I've just set up a 50L high-tech planted nano tank about 3 weeks ago.
I won't bore you with the details of how this happened, but basically, I have a mixture of ADA Amazonia and Eco complete. If I had to guess I'd say it's roughly 40% ADA and 60% Eco.
The substrate, along with the filter media and tank water have been borrowed from another well established tank. The fish are doing fine, good water parameters, good lighting and around 30ppm of co2.
The plants don't seem to have done much growing yet, I know all the other parameters are fine, so it's playing on my mind that the plants aren't doing as well as they could be because the mixed substrate is slowing things down a little and is the only (in my mind) negative factor.
I'm dosing 5ml of TNC Complete after each 50% weekly water change and 1ml every day thereafter. The guide on the bottle says to dose 5ml once every week, can anyone see any problems with me going against this as long as I do regular water changes?
The plants are:
HC Cuba (Hemianthus Callitrichoides) - planted in 1x1cm bunches roughly an inch apart.
Dwarf Hair Grass - again, planted in same way.
Both plants are still very green which is obviously a good sign!
If anything, the HC has grown upwards and outwards a little bit. Some of the bunches have been floating up to the surface, and as an experiment, I'm using some 'aquarium safe' strips of Lead wrapped around the roots to hold it down into the substrate. The strips are quite rigid and you literally bend it over it's self and 'clip' it onto the plant then bury it. I can't imagine any problems with this and I haven't read about this method being used before so any feedback would be welcome. I'll post the results in another topic later on.
The Hair Grass hasn't done a thing. I've been taking pictures every few days and comparing them for growth and I can almost certainly say they haven't grown in the slightest.
I realise I may be being impatient and it can take a while for plants to acclimate before they grow but I'm unsure of how long this period is.
I guess the whole reason I'm posting this is because I've read about people saying how quick their plants grow, these 2 in particular. The only evidence of these plants growing slowly seem to be due to insufficient Co2, light or ferts - none of which I believe I am lacking.
I won't bore you with the details of how this happened, but basically, I have a mixture of ADA Amazonia and Eco complete. If I had to guess I'd say it's roughly 40% ADA and 60% Eco.
The substrate, along with the filter media and tank water have been borrowed from another well established tank. The fish are doing fine, good water parameters, good lighting and around 30ppm of co2.
The plants don't seem to have done much growing yet, I know all the other parameters are fine, so it's playing on my mind that the plants aren't doing as well as they could be because the mixed substrate is slowing things down a little and is the only (in my mind) negative factor.
I'm dosing 5ml of TNC Complete after each 50% weekly water change and 1ml every day thereafter. The guide on the bottle says to dose 5ml once every week, can anyone see any problems with me going against this as long as I do regular water changes?
The plants are:
HC Cuba (Hemianthus Callitrichoides) - planted in 1x1cm bunches roughly an inch apart.
Dwarf Hair Grass - again, planted in same way.
Both plants are still very green which is obviously a good sign!
If anything, the HC has grown upwards and outwards a little bit. Some of the bunches have been floating up to the surface, and as an experiment, I'm using some 'aquarium safe' strips of Lead wrapped around the roots to hold it down into the substrate. The strips are quite rigid and you literally bend it over it's self and 'clip' it onto the plant then bury it. I can't imagine any problems with this and I haven't read about this method being used before so any feedback would be welcome. I'll post the results in another topic later on.
The Hair Grass hasn't done a thing. I've been taking pictures every few days and comparing them for growth and I can almost certainly say they haven't grown in the slightest.
I realise I may be being impatient and it can take a while for plants to acclimate before they grow but I'm unsure of how long this period is.
I guess the whole reason I'm posting this is because I've read about people saying how quick their plants grow, these 2 in particular. The only evidence of these plants growing slowly seem to be due to insufficient Co2, light or ferts - none of which I believe I am lacking.