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shadows
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Fingerling
Posts: 41
Kudos: 37
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Registered: 08-Sep-2005
male usa
Hello all, i have a 55 gallon tank and i seem to have nitrate problems. My tank is around 0 ammonia and 0 nitrates so from what i have gathered i am at the end of the cycle. My nitrates hover between 20 and 40 on the test strips and i have to do water changes more than i would like to get them down lower. I have been looking at plants to help with this situation and was wondering what would be the ideal. I would like to start small (say 1 or 2 plants) to get used to them though. I do not know my watts currently because i am writing this on break at work

Are there other methods besides water changes to keep my nitrates lower?

How do you/do you still have to do gravel vacuuming with plants? I would not like to hurt them trying to deep clean a patch.

Will they be ok in gravel? (normal type LFS gravel) What type would be best in this situation?

I have seen potted ones at the LFS and ones that are in some kind of hard to explain, looks like wet mushy stuff in plastic containers. What is the difference?

I believe that is all currently. Thanks for any help
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Report 
DaMossMan
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Piranha Bait
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Registered: 16-Nov-2003
male canada ca-ontario
Hello and welcome to FP

With Ammonia and Nitrite at zero, and nitrate between 20 and 40, yes, your tank is cycled.

Just a note, you may find a liquid nitrate test more accurate, also cheaper in the long run, as you get more tests for your dollar.

20 nitrates are acceptable in the average community tank, seems like you are doing ok there as far as water changes.

"Are there other methods besides water changes to keep my nitrates lower?"

Yes, to HEAVILY PLANT, there is more work involved there, then doing water changes.

"How do you/do you still have to do gravel vacuuming with plants?" - Some vaccing still required but only skimming along the gravel surface, and around the plants. Some people do not vac their planted tank.

Alot of plants will be ok in gravel.

Before answering what type of plants would be ok in your setup.. We need how many gal your tank is, and how many
watts of light you have, to figure out your watts per gallon. is it flourescent ?

"I have seen potted ones at the LFS and ones that are in some kind of hard to explain, looks like wet mushy stuff in plastic containers. What is the difference?"

Some plants are sold in pots, some not. The mushy stuff is rockwool, which holds nutrients for the plants. You would remove that before planting.

Awaiting info on light/tank size.



The Amazon Nut...
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile Homepage PM Edit Delete Report 
shadows
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Fingerling
Posts: 41
Kudos: 37
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Registered: 08-Sep-2005
male usa
I looked at the lights and i have 2 Eclipse F15T8 "natural daylight" lights in there that are 18 inches in length, my guess would be 30 total watts divided by 55 (gallon tank)if i read the other thread correctly for a total of about .55



Last edited by shadows at 28-Sep-2005 16:13
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
princessinabsentia
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Hobbyist
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Registered: 06-Aug-2004
female usa
i used to have HORRENDOUS problems with plants... first off you need a little more light in your tank you want to get close to two watts per gallon ( keep in mind all the decorations and rocks do displace water so if you can get like 100 watts total on a 55 thats probably REALLY CLOSE to 2 per gallon) the best way i've have luck is to leave them in those stupid little containers they come in with that spngy stuff in it, plant it ion your tank for a week or two and then remove in from container. I found that after doing it this way my plkants have survived and i have

LOTS OR WATER LETTUCE
3 lillies
2 amazon sword
2 java ferns
1 moss ball
anacharis for fish munchies lol
wisteria i think it is and lots of it
and 6 mystery plants i bought from the LFS that had no tag in them
first get more light then get the plants there are a few that will survive in lowlight... but in my opinion its better to get a little more light then get the plants

hope this helps
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
upikabu
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Fish Addict
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Registered: 08-Jun-2005
male australia
Elodea is a great nitrate sucker IME. Everytime I add Elodea in one of my planted tanks, I always have to add nitrate so that the other plants can get some too. The leaves also don't shed, so it's easy to handle. You can just leave them floating in the tank (they suck up nutrients faster that way), which is probably ideal since you don't have much light and at least they'll be close to the light that way.

-P
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
DaMossMan
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Piranha Bait
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male canada ca-ontario
Without upgrading your light, I 2nd to try floating the elodia. Planted, it would suffer in that light. Elodia is not only great for sucking excess nutrients, but oxygenation as well. Floating, it will make roots that will hang down in the water, taking nutrients direct from the water column.

Java moss also recommended, needs very little light, 'swish' it sometimes to keep it clean.
Grows slowly, but it can really take over a tank given time.

Java fern might also grow in there, but very slowly.

If you are going planted, recommend a timer for your light, 10 hours a day. Reminds me, my digital one died, I bought an analog one to replace it, time to hook it up..


The Amazon Nut...
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile Homepage PM Edit Delete Report 
shadows
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Fingerling
Posts: 41
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Registered: 08-Sep-2005
male usa
Darn,
I tried to find some last night and had no luck at all. I asked the lady at the LFS and she looked at me like i was a 3 headed alien. This was petsmart and surprisingly they had no java fern or elodea, in fact none of the stuff they had there was floating at all. Thankfully i have another petsmart in the area i can check and a petco which both seem to have more idea on the plants. I just go to this one because even though the attendant really is not extremely knowledgeable, she does care about the fishies she attends a lot and is willing to listen to advice if i research something and it contradicts what she tells me

My only issue is that the nearest LFS is a 45 minute drive through the desert LOL (can you imagine how much i hate it when i forget something....like last night when i got home and realized i forgot tank sealer?
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
shadows
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Fingerling
Posts: 41
Kudos: 37
Votes: 0
Registered: 08-Sep-2005
male usa
Well after finally breaking down and buying something called "Anacharis" i went back to searching on it and found out this is also known as "Elodea" Go figure! =p Put some in both my main tank and the 10 gallon fry tank and everyone seems to love it. Have not checked nitrates because i have been busy and wanted to give it a few days to see whether i would kill it or not.

I also tried one of those strange potted in gel plants called Aqua Fern (java something) which i believe may be Java Fern but am not sure, read bad things about it but worth a try.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
jake
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Fish Addict
Posts: 594
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Registered: 21-Mar-2004
male usa
I second the motion to switch to liquid nitrate test kit. Much easier to read. In a planted tank, Nitrate and Phosphate are two of your more important readings, so the better the kit the smoother you can keep the tank running.

What does your nitrates read straight from tap?
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
sham
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Ultimate Fish Guru
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Registered: 21-Apr-2004
female usa
Between a liquid and strip test all my parameters are completely different. My nitrate goes from 10 to a color matching something around 40-60, ph is 1 off, hardness and alkalinity are usually several off colors off, and from testing a cycling tank I found the strips don't read a low nitrite level at all. I thought I'd save money and use strips since the lfs was a bit of a drive for me too and I had to buy an entire aquarium pharm kit instead of just the test I needed. I ended up tossing the strips in the trash and ordering more liquid tests online.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:42Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
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