anything at all this soon. It has only been in the tank about a day and a half.

Also thanks to

wasmewasntit​

 

[Wills]

Thanks!

On the surface of the substrate is sure where this thing seems to want to be.

Would I be correct in that the red spikes sprouting would be the roots? Actually I'm surprised it is doing anything at all this soon. It has only been in the tank about a day and a half.

Also thanks to

wasmewasntit​

Not sure to be honest could be roots could be shoots

 

[Essjay]

The liquid is Flourish Excel

Can you return this product? The active ingredient is glutaraldehyde - google that and you'll see why it should never be added to a fish tank.
It isn't actually a fertiliser, it's a 'liquid CO2' product. Their liquid fertiliser is Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement.

 

[jaylach]

Can you return this product? The active ingredient is glutaraldehyde - google that and you'll see why it should never be added to a fish tank.
It isn't actually a fertiliser, it's a 'liquid CO2' product. Their liquid fertiliser is Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement.

Thanks for the info. I'll make the change.

Figures that I'd get the wrong stuff. Some people have a green thumb but mine is closer to black.

 

[Essjay]

Seachem make so many products starting with the word 'flourish' that it's easy to make a mistake.

 

[jaylach]

Seachem make so many products starting with the word 'flourish' that it's easy to make a mistake.

I trust that this is what I want...

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/seachem-flourish

 

[Essjay]

That's the one

 

[jaylach]

That's the one

Thanks again.

 

[jaylach]

Weights came in today and here is what I ended up with.... At least until I decide to move something.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Weights came in today and here is what I ended up with.... At least until I decide to move something.

View attachment 164589

Nice! Remember if you want to get a pleco again that they need some real driftwood though

 

[anewbie]

Make sure the rhizome on the java fern and anubias are above the substrate or they might rot.

 

[jaylach]

Make sure the rhizome on the java fern and anubias are above the substrate or they might rot.

Nothing at all is actually planted, just weighted or glued. I figure that the stem plants will end up sending roots in the substrate but, right now they are just weighted with the roots against the substrate.

Nice! Remember if you want to get a pleco again that they need some real driftwood though

Thanks. I don't know if I'll end up with another pleco or not. If I do, the same place that I got the plants does driftwood. I find this interesting and it would blend in with the trunk.

 

[jaylach]

Hmmm, I could probably actually add fish right now.

Just tested PH, Ammonia and Nitrite levels.

PH surprised me a bit as it has risen from ~6.1 to ~6.6 since adding the plants. I don't see any issue in this but have to ask if this is a normal thing.

Ammonia is showing at between 0.25 and 0.5 PPM which would equate to ~0.0003 NH3 PPM. When I initially rebuilt the tank I added both protein and algae based tabs to the substrate to rot and cause ammonia. Have also dosed with API Quick Start. There are also 5 root tabs in the substrate to pretty much cover the whole thing as it says that each tab will cover about a 6 inch diameter. I have 3 root tabs equally spaced behind the trunk and two in the front. I tried to place so they would overlap a little.

Nitrite reads as 0.0. At this point I'd like to see a little nitrite but see none.

Didn't bother checking nitrates.

I'll let it steep for another week to see how things are but I think the tank is fish safe right now. I may even get a piece of driftwood and then let that steep for awhile to see what the thing ends up doing. I should probably get some pure ammonia to add but am a bit afraid of doing that as ammonia fumes are pretty toxic to my cockatiel. LOL! fish and birds are similar as birds swim through air and fish fly through water...

 

[jaylach]

OK, I'm lost! I just my tank water and Ammonia is between 0.25 and 0.5 PPM, Nitrite shows 0.0 PPM.

What concerns me is that my PH has totally spiked. At this time this is not a concern as there are no fish in the tank. Before pretty heavily adding live plants my PH stayed pretty constant at ~6.1. Since adding the live plants my PH has jumped to ~7.7. That is taking an average of the normal API liquid PH and the high PH test.

Do live plants raise PH or is it more likely that I've been over dosing plant food? Actually there is no doubt that I've been over dosing plant stuff.... Probably heavily over dosing plant stuff...

 

[anewbie]

What is your nitrate level? Are you sure the tnak is cycled? nitrite would be 0 there is no biological actiivty to convert ammonia into nitrite in the first place. The sequence go ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate.