Live plant question. Please help!

[Tenaj]

Hello all. Will I need to put anything down before putting live plants in? I have a few live plants in my new tank but not sure if anything is needed under the gravel. Please help!

 

[Byron]

Hello all. Will I need to put anything down before putting live plants in? I have a few live plants in my new tank but not sure if anything is needed under the gravel. Please help!

No, you do not need any special plant-oriented substrate. Inert sand or fine gravel will do. You can always add a substrate tab to feed larger plants, like swords for example--they will really improve with a Flourish Tab inserted close to the crown, replaced every 3-4 months.

This is most likely going to be what we can term a low-tech method of natural planted tank, where fish are the focus and live plants are there to provide aesthetic benefit and improve water quality. Much of the nutrients for plants in such a tank come from feeding the fish and water changes. But swords and some other larger substrate-rooted plants will without question benefit from the tabs. Liquid fertilizer (a comprehensive one) may or may not be necessary, it all depends upon the fish and plant species/numbers.

 

[Slaphppy7]

No, you do not need any special plant-oriented substrate. Inert sand or fine gravel will do. You can always add a substrate tab to feed larger plants, like swords for example--they will really improve with a Flourish Tab inserted close to the crown, replaced every 3-4 months.

This is most likely going to be what we can term a low-tech method of natural planted tank, where fish are the focus and live plants are there to provide aesthetic benefit and improve water quality. Much of the nutrients for plants in such a tank come from feeding the fish and water changes. But swords and some other larger substrate-rooted plants will without question benefit from the tabs. Liquid fertilizer (a comprehensive one) may or may not be necessary, it all depends upon the fish and plant species/numbers.

I would add that fish poop is an excellent plant fertilizer...

 

[Sgooosh]

Hello all. Will I need to put anything down before putting live plants in? I have a few live plants in my new tank but not sure if anything is needed under the gravel. Please help!

seachem root tabs if you have root plants!

i recommend putting those ribbon plants on the top of the tank so they dont grow algae since they are slow growers, and are naturally supposed to be on land

the roots can also provide some nice habitat for potential baby skirt tetras

I would add that fish poop is an excellent plant fertilizer...

lol theres so much fish poop in some places in my tank and it just sits there

cories....

 

[Tenaj]

No, you do not need any special plant-oriented substrate. Inert sand or fine gravel will do. You can always add a substrate tab to feed larger plants, like swords for example--they will really improve with a Flourish Tab inserted close to the crown, replaced every 3-4 months.

This is most likely going to be what we can term a low-tech method of natural planted tank, where fish are the focus and live plants are there to provide aesthetic benefit and improve water quality. Much of the nutrients for plants in such a tank come from feeding the fish and water changes. But swords and some other larger substrate-rooted plants will without question benefit from the tabs. Liquid fertilizer (a comprehensive one) may or may not be necessary, it all depends upon the fish and plant species/numbers.

Thank you
Based off the pictures I posted, would you recommend I put those tabs in? I added the plants after reading that it helps with algae and helps keep water a bit cleaner.

 

[Byron]

Thank you
Based off the pictures I posted, would you recommend I put those tabs in? I added the plants after reading that it helps with algae and helps keep water a bit cleaner.

The two plants on the left in the first photo are swords, live ones I assume. A Flourish Tab poked in next to the crown on each of these will work wonders, believe me. One tab per plant, every 3-4 months.

 

[Sgooosh]

The two plants on the left in the first photo are swords, live ones I assume. A Flourish Tab poked in next to the crown on each of these will work wonders, believe me. One tab per plant, every 3-4 months.

there's only one sword in the left in the back, the other two are gold ribbons!
yes, flourish tabs made my sword have babies lol

 

[Byron]

there's only one sword in the left in the back, the other two are gold ribbons!
yes, flourish tabs made my sword have babies lol

Yes, upon closer exam I see this now, thanks. Eyesight is not the best, I must get a prescription for glasses to wear while on the PC.

 

[Essjay]

Is it just me, or do the gold ribbon plants look like a species of dracena?

Dracenas are not aquarium plants, which is why I'm asking.

 

[Slaphppy7]

If I'm not mistaken, this tank may be in the midst of a cycle...OP, please correct me if I'm wrong

If that IS the case, I'd be adding no other chemicals to the tank, besides a water conditioner during WC's...no need to complicate things during a cycle

You'll have plenty of time for ferts later, after things stabilize

All of my tanks are planted, and though they aren't all jungles, I never use ferts....easy-to-grow plants tha I have, IME, don't need them

 

[Byron]

Is it just me, or do the gold ribbon plants look like a species of dracena?

Dracenas are not aquarium plants, which is why I'm asking.

No, it is not just you, I thought the same. I also had the impression these were fake, so I didn't mention it. But if they are also live plants, I agree with you as to what they actually are.

 

[itiwhetu]

@Byron ,@StevenF . When do you know that you have over fertilized a tank, how do you tell. With the root tabs do they also provide fertilizer for the other plants in the tank and if they do how do you know how much to reduce the other fertilizers by so that the tank isn't getting to much fertilizer.

 

[Byron]

When do you know that you have over fertilized a tank, how do you tell.

I can tell if I see algae increasing--and here I mean problem algae. There are of course other reasons for this...light is on too long, or has become too weak to provide sufficient intensity and the nutrients are no longer helping the plants but encouraging algae. But once you have the light (involving intensity and duration) in balance with the available nutrients, and things are doing well, any increase of problem algae is a sign that something has gone out of balance.

I have had black brush algae increase from the light being on for too long, which is the usual cause. Even the increase in daylight intensity and duration in summer can do this. I have had problem algae increase by using too much liquid fertilizer, but also by not using enough. I know these various factors were involved because all this was over a period of some 8-9 years, with a fish room of 8 tanks running.

This is an important question though. Those who use the EI approach are seriously risking the fish through the over-use of fertilizers. The massive water changes to "rectify" things is some comfort, but it really should not be an issue in the first place. Which is why you will never see me recommending this approach. Fortunately, in a low-tech or natural planted tank, there is never any need for this approach.

With the root tabs do they also provide fertilizer for the other plants in the tank and if they do how do you know how much to reduce the other fertilizers by so that the tank isn't getting to much fertilizer.

This is where the specific substrate fertilizers matter. There may be other similar products, but Seachem's Flourish Tabs are one of the best (maybe the best, can't say) substrate fertilizers available. They do not release nutrients into the water column unless they are being taken up by the plant roots in the substrate. This means the nutrients never get into the upper water column to cause problem algae; so no, these tabs do not benefit any plants except those rooted in the substrate. Overuse of liquid fertilizers can however cause real issues for the fish, as well as algae--as can some inferior substrate fertilizers like osmocote, which is notorious for causing algae issue because it is full of nitrate and phosphorus, two nutrients that should never be added to a low-tech or natural planted tank if fish are present.

I can have healthy swords just with the root tabs. I also use liquid fertilizer because it allows my floating plants to thrive, which otherwise they do not. Several times I've tested this by discontinuing the liquid for months, even a year, and it showed. Nutrients from fish/fish foods and water changes can also factor in obviously, and that can sometimes be hard to predict.

 

[itiwhetu]

Thank you. If the root tabs don't enter the water how does the plant use them. Does the plant have to put its roots on them and so takes the nutrients directly undiluted into its system

 

[Byron]

Thank you. If the root tabs don't enter the water how does the plant use them. Does the plant have to put its roots on them and so takes the nutrients directly undiluted into its system

I have no idea how Seachem managed this, but I do honestly believe their claim is true. My non-substrate rooted plants never respond to the use of the tabs, but the swords in the substrate most certainly do.