A few basic questions...

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SCFatz

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Messages
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I'm giving live plants a try for the first time ever.

I currently have two red lugwiga and two brazillian swords in the tank...although neither has been in there long.two weeks for the reds and two days for the swords.

I recently purchased an all glass top so a could use an extra light I had laying around.

The bulb that came with the set up is the standard 17 watt...kinda "blueish"
The one I added say "daylight" and is more "yellowy"...I believe its an 18w.
The tank is a 29g.

Thoughts?

Also...what should I be trying to target for nitrates?Or whats the ideal level for plant health?

Thanks,
Fatz
 
With that amount of light, your fish should provide all the nutrients you will need. The plants you have will probably survive but they will not grow that fast. With the sword plant this is not a bad thing. They will get huge. You could put a fertilizer tab under the sword they are heavy root feeders. Anubias and anacharis will do very well in your tank.
 
I think you will do pretty well. As stated above, I'd probably go out and get some fert tabs to stick under the swords. Other than that, you are set.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

Good to know I'm not about to start killing plants...although I'm a little surpised that I have enough light.Cool.

Fert tab suggestions?
 
A quick update and another question or two.

Well I've had the tabs in for about ten days.
The ludwiga is larger then it was when I put it in there so thats a good sign.

The swords could look better.I checked on plant geeks and the profile says "NOT AN AQUATIC PLANT" will rot eventually ect....Is that right?

I also bought a bundle of some bean stalk looking stuff when I picked up my otos. I wasn't sure it would work but for 1.99 I was willing to give it a shot.This stuff is growing like crazy.I put two bundles of four stalks in nine days ago...I was about six inches tall...now its well over a foot tall.Maybe 1'4''.Just insanely fast.

How to prune it and can I transplant the what I prune off?There were no roots on it when I bought it.

http://www.plantgeek.net/plant-110.htm
 
It sounds like anacharis. If it is you can cut it and replant the tops actually you can do that with just about any stem plant. Do you have any pictures you can post of the plants? Whtat kind of sword did plantgeek say it was?
 
You can cut and replant the cuttings. They will root and keep growing. You will be giving away the stuff before you know it.
 
Thanks rich.

Yeah...I'm going to have to do something soon or its going to get twisted up in the ceiling fan by the end of the week.
 
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