Two questions about my aquarium

[Rocky998]

I'm just going to jump right in to the questions and ask... First I would like to know, what do you guys use for bottom dwelling fish to hide in? I want natural decor for my tank and not pipes or pots.
Second, I want to ask about me adding root tabs and in-substrate plants to the tank? I want to do a few amazon swords and other fast growing plants and wanted to know if these root tabs would be ok?

 

[itiwhetu]

I know nothing about fertilizers never used them. As for decor driftwood lying on its side and flat stones of rocks stacked on top of each other is the way to go.

 

[Rocky998]

I know nothing about fertilizers never used them. As for decor driftwood lying on its side and flat stones of rocks stacked on top of each other is the way to go.

Ok, thank you! I may add a third piece of driftwood or something.

 

[itiwhetu]

Ok, thank you! I may add a third piece of driftwood or something.

Driftwood is always good in a freshwater aquarium

 

[WhistlingBadger]

1. Wood, rock caves, dense planting all seem to work well. Remember to put heavy objects on the bottom of the tank and fill in substrate around them, so that if your bottom dwellers dig, the heavy stuff won't fall and crush them.
2. I've only needed root tabs a few times, but I'd advise using the seachem tabs. They aren't much more expensive. You never quite know what you're getting with etsy stuff. Put the tabs about every 6" around the base of the plants.

 

[Circus]

So the root tabs you listed use Osmocote Plus, which is for ground plants, but a lot of DIYers will use it in their aquariums. These caplets look like they have quite a lot in each one. I would say use very sparingly and test water a lot more frequently to see how it goes.
You can probably just buy a bag of the osmocote plus for a better deal, and put it in the substrate yourself.

I use thrive and seachem root tabs for most of my plants.

 

[itiwhetu]

So the root tabs you listed use Osmocote Plus, which is for ground plants, but a lot of DIYers will use it in their aquariums. These caplets look like they have quite a lot in each one. I would say use very sparingly and test water a lot more frequently to see how it goes.
You can probably just buy a bag of the osmocote plus for a better deal, and put it in the substrate yourself.

I use thrive and seachem root tabs for most of my plants.

Can you use osmocote in an aquarium?

 

[Circus]

Can you use osmocote in an aquarium?

A lot of diyers have done so, and a lot of people on forums have used it without problems. I think the biggest difference is that it has a quicker release rate than aquatic ferts, moderation is apparently key.

But, that being said, I myself have not used it. I try to steer clear of dry land plant fertilizers and stick to the known to be safe aquatic stuff.

 

[itiwhetu]

A lot of diyers have done so, and a lot of people on forums have used it without problems. I think the biggest difference is that it has a quicker release rate than aquatic ferts, moderation is apparently key.

But, that being said, I myself have not used it. I try to steer clear of dry land plant fertilizers and stick to the known to be safe aquatic stuff.

You can over fertilize with osmocote on land, I would hate to think what it does in a tank

 

[Circus]

Here we go, this is the video I was talking about! Osmocote already makes aquarium made tabs bundles too!

 

[itiwhetu]

Here we go, this is the video I was talking about! Osmocote already makes aquarium made tabs bundles too!

Cool, I like what is written on the back of the package " Keep out of reach of children and pets"

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

not pipes or pots

Even though this is not completely natural, you can use pots as a base, cover it in gravel with aquarium glue and attach plants to it. That is what I might do eventually.

 

[itiwhetu]

Please try to do things naturally, why would a fish want to hang out in a man-made pot rather than a piece of driftwood or a natural rock cave. You must think like a fish.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I use a mix of natural hiding places such as driftwood alongside ceramic caves by Superfish. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, they look like large stones but are entirely hollow with one or two entry holes.

My BN's are very keen on them as are my Cories and Cichlids



I have around 6 or 7 of them of various size lurking in the aquarium, all are in use for either resting in or playing/swimming through. Being ceramic, there are no sharp edges as per the plastic or resin versions, so perfectly safe for some ruff & tumble behaviour by the fish. They are, imho, a good alternative to using natural stones etc.

 

[Colin_T]

You can bury pipes under gravel or cover them in silicon and spread sand or gravel on them.

You can get driftwood and drill big holes in it.

My loaches lived underneath the undergravel filter plates in my tank.