Water sprite and hygrophila polysperma info please **beginner alert**

[Neon1977]

Hi, I thought it would be the best place to post here so I can get non conflicting answers on how to look after and maintain these two plants! Firstly I have a carbon filter cartridge in my Ciano filter that I won’t be removing for another month until the tank has fully cycled. Can I even have live plants with this inside my filter? If so, I want to get these two plants as soon as possible to help the cycling process and create a better environment for my Neons in general! I have two big fake plants at the back at the minute so they haven’t got nothing in the tank don’t get me wrong! I would just love to start adding live plants! Do I need C02 for these? What Ferts if any? What lighting requirements? All’s I have over the tank at the minute is the light it came with which is a low voltage LED 12V 1.5W consumption. Thanks I’m advance!

 

[thuctoanvietnamese]

Hi, I thought it would be the best place to post here so I can get non conflicting answers on how to look after and maintain these two plants! Firstly I have a carbon filter cartridge in my Ciano filter that I won’t be removing for another month until the tank has fully cycled. Can I even have live plants with this inside my filter? If so, I want to get these two plants as soon as possible to help the cycling process and create a better environment for my Neons in general! I have two big fake plants at the back at the minute so they haven’t got nothing in the tank don’t get me wrong! I would just love to start adding live plants! Do I need C02 for these? What Ferts if any? What lighting requirements? All’s I have over the tank at the minute is the light it came with which is a low voltage LED 12V 1.5W consumption. Thanks I’m advance!

You don't need CO2 for the water spirte
they can grow out of water
I saw a lot of them grow in the rice field )

 

[Neon1977]

You don't need CO2 for the water spirte
they can grow out of water
I saw a lot of them grow in the rice field )

Brilliant thank you, I take it they don’t need ferts or a certain lighting either?? I want the water sprite floating anyway. Do you know anything about the hygrophila polysperma??

 

[CryptFan]

Water sprite along with many others are low light plants, you will need some type of fert. For a beginner with just a few easy plants I recommend SeaChem flourish. But if you want to add mire you might want to look into something better like nilocg thrive.

 

[seangee]

hygrophila is tolerant off a wide range of light. No co2 needed but will benefit from root tabs or substrate fertilisation. Plants will be fine with the carbon in the filter but it will reduce the effectiveness of liquid ferts.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No CO2 is needed, but fertilizers (Either liquid or tabs) are appreciated.

 

[Neon1977]

Thanks so much to all of you you have made my mind up to just go for it and I’m going to get some liquid fertiliser first and see how I go! Not sure which one yet will do some research! Thanks again.

 

[Colin_T]

Hygrophila polysperma and Ambulia are both good plants to begin with. They don't need CO2 but do like light and nutrients.

An iron based aquarium plant fertiliser will definitely help them grow. I use Sera Florena liquid iron based plant fertiliser, but there are other brands available too. Get an iron test kit and monitor the levels in the tank and keep them around 1mg/L (1ppm).

Lots of light will help them grow rapidly. Have lights on for 12 hours and see how they do.

Water Sprite loves light and nutrients but doesn't need CO2 either. If you have enough light for Ambulia, then it is sufficient for Hygrophilas and Water Sprite. If the Water Sprite gets out of control, you can plant the floating plants in the substrate and they grow underwater.

 

[Neon1977]

Hygrophila polysperma and Ambulia are both good plants to begin with. They don't need CO2 but do like light and nutrients.

An iron based aquarium plant fertiliser will definitely help them grow. I use Sera Florena liquid iron based plant fertiliser, but there are other brands available too. Get an iron test kit and monitor the levels in the tank and keep them around 1mg/L (1ppm).

Lots of light will help them grow rapidly. Have lights on for 12 hours and see how they do.

Water Sprite loves light and nutrients but doesn't need CO2 either. If you have enough light for Ambulia, then it is sufficient for Hygrophilas and Water Sprite. If the Water Sprite gets out of control, you can plant the floating plants in the substrate and they grow underwater.

Fab advice again thank you! Will remember that when I go to the LFS tomorrow to pick up the plants and fertiliser. Is the iron test kit necessary or? And will do about the light although won’t algae start easily growing with the light on for 12 hours?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No problem. Just remember to give them lots of light and TLC.

 

[Neon1977]

No problem. Just remember to give them lots of light and TLC.

Will try my very best! Thanks

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Fab advice again thank you! Will remember that when I go to the LFS tomorrow to pick up the plants and fertiliser. Is the iron test kit necessary or? And will do about the light although won’t algae start easily growing with the light on for 12 hours?

Interestingly no! I keep my tank light on, in 29g, for 14 hours a day. I tried less than 14 hours and over 14 hours and nothing worked for me better than 14hrs.

Edit: I have very good plant growth that some other members have not been able to achieve, because of my method.

 

[Neon1977]

Interestingly no! I keep my tank light on, in 29g, for 14 hours a day. I tried less than 14 hours and over 14 hours and nothing worked for me better than 14hrs.

Edit: I have very good plant growth that some other members have not been able to achieve, because of my method.

Fabulous! Just what I wanted to hear! Excited to hopefully get the plants etc tomorrow now

 

[Colin_T]

Algae grows if there is light and nutrients in the water. If you have live plants, they use the light and nutrients and stop the algae from growing.

Start off with 12 hours light per day and see how the algae looks after a couple of weeks. If there's no algae then you can increase the light by an hour a day. If you get lots of algae then reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor for a couple more weeks.

Iron test kits allow you to monitor and maintain a stable level of iron in the water. 1mg/L is all you need. If you don't have an iron test kit, the plants can use all the iron up in a day or two and there won't be any for them until you add more. If you add too much iron you can kill the fish. So an iron test kit is useful and worth getting if you plan on using an iron based fertiliser.

 

[Neon1977]

Algae grows if there is light and nutrients in the water. If you have live plants, they use the light and nutrients and stop the algae from growing.

Start off with 12 hours light per day and see how the algae looks after a couple of weeks. If there's no algae then you can increase the light by an hour a day. If you get lots of algae then reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor for a couple more weeks.

Iron test kits allow you to monitor and maintain a stable level of iron in the water. 1mg/L is all you need. If you don't have an iron test kit, the plants can use all the iron up in a day or two and there won't be any for them until you add more. If you add too much iron you can kill the fish. So an iron test kit is useful and worth getting if you plan on using an iron based fertiliser.

Thanks a lot will follow this method and see how I go! ohh I see! Would it be ok to get a non iron based fertiliser then and for the plants still to grow nice and healthy or?? Sorry firing all these questions I just need something simple to maintain at first until I’m fully established.