Help to ID Plant

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bsantucci

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
184
Hi all,

I recently got my new tank up and running and started moving some plants from another tank I've had established. I didn't pay complete attention when buying some plants and I'm curious now what I have in this plant on the right side of my tank. I want to be sure I'm feeding it what it needs. Any help is appreciated.

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Can you get a better picture of it? Hard to tell with the picture clarity. Also in the picture it looks like the rhizome of the anubias in your tank have been buried, if you haven't already done so you'll want to make sure the rhizome(horizontal green root) is above the substrate or it will rot and kill the plant given enough time
 
The Sword plant need root tabs as it is a heavy root feeder. The Anubia's don't need much but adding a dose of Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive will give it a little fertilizer boost weekly.
 
The Sword plant need root tabs as it is a heavy root feeder. The Anubia's don't need much but adding a dose of Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive will give it a little fertilizer boost weekly.

Thanks Rivercats! I ordered Flourish tabs, Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, and Excel (do I not need CO2 for these plants)?

Also, I know you're big into planted tanks from seeing other posts, can you tell me will the Anubia grow on my fake driftwood? It is definitely a rough texture so I assume so, just want to be sure. There is actually a small hole on top of it which can fit the rhizome, it would basically just sit in it. I assume I could do that? I read they don't like a lot of light, so should I not put them on the top of the wood, maybe on the sides more?

I kinda wanted to move to a better substrate for plants, but I think that ship has sailed and would require me taking the tank down to do. Are there any successful ways to move from gravel to a better plant substrate w/o taking down a whole tank?

If I did have to take down the tank would the fish all be ok in a few buckets while I do that?

Sorry for all the questions, I am just really getting into the aquarium thing and when I start with new stuff I'm like a sponge for info (y)
 
I've changed many tanks substrates, from gravel to sand, sand to sand, and from sand to Eco complete. With a lightly planted tank it should be very easy and you should t have to tear down the whole tank or remove the fish as long as you go slow and don't stress the fish out. When I finally switched my heavily planted tank I did have to remove the fish and plants while I switched out everything but they will be perfectly fine in a bucket with a heater and airstone for hours
 
I've changed many tanks substrates, from gravel to sand, sand to sand, and from sand to Eco complete. With a lightly planted tank it should be very easy and you should t have to tear down the whole tank or remove the fish as long as you go slow and don't stress the fish out. When I finally switched my heavily planted tank I did have to remove the fish and plants while I switched out everything but they will be perfectly fine in a bucket with a heater and airstone for hours

Cool good to hear. So I'd basically just take out all the decor, plants, etc and just have my fish w/the gravel in there now and then just start scooping the gravel out? Should I let the filter pull in all the floating debris before I move to adding the new substrate?

What do you recommend? I kinda like the look of a black bottom....is there a good black sand that would be best for this? I don't think I'll go heavily planted, I don't have the time to take care of high maintenance plants, but I like the look of various carpeting plants and rhizome plants. My amazon sword I would like to make the centerpiece, hoping it grows out and all around the middle area.

So basically, I'd keep what I have now...Anubia, anacharis, and the sword, then add some carpeting plants. Just curious what the best substrate would be for that.
 
Cool good to hear. So I'd basically just take out all the decor, plants, etc and just have my fish w/the gravel in there now and then just start scooping the gravel out? Should I let the filter pull in all the floating debris before I move to adding the new substrate?

What do you recommend? I kinda like the look of a black bottom....is there a good black sand that would be best for this? I don't think I'll go heavily planted, I don't have the time to take care of high maintenance plants, but I like the look of various carpeting plants and rhizome plants. My amazon sword I would like to make the centerpiece, hoping it grows out and all around the middle area.

So basically, I'd keep what I have now...Anubia, anacharis, and the sword, then add some carpeting plants. Just curious what the best substrate would be for that.

No. You should remove the fish to reduce the stress because in the gravel is inbedded fish poo. The tank parameters are gonna be outta whack for a bit until you do a 100% water change
 
Cool good to hear. So I'd basically just take out all the decor, plants, etc and just have my fish w/the gravel in there now and then just start scooping the gravel out? Should I let the filter pull in all the floating debris before I move to adding the new substrate?

What do you recommend? I kinda like the look of a black bottom....is there a good black sand that would be best for this? I don't think I'll go heavily planted, I don't have the time to take care of high maintenance plants, but I like the look of various carpeting plants and rhizome plants. My amazon sword I would like to make the centerpiece, hoping it grows out and all around the middle area.

So basically, I'd keep what I have now...Anubia, anacharis, and the sword, then add some carpeting plants. Just curious what the best substrate would be for that.

Depending on the tank size taking the fish out can cause more stress than just moving slow and keeping away from the fish. Before you do anything with the gravel do the best gravel vac ever, then remove deco and plants and do another heavy gravel vac, this will reduce issues with detritus in the substrate

For a good planted substrate eco complete fine grade works wonders and looks amazing, though if you'll only have a few plants then super naturals Tahitian moon sand looks great and you can add root tabs to it. Carpeting plants generally require higher maintenance and higher tech, but you could use moss on mesh or tied to rocks if you like that look
 
Depending on the tank size taking the fish out can cause more stress than just moving slow and keeping away from the fish. Before you do anything with the gravel do the best gravel vac ever, then remove deco and plants and do another heavy gravel vac, this will reduce issues with detritus in the substrate

For a good planted substrate eco complete fine grade works wonders and looks amazing, though if you'll only have a few plants then super naturals Tahitian moon sand looks great and you can add root tabs to it. Carpeting plants generally require higher maintenance and higher tech, but you could use moss on mesh or tied to rocks if you like that look

Does the eco complete or tahitian moon sand require rinsing? I read no just now, but wanted to make sure. Looking at prices, they aren't too far off, so it would make more sense to just use Eco Complete in a new setup I would think to be sure I have the best substrate possible, right? Do the minerals in that run out, meaning I will have to add minerals at a later time or add new substrate eventually? Looking at this and speaking to you all here, this sounds like something I could complete on a Sunday afternoon, right? Since my tank is established I can just get the fish right back in after completion I'd think.
 
Does the eco complete or tahitian moon sand require rinsing? I read no just now, but wanted to make sure. Looking at prices, they aren't too far off, so it would make more sense to just use Eco Complete in a new setup I would think to be sure I have the best substrate possible, right? Do the minerals in that run out, meaning I will have to add minerals at a later time or add new substrate eventually? Looking at this and speaking to you all here, this sounds like something I could complete on a Sunday afternoon, right? Since my tank is established I can just get the fish right back in after completion I'd think.

The Tahitian moon sand could use some good rinsings, but if you put it in right you can minimize the cloudiness a lot. The Eco complete is best when not rinsed because its already packed with nutrients. All substrates require you to add fertilizers eventually, just how long until the nutrients in the substrate are depleted is the difference. Tahitian moon sand is inert and doesn't do a whole lot for plants which is why I suggested root tabs, eco complete will require root tabs as well but as they dissolve what the plants don't use the substrate will hold until the do. I wouldn't let the change take longer than a day, at least get the substrate in let the water clear a bit and add the fish back in, then adding the deco and plants could be taken more slowly if it needed to. As always, test your water before adding any life back to it
 
The Tahitian moon sand could use some good rinsings, but if you put it in right you can minimize the cloudiness a lot. The Eco complete is best when not rinsed because its already packed with nutrients. All substrates require you to add fertilizers eventually, just how long until the nutrients in the substrate are depleted is the difference. Tahitian moon sand is inert and doesn't do a whole lot for plants which is why I suggested root tabs, eco complete will require root tabs as well but as they dissolve what the plants don't use the substrate will hold until the do. I wouldn't let the change take longer than a day, at least get the substrate in let the water clear a bit and add the fish back in, then adding the deco and plants could be taken more slowly if it needed to. As always, test your water before adding any life back to it

Awesome, thanks again for the help with answering my questions. I decided to go with the Eco Complete. I wish Amazon carried the fine grade cause I could have used my Prime to get it sooner...but they didn't.

I ordered from Dr Foster and Smith, got 3 bags to makes sure I have enough. I hope they ship quick, looking to do this over the weekend. I'll have to look into some other low maintenance plants to get in the tank.....
 
The biggest difference between the sand and Eco is that Eco has a high CEC, cation exchange capacity, which means it can absorb nutrients from detris and the water and hold them for use by plants.
 
The biggest difference between the sand and Eco is that Eco has a high CEC, cation exchange capacity, which means it can absorb nutrients from detris and the water and hold them for use by plants.

Can you recommend some other low maintenance plants? I'm not looking to do CO2 systems, but I am willing to upgrade my LED light system to something stronger if needed. I have no issues with adding liquid CO2 and liquid fertilizer though.
 
Good choices that are easy and can tolerate lower light levels would be Crypts, Jungle Val, Water Sprite, Water Wisteria, Anubia's, Java Fern's, and Bolbitus (African fern). The last 3 plants do well when tied onto DW or rocks.
 
Good choices that are easy and can tolerate lower light levels would be Crypts, Jungle Val, Water Sprite, Water Wisteria, Anubia's, Java Fern's, and Bolbitus (African fern). The last 3 plants do well when tied onto DW or rocks.

Thanks again. Would I have to update my Marineland single led light that came with the tank to a t5no? I just don't want algae going nuts.
 
I would use the liquid carbon and ferts and just wait and see how your plants do. If you use these and your plants aren't flourishing the way you want then would be the time to think about upgrading. There are very good LED brands out there now for planted tanks or if upgrading and you don't want LED's then depending on the size of the tank I'd go with a dual bulb T5HO fixture.
 
I would use the liquid carbon and ferts and just wait and see how your plants do. If you use these and your plants aren't flourishing the way you want then would be the time to think about upgrading. There are very good LED brands out there now for planted tanks or if upgrading and you don't want LED's then depending on the size of the tank I'd go with a dual bulb T5HO fixture.

OK I will do that. Question again now regarding lighting though. I don't mind spending money to do it right, so what is the best approach?

I was under the impression that T5HO wasn't needed, or if I went T5HO I would need a CO2 system to avoid algae? Or am I completely off? If the T5HO will give me more options with what I can grow then I'd be willing to jump right to that, but again I'd rather not have to figure out CO2 systems yet.
 
So I'm having a hard time finding a 'good' t5no setup. I keep seeing Coralife and Aqueon, however they have terrible reviews and seem to fail often.

Are there any other alternatives with using a t5ho maybe and no co2 system w/o creating a mess of algae?

Are there any co2 systems that can be purchased complete? I just can't wrap my brain around building one just yet.
 
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