THe beauty of real vs fake :D
- Thread starter TheNamelessPoet
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
timwag2001
Aquarium Advice FINatic
i my opinion... MUCH BETTER!!!
FishCrazyBenBOMB
Aquarium Advice Addict
Real is always better in my opinion. My natural, better looking, makes fish happier, ect.
Looks good.
Looks good.
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
with out a question real always looks better no mater what.
Looking great!
A couple of things:
1. Can't tell for sure from the photo, but don't put the rhizome of the anubias under the gravel. Keep it above the substrate. If it is under, it will rot.
2. Those stem plants (the mayaca and rotala R) will grow up quick once you get your co2 rockin. You can trim the tops and replant. Eventually you will get them to grow in thick, and form a wall so to speak, if that is what you are going for.
3. I would suggest a background. Solid blue looks good, and will really add to your visual in the tank.
4. Once you get your DIY co2 fired up, you will want to minimize water surface turbidity. Having a bunch of bubbles break the surface constantly will off gas precious CO2 that you want to stay in the water. The diver dude may have to go, or at least be put on a timer that is opposite the lights (at night he would actually be beneficial as plants don't uptake CO2 at night, they actually give co2 off thru respiration).
Glad you went with live plants, 'cause I agree with the sentiment expressed above -- live plants are the only way to go!
Good luck!
A couple of things:
1. Can't tell for sure from the photo, but don't put the rhizome of the anubias under the gravel. Keep it above the substrate. If it is under, it will rot.
2. Those stem plants (the mayaca and rotala R) will grow up quick once you get your co2 rockin. You can trim the tops and replant. Eventually you will get them to grow in thick, and form a wall so to speak, if that is what you are going for.
3. I would suggest a background. Solid blue looks good, and will really add to your visual in the tank.
4. Once you get your DIY co2 fired up, you will want to minimize water surface turbidity. Having a bunch of bubbles break the surface constantly will off gas precious CO2 that you want to stay in the water. The diver dude may have to go, or at least be put on a timer that is opposite the lights (at night he would actually be beneficial as plants don't uptake CO2 at night, they actually give co2 off thru respiration).
Glad you went with live plants, 'cause I agree with the sentiment expressed above -- live plants are the only way to go!
Good luck!
fisch
Aquarium Advice Activist
Real definitely looks better. Not to mention the added benefits of all those extra little filters scattered around the tank.
Is it possible to go back to fake plants once you've had real? I know I haven't.
Is it possible to go back to fake plants once you've had real? I know I haven't.
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
Yah, great eye! That is my favorite plant in there right now. I have a red tiger lotus bulb buried in the clearing on the right that I am dying to see come up and flourish.
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
Really? The rotala? That one is growing like a weed! Check out my pics in my albums. It has grown at least an inch per stem if not more since I planted it this past Friday. That's really good to hear. Thanks Fort!
Sorry to hijack your thread Poet! The planted tank makes me crazy!
Sorry to hijack your thread Poet! The planted tank makes me crazy!
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
How do you guys not have snails? where are you getting your plants?
what plants are good to use with sand?
Sorry to hijack but figured most the responders in here went from fake to live and well frankly my last live plant experience went to **** in the form of tiny tiny brown snail invasion. I admit I dont keep my tanks constanly WC'd every week and all that jive, never ever have in any tank not gonna start now. But what should be my approach to this and what do I look for with live, and a reputable place to aquire them from be it members or a store?
Thanks guys.
and gills.
what plants are good to use with sand?
Sorry to hijack but figured most the responders in here went from fake to live and well frankly my last live plant experience went to **** in the form of tiny tiny brown snail invasion. I admit I dont keep my tanks constanly WC'd every week and all that jive, never ever have in any tank not gonna start now. But what should be my approach to this and what do I look for with live, and a reputable place to aquire them from be it members or a store?
Thanks guys.
and gills.
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
Well, I just planted my tank and only saw one snail and snagged it out of there. I got mine from aquariumplants.com and am 110% satisfied. They arrived in awesome condition. Take a look at my albums. Those plants were planted on Friday, April 24th, yep like 6 days ago.
Get a couple clown loaches or zebra loaches to deal with the snails. From what I understand, they will make short work of them in no time flat. Can't help you on what to plant in sand, but I would think that if you fertilize properly, you could grow most anything. I am trying out aquariumplants.com's fertilizer pellets on my plants for six months. They guarantee them to be better than liquid and/or powdered ferts as the feed the root. They are not supposed to contribute to the algae. Like I said, they guarantee them to work or your money back. For $11 for 75 pellets and one pellet every 3x3 area or so and only once per month, I figured what the heck. It works out to about $5 per month in ferts and less headache with daily dosing, overdosing, how much to dose, etc. Set it and forget it, that's my motto (well, me and Ron Popeil).
They are a little more pricey than dry ferts to be sure but if it cuts down on algae (and headaches), I am all for it. I will report back in a few months, but check out my growth after just 6 days. I am impressed....
Get a couple clown loaches or zebra loaches to deal with the snails. From what I understand, they will make short work of them in no time flat. Can't help you on what to plant in sand, but I would think that if you fertilize properly, you could grow most anything. I am trying out aquariumplants.com's fertilizer pellets on my plants for six months. They guarantee them to be better than liquid and/or powdered ferts as the feed the root. They are not supposed to contribute to the algae. Like I said, they guarantee them to work or your money back. For $11 for 75 pellets and one pellet every 3x3 area or so and only once per month, I figured what the heck. It works out to about $5 per month in ferts and less headache with daily dosing, overdosing, how much to dose, etc. Set it and forget it, that's my motto (well, me and Ron Popeil).
They are a little more pricey than dry ferts to be sure but if it cuts down on algae (and headaches), I am all for it. I will report back in a few months, but check out my growth after just 6 days. I am impressed....
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
clowns are out of the question due to the size they can get, i only got 26g's to work with and that wouldnt be fair to them.
never heard of a zebra loach, when I had my infestation, coppersafe didnt even work for me, it made them stronger, felt like I had a tank of snails and a few pesky fish at one point.
I think the live plants will be detrimental in making this a true living environment, however Snails are pointless creatures to me, they dont taste good and they are slimy and messy. however a good old big river snail works great on the end of a hook. perch love em.
what is ALUM? heard you can wash the plants in that prior to installation in the tank and it willg et rid of any hitchhikers and eggs?
never heard of a zebra loach, when I had my infestation, coppersafe didnt even work for me, it made them stronger, felt like I had a tank of snails and a few pesky fish at one point.
I think the live plants will be detrimental in making this a true living environment, however Snails are pointless creatures to me, they dont taste good and they are slimy and messy. however a good old big river snail works great on the end of a hook. perch love em.
what is ALUM? heard you can wash the plants in that prior to installation in the tank and it willg et rid of any hitchhikers and eggs?
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
Yep, heard of Alum. Never used it but have heard of it and actually have it in my pantry right now. You find it in the spice isle of the grocery store. It is part of pickling cucumbers!
One TBSP per gallon for a couple days or 2-3 TBSP for 2-3 hours to kill snails and eggs.
Here's an article on how to use it:
Aquarium planting tips and care
Here's some zebra loach info:
Zebra loach Profile, with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish
I concur on the size issue on clowns and your tank.
One TBSP per gallon for a couple days or 2-3 TBSP for 2-3 hours to kill snails and eggs.
Here's an article on how to use it:
Aquarium planting tips and care
Here's some zebra loach info:
Zebra loach Profile, with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish
I concur on the size issue on clowns and your tank.
OP
OP
TheNamelessPoet
Aquarium Advice Freak
no prob on the Hyjacking 
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sweet good info, id love to get rid of the plastic, maybe ill start hanging out in the live plant section to learn some things, got alot of more indepth questions on em, but man thats a night and day difference in the tank you got, its amazing.
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
thought that the zebras were part of the botia family, now how do they act with cories and kuhli's?
I have sand so my cories are almost maxed out in size per their history in captivity, not even 8 weeks ive had em and they are near full size. my 3 week old one is twice the size he was.
I have sand so my cories are almost maxed out in size per their history in captivity, not even 8 weeks ive had em and they are near full size. my 3 week old one is twice the size he was.
dinokath
Aquarium Advice Activist
Thanks man! That night and day difference is about $750 after all is said and done though. Between the substrate, lights, CO2 and plants and assorted goodies that make it nice and automated.
How do you get your fish to grow? I know some fish will only grow to the size of their tanks, but I have the WORST luck with growing fish big!
How do you get your fish to grow? I know some fish will only grow to the size of their tanks, but I have the WORST luck with growing fish big!
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
I feed em either frozen or live food, never flakes or wafers anymore since I found that hikari seems to make them more active, more meaty i guess and alot more size comes to them. Dry and freeze dried foods lack alot of protein that frozen or live have to offer them.
Yeah I saw your tank and made my decision, plants arent too bad since im used to buying more expensive fish, ill just divert the tank budget to the plants however I am not attempting a CO2 system unless I can get the regulators and stuff from work for cheap or free. I am in a adoption suit right now and nearly all my budget is wrapped up in that( $300 an hour attorney, but he is the best in the state and soon enough it will be over, paternal got served and called the wife to tell her he is signing over the kids woohoo!!!) for the duration which shouldnt be more then 60 days.
Even my angel has doubled in size, however it was tiny tiny when I got it. maybe nickle size now its about the size of a us quarter.
I regulate the lights and feed them daily, at night the cories and the kuhli's take care of the leftover food( gotta overfeed because of the habits of the kuhlis and cories some reason they eat when the tank is settled down and the fish are digesting) and thats about it 7-10 hours of light a day and frozen and live foods.
I just hope I can get live plants to go again, last two plants I got infested the tank with snails to where I had to tear down and bleach everything.
I hear about snail eating fish but also hear that they are either capable of larger sizes then id like and aggressive towards other fish ones the escargo runs out.
Yeah I saw your tank and made my decision, plants arent too bad since im used to buying more expensive fish, ill just divert the tank budget to the plants however I am not attempting a CO2 system unless I can get the regulators and stuff from work for cheap or free. I am in a adoption suit right now and nearly all my budget is wrapped up in that( $300 an hour attorney, but he is the best in the state and soon enough it will be over, paternal got served and called the wife to tell her he is signing over the kids woohoo!!!) for the duration which shouldnt be more then 60 days.
Even my angel has doubled in size, however it was tiny tiny when I got it. maybe nickle size now its about the size of a us quarter.
I regulate the lights and feed them daily, at night the cories and the kuhli's take care of the leftover food( gotta overfeed because of the habits of the kuhlis and cories some reason they eat when the tank is settled down and the fish are digesting) and thats about it 7-10 hours of light a day and frozen and live foods.
I just hope I can get live plants to go again, last two plants I got infested the tank with snails to where I had to tear down and bleach everything.
I hear about snail eating fish but also hear that they are either capable of larger sizes then id like and aggressive towards other fish ones the escargo runs out.
