Does Anyone Fancy Telling Me

[shrimply]

Right While I am struggling to get anything to grow in my main tank I have two small tanks which have plants flourishing in them.

My first is coldwater with loads of surface adgitation, no added CO2 and only a 8w lighting tube. It's dimensions are 24" X 8" x 8". I recently added foil to the lid as a DIY reflector. It has two WCMMs and a small weater loach.
The things in the picture seem to absolutly love the tank and I am sure you will be able to ID them for me. Not yet clued up on that part

The second is heated with some surface , no added CO2 and a regular 15w pygmy bulb. It is about 40cm high. And has a baby krib and the three rescued shrimps. As you can see the plant flourish in it. The tanks ocasionaly get King british plant food added to them. By occasinally I mean they are supposed to get fed every two weeks and they only get fed when I start seeing bown spots on the leaves.

 

[BoSelecta]

Have both tanks been set up for a while, its easyer to grow plants in a mature tank.

 

[shrimply]

No longer than the main tank.

Is there just some tank shapes plants take to more than others?

 

[jimbooo]

the first tank comtains eugeria densa (i can never remember the spelling) and crypts. both very adaptable low light plants that are real easy to grow. and dont need co2

the second tank contains Vallis (obtains carbon from the water my doing something rather unusual that i cant remember exactly but i do remember it will drop the PH) you may want to test that!!

the sword in the second tank is not too healthy as expected, it looks a little spindly (not knocking you after all it's not your planted tank)

there are no real surprises there. i cant remember what you have in your planted tank exactly but they are probably more demanding species hence the difficulties. lets just call them hurdles for now, you'll get there.

 

[shrimply]

Thanks. My big tank won't do vallis at all I was told that was becauase of phosphate build up due to my undergravel filter( soon to be changed). The only thing that grows at the minute is the that silvery plant which requires lot of light. This is with less than 1 wpg. I guess that plants are like animals, always ready to surprise you.

I hope to upgrade to a 60 gallon very soon. It is just affording the lighting that worries me then.

I thought the vallis would have trouble growing without the correct lighting but the regular bulb seems to make it shoot.Infact it acctually pearls in the evenings. Also the thing on the bottom right is really healthy and again I don't know what it is.

 

[simonbrown403]

Thats why your plants wont grow to well in your main tank because of your UG filter it pumps to much O2 to the roots and drags the other nutruints away.