Plant Growth

[Malawi MaD]

Hi all

can anyone give me tips and share some knowledge with me about how to make plants thrive well. Substrate,CO2, ferts, what plants etc... Anything at all useful to help me make a decent planted tank.

Much appreciated

 

[minnnt]

Hiya mate, if the right plants are selected then there would be no need for co2 or a specialist substrate. Low tech plants such as Anubias, Java Ferns, Cryptocorynes, Vallis etc are all ideal easy plants to look after. Mosses are great too. Alot of stem plants offer fast growth such as Cabomba, Limnophila and Elodea. Hygrophila is also a quick grower.

If you have plenty of fish then even a fertiliser is not necessary. But, even so, you can still dose a general fertiliser to offer up extra nutrients. Ensure good flow and a photosynthesis period of around 7-8 hours and you should have good success.

 

[Ruskull]

Hi all

can anyone give me tips and share some knowledge with me about how to make plants thrive well. Substrate,CO2, ferts, what plants etc... Anything at all useful to help me make a decent planted tank.

Much appreciated

I'm very new to the live planted tank myself, but all my plants started growing great when I got a good dual T5 light fixture. I have Wisteria, Anubias, Red Rubin Amazons, Argentine Swords and Lemon Bacopa all growing new chutes since I upped the lighting. I also used the Flourish Tabs that you push down into the substrate to fertilize. I plan to get the liquid Flourish soon, when the Tabs run out.

The light fixture I got is the Coralife Aqualite 2 bulb 30 inch fixture with 2x31 watts. The light that came with my tank was only a single T8 17 watt bulb. Don't get an Actinic bulb either, those are meant for corals in a salt tank. You want one daylight white bulb & 1 colormax or equivalent for plants. The plant bulb is usually pinkish in color.

 

[minnnt]

Plants will adapt to what ever bulb you give them. Lower watt the slower they grow (some will die that need high light) and the higher watt the bulb the quicker they will grow... Which will make them crave nutrients and the addition of carbon. The colour temperature will bare no referance to plant growth, more just a personal preferance.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Hiya mate, if the right plants are selected then there would be no need for co2 or a specialist substrate. Low tech plants such as Anubias, Java Ferns, Cryptocorynes, Vallis etc are all ideal easy plants to look after. Mosses are great too. Alot of stem plants offer fast growth such as Cabomba, Limnophila and Elodea. Hygrophila is also a quick grower.

If you have plenty of fish then even a fertiliser is not necessary. But, even so, you can still dose a general fertiliser to offer up extra nutrients. Ensure good flow and a photosynthesis period of around 7-8 hours and you should have good success.

Thanks mate, what about the small kinda grass plant's? That you can cover the whole bottom of your tank makes the tank look awesome. How do these hold up??

Hi all

can anyone give me tips and share some knowledge with me about how to make plants thrive well. Substrate,CO2, ferts, what plants etc... Anything at all useful to help me make a decent planted tank.

Much appreciated

I'm very new to the live planted tank myself, but all my plants started growing great when I got a good dual T5 light fixture. I have Wisteria, Anubias, Red Rubin Amazons, Argentine Swords and Lemon Bacopa all growing new chutes since I upped the lighting. I also used the Flourish Tabs that you push down into the substrate to fertilize. I plan to get the liquid Flourish soon, when the Tabs run out.

The light fixture I got is the Coralife Aqualite 2 bulb 30 inch fixture with 2x31 watts. The light that came with my tank was only a single T8 17 watt bulb. Don't get an Actinic bulb either, those are meant for corals in a salt tank. You want one daylight white bulb & 1 colormax or equivalent for plants. The plant bulb is usually pinkish in color.

I got T5 too i know these are alot stronger so these could help. Thanks for that mate

 

[minnnt]

If going with the full shebang such as co2 and ferts then you could go with HC, Glossostigma etc. I am currently having great success with using moss as a carpet. Currently using Christmas Moss, but Weeping Moss would probably be better as it would probably stay more compact. I tend to use slate when using Moss as a carpet.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Thinking of a Co2 system and ferts but wheres the best place for this equipment ??

Cheers mint

 

[LucyB]

Cheers mint

Three n's! It's Minnnt !

 

[Malawi MaD]

Cheers mint

Three n's! It's Minnnt !

Shhh

 

[LucyB]

Cheers mint

Three n's! It's Minnnt !

Shhh

 

[minnnt]

Thanks Lucy...


Aqua Essentials?

 

[Livewire88]

Thinking of a Co2 system and ferts but wheres the best place for this equipment ??

Cheers mint

CO2 set up for sale HERE

 

[Malawi MaD]

Thanks for that livewire