Inspired For Some Plants! HELP PLEASE

[Sparkyweasel]

What species did you end up with?

I think Luis is being a bit pessimistic there.

[ghostsword]

What species did you end up with?

I think Luis is being a bit pessimistic there.

:) pessimistic? I very much doubt that those plants can be kept without co2 being dosed to the tank. And we are not even trying to keep algae away.

There are very few places on the world with pristine plants underwater, an those that exist are loaded with co2.

You can dose easycarbo, but on something that big your cheapest option is pressurized co2. I have been there, tried it on a 100l tank. Even had the DIY co2. Just not worth the bother. And £20 for a bottle, is you use a FE it's even cheaper, how can it not make sense?

If no pressurized co2 then get crypts, ferns and moss, you can have an amazing tank with those. :)


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[Sparkyweasel]

Certainly if abz decides to use CO2 a pressurised system will be the best and most economical. But plenty of plants will grow perfectly well without it.
Have you never had a successful tank without CO2 injection Luis? (That's an interested enquiry, btw, not a challenge, - it can be hard to tell on the internet  )

[ghostsword]

I do have three tanks with no co2, but they got only moss and ferns, which is what I think grows fine. I added crypts to one.

Would not put stems or carpet plants on the non co2 tanks.


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[abz]

To be totally honest I don't have a clue which plants i've received but i'll try mention a few that i can recognise from the website (but i may be wrong  );

Java Moss
Hairgrass
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Chain sword
Glosso
Green & red Cabomba
Tiger Lotus
A few small crypts (can't really tell which they are)
and many others which i'm not too sure (I could add some close up pics if you don't mind identifying them)

To reply to the convo above. I would have hoped I'd been given this info before I spent over £60 on these plants. So I can't just start again really. To be fair I did ask earlier in the post & spoke to Tony over the phone about using CO2, I was told that I don't really need CO2 with most the plants I've ordered. Speaking to Tony, he recommended that I used some CO2 rather than none so I bought a box of SANOPLANT CO2 Tablets. Will this do the job?

Anyways I am open to option of using CO2 but I am more concerned how much will it cost.

[Sparkyweasel]

I doubt if the Glosso will thrive without CO₂ injection, but the others I would expect to be fine.

CO₂ tablets are OK, and you don't have to invest in a lot of equipment to get started, but in the longer term it works out cheaper to buy the kit for a pressurized system, as the monthly cost is so much lower.

[ghostsword]

Hairgrass, tenelus, glosso and lileaopsis will die without co2.

Not sure about the co2 tablets. I have used them and was not happy with it, but you may have a different result with them.

The other plants will do ok on a non co2 tank, but you need to keep an eye on light, so just a little light, otherwise lots of algae.

My advice is to get a co2 regulator, and a bottle, or a FE. Otherwise you can use those optimat from jbl, you press the nozzle and a receptacle get filled with co2, should last for the day.

The best for a non co2 tank is ferns, mosses and crypts, also some lotus, as the leaves come to the top, everything else you will need injected co2.




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[James]

Lileaopsis has always been fine in my non co2 tanks, it doesn't grow super quick but still throws out runners at a fairy regular pace and IMO is a pretty hardy plant that will do fine without co2.

Pressurised systems are the best way to get gas into the tank but they cost a fair amount to get up and running and then you have to source refills etc. I'm not overly convinced by the tablets but i've never used them myself so cant really pass judgement.  I'd go with liquid carbon additives, i'm sure i saw an article in PFK that showed that its cheaper then gas on all but the largest of tanks.

IMO yes co2 injection will make everything grow quicker and healthier but there are only a few plants that you need it for

[ghostsword]

Yes, to have a great tank is not necessary to have CO2, again crypts are amazing plants to use on a tank, and great results can be achieved with that.

[abz]

Thanks guys for helping out. Another week on, the tank seems to be doing quite well...so far!

As instructed I've been dosing 3 CO2 tablets every week and the pre mixed EI Fertiliser daily. I've not noticed any plants dying, in fact, I've notice quite good growth. I think I'm going to stick with the CO2 tablets and see how things go for the next few weeks. I may try the liquid carbon once the tablets finish to compare which is better. I will keep updating here with my findings (Of course I will add pics) and also I'm sure I will need some help maintaining this jungle!!

[fishfan]

Hi abz
I know you were asking about plants and have got advice on that.

My comment is about the fish you are keeping. You said you had about 50 small fish. I'm assuming (possibly wrongly) that these are juveniles. If so, do you know the size these will be as adults? The plants take up a lot of room so there is not the 180 litres water available as swimming space. You want the plants to grow too, making even less space. You have  been advised already about the sharks, but are the other fish compatible and in their correct shoaling numbers, temp., pH ,water hardness etc. Maybe have a look at a stocking density website - aqua scaped tanks usually have lower densities of fish too. Also you don't want fish species that will instantly up root all your plants.

It is possible you didn't ask for info on this as you are fully aware of the fish needs, in which case I apologise-sorry I can't tell from the pics all the fish you have. If you are over stocked though,maybe you could sell some fish to pay for more plants or CO2!

[abz]

Thanks for the concern fishfan,

These are the fish I have in my tank (not juveniles, sorry for misleading anyone):

1 Tiger barb green
4 Tiger barb striped
20 neon tetra
3 rainbow shark
10 Gold cloud minnow
6 Leopard Danio
6 Sissor tail
2 baby albino pleco

Ive been told by my LFS and guides (internet/books) to stick to rule of thumb being 1ltr of water to 1cm of tropical fish..I am just within the limits of this rule (if I consider all 180ltr). Apart from the sharks and the plecs, I've been told the rest of the fish don't get much bigger than when I bought them. I do understand that introducing plants has reduced the swimming space, but in fact I've noticed that most of the fish have found their 'own' spot within the plants and rarely come out apart from feeding, so tbh I don't really think I've affected the swimming space too much. To the eye, the tank looks quite empty!! And as much as I would like to add more fish I am very aware that I am close to my stocking limit. I'm not sure which fish but a few of the plants have been uprooted...any ideas?

I've had this set up running for around a 6 weeks after the fish less cycle. I had a problem with water quality at the beginning and as a result I lost a few fish (I stocked up too quickly- too excited buying the fish for the first few times ). But for the past 3 weeks, I have had no problems with ammonia, nitrates & nitrates (problems I know which would occur with overstocking). I've been running back and forth from my LFS to make sure the water quality has increased, also I have tried to make sure the tank has the correct parameters e.g shoaling numbers, temp, pH ,water hardness etc. However, I am always open to new info and happy for anyone to correct me if I'm wrong!! 

[abz]

Guys, Im starting to notice small green spots on the glass!!  I can only notice it if I look from extremely close... i'm guessing this is algae... Is this normal? Also what can i do? Is this linked back to the CO2?

[fishfan]

Hi abz

It is really good to know that you have put a lot of thought into the fish as well as the plants. I feel a bit of a fraud on this forum sometimes as my thing is fish rather than plants. Shhh don't tell anyone. (They may have guessed it from my username. . I sometimes forget it is mainly a plant forum and that is why people are mostly talking plants not fish. Could just be sour grapes cos I'm hopeless at aqua scaping lol.

With regard to the algae the cheap quick and simple way, as I'm sure you know is an algae magnet.  *???*Does tend to spoil the look of the living art though . Fear not, I'm sure someone will be along to give you the high tech, proper balence of light, CO2 and fertilizer,long term answer soon.

[frosties]

Abz,

Green spot algae can be linked to your lighting regime and as fishfan said - it is also linked to ferts and CO2... try cutting down the lighting first... just by an hour or so... then remove the algae by cleaning the glass with some filter wool.

FishFan,
Really - you are into your fish!!! I would never guess - however the title of the forum is talkaquatics... not talkaquaticplants... this forum is aimed at all things aquatic related... ponds, filters, heaters, tanks, aquariums, substrates and of course plants. I would be more than happy for people to talk fish - afterall there are more fishkeepers in the UK than aquascapers... just look at the amount of fish sold each day at P@H, maidenhead and the like - then compare it to the volumes of plants!!!