FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Just as the title says im having problems getting anything other than my hornwort to grow, but i know that grows very easily. I cant think of what might have changed as when i first got the tank (about 4-5 months ago) everything grew fine.
Unfortunatly i cant remember any of the names of my plants, but i know they are all basic nothing to taxing to care for as i asked the guy in the LFS which were easy.
I was told that it could be i dont have enough stock in the tank so the cycle of nutrients etc. isnt working properly but i asked on the forums here and they said that the amount of fish i have is fine maybe a few more neons:
2 dwarf gouramis
1 betta (dont worry they dont fight at all)
4 neons
2 mollies
2 ottos
4 platys (and 1 baby)
(In a 215 litre tank)
So any other reasons why nothing is moving in there would be appreciated. Baring in mind im relativly new to fish i may have missed something basic so please ask about that.
thanks

First question - how much and what kind of lighting do you have on the tank? The most important factor with plants is light.

However, the amount of time it took the plants to die makes me think something else might be the case as well. Certain pet stores continue to sell terrestrial plants, unmarked as such, with their true aquatics. Terrestrial plants will appear to do okay, although they rarely grow, for a month or two, sometimes as long as a year. Then one day it kicks in that they're underwater and they start to rot. A lot of terrestrials are sold as aquatics these days - acorus grass, peace lilies, mondo grass, dragon's tongue, aluminum plant, spider plants, pothos, a bunch of others - and since the staff at pet stores often know little about the plants (sometimes they don't even know about the fish) it's entirely possible you were sold a number of these.

If your hornwort is doing fairly well, here are some plants to look for: Java moss, Java fern, anubias, and crypts. The first three I can almost guarantee will work in your tank - they'll grow anywhere! The last will be a good choice if you have an okay amount of light, low to moderate.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

In addition to what LittleMousling mentioned about light and terrestrial plants (I had that problem when I first started ) if you have more than 2wpg are you running CO2? Also what are your nitrAte levels...if the hornwort is growing well it could be consuming all the nutrients that the other plants would need to grow. And are you adding any ferts?

While it is true that plants don't really need all that much, to get good growth and to keep them from rotting they sometimes need a little extra help.

^_^

yeh i've been told that i need to get a more powerful light, as one of the ones i have doesnt help with plant growth at all, i have 2 18w bulbs, one daylight and one warm white.
Also what would you advise to help the plants grow other than C02 as i dont have enough money for that, im only a student! Like chemicals or something?

You can purchase liquid CO2, it's a product called flourish excell..however DIY CO2 would be much much cheaper. Adding ferts and CO2 without having the appropriate light will get you a mess on your hands. First thing to do would be (IMO) go to your local hardware store and look for ways to upgrade your lighting cheaply (I know this is possible as I've done it ).

You want your lights to be daylight, not warm white, and in the 5000-6500K range as a minimum. Commercial Electric (found in home depot) makes a great screw in flouro (19w) that's 6500k daylight for around $7.

^_^

[font color="#000080"]EDIT: Sorry, just saw the flag, ....uk would of course be different, but check your DIY shops anyway, you may still find something.

^_^[/font]

[span class="edited"][Edited by Babelfish 2004-08-30 15:10][/span]

well thanks for that babel.
So what would be the costs of DIY C02 and what does it invole? also i cant remember if you suggested any plant growing things. The tank i have is a Juwel Rio 125, its got the standard parts on it, everything that it came with i mean. Also on my lights i have the reflectors they sell to relflect the light downwards, also there is an air venturi kit available, i have no idea what it does (well i mean the benefits of it) but do you think in might help?
https://secure9.easyspace.com/www.edkins.com/juwel-aquariums/air_venturi.htm
So would you say it was worth doing C02 on a very very limited budget and if i upgrade my lighting which i will do as soon as possible, would it be acceptable just to have some plant growing liquids and some good lighting?

also i dont know if this is a stupid quesiton but, what exactly is DIY CO2, i mean how does it work, what does it do?

DIY CO2 is basically yeast, sugar, and water that react in a soda bottle. Co2 is the end product and it's fed thru a airline into the tank where it helps the plants grow by providing them with more energy to use the light...in a nutshell .... The venturi system is designed to increase surface agitation and will reduce the ammount of CO2 in the tank, which will become an issue if you actually start adding it.

First thing to change would be the lights.

You have 36 watts, but how many gallons ? Since I'm not familar with that tank, what type of bulb is it, screw in or tube ?

^_^




[span class="edited"][Edited by Babelfish 2004-08-30 17:18][/span]

oh its a tube lighting system, i will definetly change my lights when i go out next.
How often does the CO2 mixture need changing if at all?
and wouldnt the bubbles created by the CO2 increase surface irritation? the same as the air venturi kit?
Im serioulsly thinking about the DIY thing, sounds simple enough to me.
Where would you put the tube in the tank however? I mean if you rooted it in one place at the bottom it would only affect the area it is rooted to. Would it be best to somehow run it through the filter and therefore the bubbles are being pushed around with the flow.
Yet i have a problem with that too! The jet of the filter is quite strong and not adjustable so i have aimed it at the side of the tank, and this increases surface irritation, which is good i think? But would the fact the jet is aimed upwards mean that the bubbles would not have a chance to ciculate?

Hi Moose,

Don't won't to spoil your excitement, but I would slow down a little bit. A couple of things need to be done before considering CO2(DIY or otherwise) or any other type of ferts. There is no way to "cheat" the plants and get a good planted tank quickly, everything needs to be in balance and patience is most definately required. As, I think it was, Babel mentioned if you don't get it right you end up with one heck of a mess on your hands.

First of all take the time to do some research. You mentioned you didn't know the names of the plants you had, so how do you know how to take care of them ? Like fish, plants have different requirements and needs, and some stay like small neons and others turn into giant oscars. You need to to know which is which, where to put and how to get the best from them. You don't have to become a botanist, but have a look around the net, find some plants you like the look of and just have a look at their requirements, if you think the plant will work for you and will fall in with whatever design you have planned then stick it on your shopping list. You'll also avoid the trap of getting sold plants that are not true aquatics. http://www.plantgeek.com is a good sight that lets you search for pics and info based on variuos parameters (lighting, difficulty etc) and would be a good place to start.

215lts is a 47gal with 36watts of light which gives you 0.76 wpg, this is not enough to grow almost all plants except the ones that Little Mousling mentioned. So definately need to upgrade. Another 36watt fixture would be a HUGE help, still in the low to moderate end but a greater choice of plants and still no need for CO2. 2 more fixtures and you have enough light to grow just about any plant you want and you can start to consider CO2 addition.
So your first priority (after research) is lights, no amount of fert or CO2 will make up for a lack of light.

When the light is sorted don't be too adventurous in your plant choice , throw in as many easy and fast growing plants as you can. Healthy fast growing plants will help balance your tank nutrient wise and avoid algae from the start. Don't worry about about ferts or CO2 at this point. Later you can remove some of these and replace with slower or more difficult plants or whatever pleases your eye.

Give it a couple of months and when you are comfortable and have got your fingers wet then's the time for experimentation and CO2.

To prove it can be done here is a thread http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=45527 with my own tank. Never added any type of CO2 supplement and rarely use any type of fert. Root tab under the sword and a HALF dose of Tropica Master Grow about once a month.I have very few problems with algae and plants do pretty good, not optimal but pretty good.

Co2 is most definately beneficial and I will get around to using it soon, but it's better to take it slowly and get the basics right first before moving on to the next level.
Works out easier and cheaper in the long term.

Sorry for rambling on, hope this helps

---

Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Above is a very good piece of advice

I was considering CO2 - but I think I will wait a little longer

My plants are growing steadily and beginning to spread out - can't wait for their babies to transplant

Seeing that your in the UK - note that a lot of our water is "hard" and I have found broader leaf plants adapt quicker, softer plants tend to grow staggered and spindely sometimes tending to break up and clog the filter

Have other viewers found this?