My new plants -- did I plant them right?

[An t-iasg]

I went to the hatchery last week and got a large clump of Cryptocoryne wendti. I put my somewhat melted walkeri in with the big wendti clump and planted it. Should I have pulled this clump apart just a little? It just looks like a clump of roots and stems sticking up from the gravel; maybe I could have done a little better with planting it. I only see one or two leaves that melted. I guess a little bit of melt is to be expected.

In the other tank, I got an anubias nana "petite". This plant wasn't in the plant tank; the owner got it from one of the fry or grow-out tanks upstairs! It's very nice. Is the rhizome the horizontal, thicker "stem"? I did put the smaller, vertical roots into the gravel just a little. Is this ok?

 

[malkore]

the anubias is planted correctly...the thick horizontal stem is indeed the rhizome, and should be above the gravel, as you have done.

I like to separate my crypts some, but you have to be very gentle or you'll damage the roots and cause severe melting, possibly death to the whole plant.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, Malkore. I'll try one time to separate the crypts a little. I won't play with it too much. My gravel isn't as bright as it appears! I did boost the color so you could see the roots.

I also got some more java moss (for the new betta -- I also got him on Friday). The first clump is doing a little better now. I "neglected" it because I thought it wasn't growing. It was, and I think a little more attention to it will help it do well. I also got some Seachem Nitrogen as you suggested. I'm at a loss for how to use it. I guess the label gives a good explanation but I don't quite understand. I'm using the Flourish and Flourish Excel but I haven't used the nitrogen yet. Both tanks are low light, 5 gallon, with java moss and a crypt or anubias. The tank with the anubias has a betta and pitbull pleco. The pleco will add to the bioload, making the fert dosage different in this tank -- is that right? The other tank just has a betta.

 

[malkore]

I'd only start with half the dosage per the bottle, on the Nitrogen. See if a little does anything, but expect a couple of weeks to see any real change.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks again! I'll start off with half the dose and see what that gets the nitrates to. My parameters now are 0-0-0. I'll try to keep the nitrates between 5-10 ppm. It's a good idea to start with the half dose since the fish are used to 0 nitrates (well, I don't know about the two new ones, but my one betta has been used to 0 nitrates for a while now).

 

[malkore]

I see a lot of cautions about dosing more than a few ppm of nitrates a day...however I konw a lot of long time plant keepers that have no problems dosing 10-15ppm at once.

My advice to dose at half is more to prevent causing an algae bloom.