Swords

[Electrobes]

Okay so I got a new tank.. and everything with it, plus a 20 gallon with everything in it.. sheer luck... all for only 50 bucks. My question is this... I have no a single clue in the bluest of heavens but the poeple who owned the tank prior to me had swords in there. Mind you they had no CO2, no decent lighting just the standard flor's that came with the tank. But anyway they had Monster sword growth in a filthy, unlighted unCO2ed, deep tank. How is this possible??? One seuggestion made by my friend (madd fish person) was that the tank had no heater and was at around 67 degrees, and that the plants being cold helped them. Is this actually true. I now have the water heated to a 75 degrees. I was wondering if this change in temp will now have the plants wanting light and what not? Thanks all!

 

[Guest]

But anyway they had Monster sword growth in a filthy, unlighted unCO2ed, deep tank.

I can't addfress the lighting, perhaps it was near a window?

However, a filthy tank would grow plants quite well, especially root feeders. This is due to never cleaning the gravel. fish waste is a great fertilizer, and sword plants are root feeders, so they would love gravel full of fish waste. In addition, if old, dead leaves are left in the tank, they break down and produce a carbon by-product, which can be used by plants in place of CO2. However, as I'm sure you know by now, it's ugly as all get out!

The temp. issue, sorry, I really don't know about that, but what your friend said could be true, it makes sense to me.

 

[wabyrd]

I have good sword growth in my tank. I don't CO2 and my light is only sufficuently bright. There is a little indirect sunlight in the room. I only fertilize about twice a year. I think it's the heavy fish load that keeps the plants happy. I have mollies and platys in the tank and through uncontrollable reproduction, the tank has become quite overloaded. All the fish seem happy and continue to reproduce. The plants still continue to thrive without all that fancy equipment.