Hi guys, I am starting a low tech tank with mostly rocks but I want to put in some plants. I am not injecting any CO2 this time but I will most likely add in a fan if required. Question is can I keep these plants?
1. Mini Fissiden?
2. Mini Pelia?
3. Alternanthera Reineckii?
4. Staurogyne Repens
I will be using the carpet seeds which are being discussed recently to try it out.
If these plants can't be grown, given a budget, is CO2 or Chiller more important if I can only add one?
Thanks to advise
What you intend to keep? Shrimps or fish? If its shrimp, what shrimps?
What is the light u intend to use? Or u need advice for the light?
Will you be dosing fert? Minerals etc?
Need more details before the pros can help u
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Originally Posted by genki89
What you intend to keep? Shrimps or fish? If its shrimp, what shrimps?
What is the light u intend to use? Or u need advice for the light?
Will you be dosing fert? Minerals etc?
Need more details before the pros can help u
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks for the help. Forgot to mention these important stuffs
Will be keeping few cory and few cardinals that's all
I am using a UP Aqua Y series LED light (http://www.up-aqua.com/00-dm-page/00...-light-big.jpg) Didn't want something too strong as I am worried about algae
I am really noob in ferts. Any low tech easy fert to recommend? Flourish and excel would do?
Last edited by jialuvqr; 19th Jul 2016 at 11:14.
Its possible to keep those plants in your list in a low-tech setup. Just that with no Co2 injection, their growth will be very much slower. Some of the plants may also take a longer time to recover and transition after they are planted, so you'll have to manage your expectations.
Some people may mention that mini fissidens and mini pelia need chilled water conditions to grow. While cooler waters can help, its debatable as an essential factor as there are other keepers who have also successfully grown them in room temperature water conditions too.
If you are sticking with a low-tech setup with low-moderate plant density, then a basic all-in-one fertilizer solution like Seachem Flourish Comprehensive would usually be sufficient. You can also dose Seachem Excel too, its a good liquid carbon alternative, although still not as efficient as Co2 injection, but it will help to improve plant growth to a certain degree.
For growing plants... Co2 injection is by far the most important factor, as it will generate the greatest effect by boosting the growth and condition of all plants. The difference in growth rates between low-tech vs high-tech setups is phenomenal.
A chiller is more of an optional equipment in a planted tank, good to install if you have the budget and space, but not absolutely necessary for growing the majority of aquarium plants.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation!!
If you don't mind, can I trouble you a little more.
- My friend just passed me a bottle of Lushgro Aqua but it's at least 2 years old. Not sure can be used. Is this consider as a comprehensive 1 stop formula? I am not looking into advance level of ferts.
- My Up Aqua led light. Is it too low for the plants I intend to keep? I read some forum discussion and it tends to suggest 3w led would be a better bet. Should I just go back to T5? I think that's the best bet but electricity consumption goes higher.
- I got myself a used co2 tank ready to go. Erm, does any spray paint or sticker the tank? I find it really ugly. Not sure if this would cause any problems or safety issue
Last edited by jialuvqr; 21st Jul 2016 at 09:46.
If it was sealed then "in theory" i guess should still be okay, so far i haven't come across ferts that expire. I guess you'll just have to try it out and see. Though if it has a bad smell or generates odd effects in the tank, then better toss it out and get a fresh new bottle of ferts instead.
That will depend alot on your tank size and height. The clip-on Up Aqua Y-Series LED lights that you plan to get is more on the low light side of intensity but it could be sufficient for tanks up to 24-30cm height and growing low demand plants (ie. mosses, anubias, java ferns etc).
You could also consider getting the Up Aqua Z-Series LED version instead, it will have more light intensity and many people have used it to successfully grow plants in both low-tech and high tech tanks up to 36cm height.
Another brand you can look at is the Chihiros A-Series LED lights too, its light intensity is even higher, and also includes a useful 7-step dimmer feature so that you can to adjust the intensity to your requirements.
If your tank height is 45cm and above, then the more powerful LED lights that use 3W LEDs would be a better choice, you can look at brands like the Odyssea EVO series lights, or any of the other similar types of higher powered LED lights available at various LFS.
You could also use T5 lights too, just have to factor in the higher power consumption, higher heat output and bulkier casing design.
I've occasionally seen Co2 tanks that have been custom spray painted before, i guess it could be done. But i'm not sure about the safety factors, so its best to check with the LFS on it.- I got myself a used co2 tank ready to go. Erm, does any spray paint or sticker the tank? I find it really ugly. Not sure if this would cause any problems or safety issue
Just additional question, co2 tank where did u get it from?
I am not sure but i read some khakis mentioned that some store do 1-1 exchange of the cylinder. Some shop do not help to refill tanks not brought from them.
In any case, if it happen to be they will refill the tank for u (1-1 exchange) den dont bother to decorate ur cylinder.
U might not get ur cylinder back.
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Oh thanks for letting me know.
Hi UA,
Can I ask you what kind of fertilizer should I be using? I done some reading but it just made the decision ever harder.
Seachem: am I right to say that Flourish Comprehensive only act as a gerneral fert like all-in-one but if I need to does more, I need to purchase NPK separately? So if I get NPK later on, I need a lot of effort to separately does N, P, K and Comprehensive? That is many bottles to take care of.
Borneowild: confusing product. I am looking at Lush and Essence K but I think Lush is also a all-in-one where Essence K concentrate in phosphorous ? Not sure which should I get or both? So which is Macro and Micro? The description isn't clear
LushGro Aqua and Micro: Aqua is all-in-one too but my friend didn't get good results so I want to try others. Else the cost of LushGro is really attractive. I do have a bottle of Aqua but 2 years old. How about using Aqua for macro and comprehensive as micro supplement?
Wonder-Gro: All-in-one but really hard to find them now
My Plants in my nano tank will be as follow:
China Carpet Plant in Seeds form now doing DSM
Petite Nana 1 pot
S.Repens 1 pot
Alternanethera Reineckii Mini few stalks only
US Fissidens
Equipment:
Persurrised CO2
Chihiros Led
Please help me to decide on a fert something easy to use and low maintenance as I wanted a easy maintenance tank.
Thank you so much!
So far i've used most of the fertilizers you mentioned (except wonder-gro). They generally achieved good results in my planted tanks. The key is to observe the plant growth and adjust/increase the dosages as the plants grow in density and mass.
Most people just follow the recommended dosages throughout and wonder why they don't seem to generate much results, especially in high tech tanks. Its a possibility that their plants might actually be needing even more nutrients to grow further. Bottle recommended dosages are only a base guideline, you'll still need to adjust it according to setup.
For your setup, Seachem Flourish Comprehensive can work as the main basic fertilizer (it contains K and micros, but only a little bit of N and P)... its designed with the approach that the majority of nitrogen (N) and phosphates (P) are meant to be supplied by the livestock feeding and waste, hence its separated so that N and P don't end up accumulating to excessive levels. Most planted tanks with moderate livestock would work with that type of arrangement.
But if you have low bio-load or run a high light tank with lots of fast growing plants, and find that the N and P are insufficient, then just dose those as required.
BorneoWild ferts do tend to be abit confusing due to their bottle descriptions. Anyways, the Lush fert has NPK and micro nutrients, so its sort of an all-in-one fert (though there is no breakdown list of its actual nutrient content). The Essence K is if you need to specifically add more potassium and traces.
LushGro Aqua and Micro can work too, i used the Aqua version and it worked well too.
Not sure where to get wonder-gro though, haven't seen it available locally at the popular LFS. Maybe those who have used it can chime in.
Hi UA,
I think I will go with your suggestion and get Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. There is something I don't understand. Comprehensive is mainly micros and K but I have seen another of your recommendation in another thread and also other folks here dosing Comprehensive and Potassium.
Isn't this too much of K and why isn't N and P being dosed?
Reference: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...054#post787054
Okay, potassium is one of the macro nutrients that plants use alot of, and if its in shortage, it will tend to restrict the plants usage of other types of nutrients (an obvious indication is yellowing of the older plant leaves).
In addition, the potassium derived from livestock food and waste is comparatively low. There is also no known significant negative effects from overdosing of potassium (compared to N and P) so its generally okay to maintain a higher level of it.
Hence in faster growth tanks (especially high-tech high-light tanks), its usually advisable to also dose extra potassium to support fast growth.
In low-tech tanks where plant growth is slower and nutrient uptake is lower, extra potassium dosing may not be required. So you'll just have to observe plant growth to see if its necessary.
Hi AQ, may I know these two plants are considered as stem plants and need root ferts?
A.Reineckii mini
S.repens
I actually didn't lay 100% of my base with soil because I was short of soil and used some sand at the bottom instead. I'm seeing roots growing deep and reaching the sand base and worried if they will get enough nutrient. If I dose flourish will it be sufficent or do I need to get root ferts stick?
Those 2 plants are considered as stem plants too. If you find that their growth and condition are not so good. Just dose more ferts. Water column ferts will also seep into the substrate and provide nutrients to the plants.
If you find that you have to dose alot of fertilizers to get results, then you could look at also adding root tabs or sticks into the substrate at areas near the plant roots. Those will be more effective at supplying nutrients directly to the plant roots themselves, rather than spreading out in the water column (whereby algae can also use).
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