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I got my second tank set up and it is a 55 gallon. I'm starting to put in plants in and I'm worried that the lack of nitrate and Co2 may slow the growth. What can I do with out spending a lot of money???

I have thought about pulling a gallon or so from my 20 gallon tank now and then to try and get some cultured water in my 55, what do you all think?

Hi,
A "Planted tank with no fish" will require the use of ferts.

Unless you are using "enriched substrate" such as
Echo Complete, or Flourite, or Laterite, gravel by itself
is essentially ground up and rounded glass (SiO2) also
known as Quartz or Glass. There is nothing in the stuff
to support plants. The water you filled the tank with will
have some nutrients for plant life, but very little.

It is the nitrogen cycle combined with fish waste, excess
food, and dead/dying plant material that furnishes the
nutrients that plants use for food.

Once you start adding fish, cut back on the ferts till the
tank has cycled, and you see how they (the plants) are doing
with the reduced ferts. Keep cutting back as the fish are
added until you hit only a "maintenance dose."


Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I'm trying some new products from Redsea:
Flora Vit
Flora Fe
and Flora Pure

I hope this will help, because as much as I paid, they better help