My 25 gallon freshwater

[Luna09]

This is for the zen kitchen dishes are much more enjoyable when I have my cute little dwarf gourami, baby angel, baby betta and tetras trying to get my attention

 

[fort384]

Looks nice. Is that rotala w you are growing there? Must have some good light to get those pinks out of it.

 

[Dr. Geoff]

What kind of lighting you have in there?

 

[Luna09]

I'm not sure, I bought the tank off kijiji and I haven't had to change the bulb yet. I was planning on just taking the burnt out bulb to my LFS when the time comes. Anything you'd suggest?

 

[fort384]

How long has the rotala W been in there?

If you want to keep rotala W alive, you will need some really good lighting, and based on the look of it, it is just a stock hood, probably a single or double bulb t8, which would be insufficient for rotala w long term. It would require a fixture upgrade, not just changing the bulbs. Unfortunately florescent lights are not like incandescents in that you can just by a stronger bulb... the ballast for each fixture is for a specific size and strength of bulb.

 

[Luna09]

Which is the rotala? So far so good. I asked for low light plants but I seem to have good luck with things others don't... Kind of strange but I neglect the crap out of all my house plants and they are happy healthy and growing like weeds.

 

[fort384]

The rotala is the stuff towards the middle with the fine leaves and the reds and pinks in it. It is one of the more difficult common aquatic plants. A lot of folks with very high tech tanks have trouble keeping it alive... If you have had it more than a few weeks you are doing good.

 

[Luna09]

It's been a couple months and it just keeps growing!! Lol

 

[fort384]

Wow that's great.

Is there some natural sunlight that gets in the room? I see some windows in the reflection. Perhaps that is helping. Either way, it is great that it is doing so well. You must have some soft water too...

 

[Dr. Geoff]

Just to comment, I have also been told that my setup, t8 lighting in a 29 tall, is not sufficient to grow plants... And I have had an Anubis and a bacopa caroliniana in there for 5 mos. The bacopa was bought at 6in and now is at the surface already! I may be getting a little natural light in there as well. The people in here really know what they're talking about, but If it's growing, then I say leave it till it dies. Whatever stays alive, you can always buy more of that!

 

[fort384]

Well... anubias and bacopa lighting requirements are a lot different than rotala wallichii. Rotala W is generally considered a more difficult plant to keep healthy over time. If someone told you t8 was insufficient to grow anubias and bacopa, I would question that advice.

But I agree, if it works, stick with it. It is amazing in this hobby how things work out some times, and what works for some does not always work for others. There are usually some best practices and generally time tested methodologies, but there are always a hundred ways to do things, and usually very few of them are wrong.

 

[Luna09]

Lol good point I really want to put more plants in. My Lilly is growing! It was just a bulb a month ago and now it's got tonnes of leaves and they are starting to go to the surface. I do add a bit of leaf zone (API) every now and then and it definitely helps them out !!

 

[fort384]

Leafzone is a good way to go. It is a trace/potassium mix that works well in low tech setups. Looks to me like you are doing fine. Thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[Luna09]

Thank you have a good one!!

 

[Jess1ca]

This is for the zen kitchen dishes are much more enjoyable when I have my cute little dwarf gourami, baby angel, baby betta and tetras trying to get my attention

Ahhhh! Love it!!! I have 3 tanks in my kitchen

 

[Luna09]

Having one in the kitchen is so lovely do you have pictures of your kitchen tanks??

 

[Jess1ca]

Just one I'm rehabilitating a fish in there so I kinda threw it together... I have a black background for it I haven't put on yet

 

[Luna09]

I like dark backgrounds and substrates !! especially if the fish are really colorful. It makes them look so pretty and stand out so much more