HC in non-CO2 tank

[krabbie]

Hi, I am thinking of setting up HC in a non-CO2 tank. I have never tried HC before and have heard that it's very difficult to plant ... since mine is a new tank, I won't have the problem of fishes disturbing the plants ... Can share some tips on planting HC ?

BTW, I have glosso and it's a relatively easy plant .. how does HC compare to glosso in terms of difficulty? It will be good if you can explain why HC is more difficult, rather than making a comment that HC is more difficult. Hahaha, thanks.

[juggler]

Or could I say both plants are easy? Glosso being the easier of the two? ha ha ...

I never tried HC before. But maybe you can check with Fei Miao also attempting HC currently at this thread http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...d.php?p=202764

[kemp]

HC would need co2 injection from my past experience, but maybe others do have luck in a non co2 ones

[GaspingGurami]

HC grows easily for me in a single plant tank without CO2.

Specs are as follows:
Size: 18in Dia x 2in depth round tub
Substrate: ADA aquasoil amazonia 3-4 grains deep
Lighting: under direct sunlight
No of Hours: standard sunlight hours for the day.
Fert: 40ppm NO3+4ppm P weekly from the 2nd month
CO2: nil
Waterchange: nil, top up tapwater daily

Livestock: 1000s of daphnia that I siphon out to feed my fish.

Seriously, it grows very well this way. Intense pearling after 1 hour of direct sunlight. A clump the size of $2 bill when split up and planted will cover the gravel in around 1-2 months. The sod that is formed is so dense, you have to peel it off like a carpet.

Unfortunately, when transplanted into an artificially lit tank, even with 11WPG, CO2 + chiller and heavy fertilisation, they don't do too well after 2 months for me. But with my method, I have an endless supply to harvest from when the tank's HC turn yellow and float.

Hope yours do better.

[Betta Almighty]

HC grows easily for me in a single plant tank without CO2.

Specs are as follows:
Size: 18in Dia x 2in depth round tub
Substrate: ADA aquasoil amazonia 3-4 grains deep
Lighting: under direct sunlight
No of Hours: standard sunlight hours for the day.
Fert: 40ppm NO3+4ppm P weekly from the 2nd month
CO2: nil
Waterchange: nil, top up tapwater daily

how about temperature?

[GaspingGurami]

at mid-day should be over 40 deg C (thermometer limit at 34 deg so I'm guessing here). But the HC are pearling like mad.

Give lots of KNO3. The leaves yellow fast under these conditions.

[krabbie]

does your tank have any algae problem under direct sunlight?

I have just started (< 1 week) the HC lawn in my small tank (28cm x 18cm x 20cm) with Seachem Onyx. It has not yet rooted into the substrate and let's see how it goes. BTW, does anyone know if organic carbon helps?

[bclee]

In my experience, HC does not really like Seachem Onyx, not that it don't grow... but not as well. They seems to do better in ADA Aquasoil.

BC

[krabbie]

In my experience, HC does not really like Seachem Onyx, not that it don't grow... but not as well. They seems to do better in ADA Aquasoil.

BC

Oops ... but anyway, since i have already started, let's see how it goes. I will update you guys again maybe in 2~3 weeks' time.

[low]

sorry....very new in planted, what is HC ? any pic to show ?

Thanks

[bclee]

Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''

http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=048B

BC

[low]

Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''

http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=048B

BC

Thanks but is there any REAL pic ?

[kemp]

maybe you can refer to this
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/alv...aini/my_photos

[low]

maybe you can refer to this
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/alv...aini/my_photos

Thanks for

[Betta Almighty]

at mid-day should be over 40 deg C (thermometer limit at 34 deg so I'm guessing here). But the HC are pearling like mad.

Give lots of KNO3. The leaves yellow fast under these conditions.

cool, do you have a picture of how your HC's are growing?

[rudi]

Mine too...
when i just placed it in, it grows abit than it brown and like melts away.
Hais...
tried 3 time all same result.

[GaspingGurami]

cool, do you have a picture of how your HC's are growing?

My first time posting pictures and it works! Apologies for the poor focus -- yet to learn how to get a good picture from the phone camera.

Looking at the colour of the stems, one can see how they will expire fast if you do not keep adding ferts. Photo shows 1 week of starving of fert. I tend to dose KNO3 every 2 days to keep the plants green.

The brght direct sun drives them, and I suspect the high temperatures also increase their metabolism, hence the need for ferts. But they grow fast this way. Picture taken at 9am before sun hits the tub and plants already start to pearl even without CO2.

BTW don't leave your tubs at the top of the parapet like you see in my picture.

[mordrake]

hmmm... should have left my 1.5ft cube in the sun to grow HC 1st before transferring into the house

Lawrence, how do you transfer the HC to main tank?

[krabbie]

Lawrence, how do you transfer the HC to main tank?

That's a good question that I would like to know as well.

[GaspingGurami]

With the ADA aquasoil. I just get the whole tub to grow into a HC sod, overturn it, and dump into the tank.

I have a thin piece of filter wool as the base of the tub before I pour in the Aquasoil. When the HC grows in, it is so dense, it covers everything and it even permeates the filter wool, so it is like a carpet, easy to handle.

Bad news is, I've not been able to grow it in my tanks for long, even when transplanted this way. See my post above. And my tanks are certainly not dimly lit.

Good luck on your planting.