Plant Questions

[Fishperson]

I have tons of questions about plants/planted tanks. Here they are:

1. My tank will be a 10G medium light tank (lit with a finnex fugeray). It is my first planted tank. I plan on doing DIY co2 with maybe a fraction of a dose of seachem flourish excel. Does that makes sense/is that a good idea?

2. For ferts I plan on using seachem root tabs, seachem flourish comprehensive, and seachem flourish excel, like mentioned above. I heard that flourish comp is lacking in macronutrients, so is what I mentioned good enough for a tank with medium light? And if not what do you recommend?

3. How do you trim stem and rosette plants like ambulia, hygrophila, vals, and crypts? Do you just cut off the top part of the leaves or the stem? (I know that's probably a stupid question, but I just don't really know).

4. How many root tabs should I put in the soil near a plant and for which plants? (see my plant list below)

5. For filters I currently have a HOB filter, but I heard that using a canister filter dramatically helps with co2 diffusion, is that true? If so, is it worth it, and what filter would you recommend?

6. Anything specific I should know about the plants I have listed? Specifically, will any of them grow way too big for my tank?

7. I know water wisteria sucks up tons of nutrients, but if I have maybe 1 or 2 of them will that have any effect on the amount of nutrients left? It is a small tank, so I'm a bit worried.

8. I have a couple of red plants listed, do they need any different ferts?

9. Is there any order I should put the plants in, like with fish you put the hardy ones in first, and the more fragile ones in a couple months later?

10. Should I make some attempt to stop the flow of co2 into the tank at night, or does it not really matter? For example, should I take the diffuser out of the tank at night and put it back in the morning?

Here are plants that I MIGHT have. I probably won't have all of these.

Java moss
Java fern
Crypt parva
Crypt wendtii
Crypt nevillii
Crypt beckettii
Vallisneria spiralis
Vallisneria americana ‘natans’, ‘mini twister’
Blyxa japonica
Dwarf Hairgrass
Dwarf Hygrophila
Dwarf Hygrophila “sunset”
Water Wisteria
Giant Ambulia
Windelov
Riccia fluitans

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Rivercats]

Wow this is quite a list!!!

1) Yes, dosing liquid carbon at a rate of 1ml per 10g is a good thing with DIY CO2.

2) You only need root tabs for crypts, swords, and bulb plants and in a small tank 1 tab per
plant is plenty IMO. A combination of Flourish comprehensive and API Leaf Zone for
extra potassium and iron "might" be enough but you may have to dose Comprehensive
2 times a week. You can always go to dry ferts down the road.

3) You don't trim crypts. You can pull off smaller plants that grow out along the outer
edges as the plant grows and replant them. Val's throw out runners which you can
can leave attached or cut off and replant. Ambulia and Hydro you just trim them at
the height you want and can replant the top cuttings.

4) Answered above

5) HOB's can be used but remember the more surface water movement the more CO2 is
lost. You want a little surface movement (or at least I do in my tank) but not much. A
small Fluval 106 I think would work but you'd have to check the size. I only run large
Fluval canisters.

6) I'll tackle your plant list last

7) As I said you may have to dose Comprehensive 2x weekly. If you get a nitrate and
phosphate test kit and monitor you nitrates to be 10-20ppm and phosphates .5-2ppm
weekly you'll get a better handle if you need more ferts or need to switch to dry ferts.

8) Use the ferts I listed and non green plants will be fine especially if you monitor your
phospahtes.

9) Add all the plants at once.

10) DIY CO2 has to stay running so you can just drop an airline with a bubbler in the tank
at night to keep CO2 levels gassed off.

11) This IMO is what would be best suited to your tank...

Java moss
Java fern
Crypt parva
Crypt wendtii
Vallisneria americana ‘natans’, ‘mini twister’
Blyxa japonica
Dwarf Hygrophila
Dwarf Hygrophila “sunset”
Water Wisteria
Giant Ambulia
Windelov


Riccia fluitans (can use as liquid carbon, Excel will melt it)

 

[Fishperson]

Wow this is quite a list!!!

1) Yes, dosing liquid carbon at a rate of 1ml per 10g is a good thing with DIY CO2.

2) You only need root tabs for crypts, swords, and bulb plants and in a small tank 1 tab per
plant is plenty IMO. A combination of Flourish comprehensive and API Leaf Zone for
extra potassium and iron "might" be enough but you may have to dose Comprehensive
2 times a week. You can always go to dry ferts down the road.

3) You don't trim crypts. You can pull off smaller plants that grow out along the outer
edges as the plant grows and replant them. Val's throw out runners which you can
can leave attached or cut off and replant. Ambulia and Hydro you just trim them at
the height you want and can replant the top cuttings.

4) Answered above

5) HOB's can be used but remember the more surface water movement the more CO2 is
lost. You want a little surface movement (or at least I do in my tank) but not much. A
small Fluval 106 I think would work but you'd have to check the size. I only run large
Fluval canisters.

6) I'll tackle your plant list last

7) As I said you may have to dose Comprehensive 2x weekly. If you get a nitrate and
phosphate test kit and monitor you nitrates to be 10-20ppm and phosphates .5-2ppm
weekly you'll get a better handle if you need more ferts or need to switch to dry ferts.

8) Use the ferts I listed and non green plants will be fine especially if you monitor your
phospahtes.

9) Add all the plants at once.

10) DIY CO2 has to stay running so you can just drop an airline with a bubbler in the tank
at night to keep CO2 levels gassed off.

11) This IMO is what would be best suited to your tank...

Java moss
Java fern
Crypt parva
Crypt wendtii
Vallisneria americana ‘natans’, ‘mini twister’
Blyxa japonica
Dwarf Hygrophila
Dwarf Hygrophila “sunset”
Water Wisteria
Giant Ambulia
Windelov


Riccia fluitans (can use as liquid carbon, Excel will melt it)

Wow!!!!!!!
Thank you so much!!! That was fast!

Anyways, that answered pretty much all of my questions. But why did you take out of V. spiralis, C. beckettii and nevilli, and dwarf hairgrass? Just wondering.

For number 10, I guess I don't understand DIY co2 very well, because I thought that you could just take the diffuser out of the aquarium at night, but I should have been more specific. What I meant was, if you used the type of diffuser shown below, could you just take the bell out of the tank at night?

 

[Rivercats]

I don't use DIY CO2 so can't help you with that answer. Most people I know leave it run and just add aeration at night.

As for the plants the Val IMO is too tall for a 10g, C. Beckettii doesn't always grow well for people and I don't think it would be a good choice for a beginner, and C. Nevilli is fine if you can find it. DHG needs high light and a good fert dosing regime with dry ferts IMO in order to get all the macro and micro nutrients it needs. Lighting is the biggest issue. The Blyxa IMO makes a much nicer carpet IMO.

 

[Fishperson]

I don't use DIY CO2 so can't help you with that answer. Most people I know leave it run and just add aeration at night.

As for the plants the Val IMO is too tall for a 10g, C. Beckettii doesn't always grow well for people and I don't think it would be a good choice for a beginner, and C. Nevilli is fine if you can find it. DHG needs high light and a good fert dosing regime with dry ferts IMO in order to get all the macro and micro nutrients it needs. Lighting is the biggest issue. The Blyxa IMO makes a much nicer carpet IMO.

Ok, I understand the val and the crypts, I didn't really like those 2 crypts very much anyway, but I was told that DHG would grow fine with my setup, and that a fugeray gave me medium/high light, so it would be okay.

 

[Fishperson]

Also, is there anything specific that I should test for that you wouldn't test for in an unplanted tank? Like phosphates, silicates, potassium or something? Maybe iron?

And how exactly would I measure co2 amounts?

 

[Rivercats]

As I said in the original post in a planted tank you want to monitor nitrates and phosphates. See the levels you want above.

 

[Fishperson]

As I said in the original post in a planted tank you want to monitor nitrates and phosphates. See the levels you want above.

Ok, thanks. What about co2?

 

[Aquamandan]

You ask a lot of good questions, seems like you are passionate about the hobby. Sure you don't want a bigger aquarium?

 

[Rivercats]

1) Yes, dosing liquid carbon at a rate of 1ml per 10g is a good thing with DIY CO2.

 

[eAts]

Also, is there anything specific that I should test for that you wouldn't test for in an unplanted tank? Like phosphates, silicates, potassium or something? Maybe iron?

And how exactly would I measure co2 amounts?

To measure the co2 levels you could get a drop checker.

 

[Fishperson]

You ask a lot of good questions, seems like you are passionate about the hobby. Sure you don't want a bigger aquarium?

My parents won't let me. We actually HAVE a 30 gallon tank, but they won't let me put anything in it!!!
*facepalm*

 

[Fishperson]

I have decided I want either the fluval 105 or the eheim classic 2211. Does anyone have any ideas on which would be better?

 

[Rivercats]

I've used Fluval canisters since the 80's and love them. They run quiet and prime really easy. Lots of room for media.

 

[Fishperson]

Okay, that's what I will go with then. I saw a great deal for one on eBay.

 

[eAts]

I use the fluval 306 and love it also, but if you wanted to go with a HOB, then I would recommend the aquaclear (both Hagen products). Check petcos website, amazon, eBay, and dr. Fosters and smiths site. They all sell them and run specials frequently so you can get the best deal.

 

[Fishperson]

I use the fluval 306 and love it also, but if you wanted to go with a HOB, then I would recommend the aquaclear (both Hagen products). Check petcos website, amazon, eBay, and dr. Fosters and smiths site. They all sell them and run specials frequently so you can get the best deal.

Thanks for the input, I've heard so many good things about the fluval filters, so I am glad I got one. I probably wasn't clear though, but I already have an HOB filter, in my house, right now, but I decided not to use it because I like the look of a canister better (or, to be precise, the fact that you can't see the canister!).

 

[Fishperson]

I got a really good deal on the fluval 105 by the way, $65 with shipping!

 

[Fishperson]

I got a really good deal on the fluval 105 by the way, $65 with shipping!

And it came in today!!!