Can you overplant?

[edmcq198]

Can you over plant an aquarium?

 

[militantpotato]

You can pack plants too closely together, so they don't get enough light. Otherwise nutrients can be increased to deal with any plant load. I've had a tank I had to dose potassium nitrate on top of a normal fert regiment since it had a small fish load, high light, and Co2 injection.

 

[Mebbid]

Nope. It just requires more planning and pruning if you have more plants. My old tank for example.
http://i.imgur.com/2atNSJxh.jpg

 

[mrvincent]

No. But if the aquarium is only full of plants and there's no places for fish, then that will be a plant tank, not a fish tank ^.^.

I'm dosing CO2 in my tank, it was looking like this there was 3-4 months:

Fish have enough space to swim, so it's ok. When you have bright light and this amount of plants, you must ensure they have enough ferts and CO2 or they'll starve.

Video of my tank + maintenance:

 

[BBradbury]

Planted Tanks

Can you over plant an aquarium?

Hello ed...

You can. Plants that need to go into the bottom material need room for healthy root growth. If you keep roughly three inches of room between the plants, this should be sufficient, so the plants aren't crowded. Trim the tops periodically so the light isn't blocked off from neighboring plants. Trim off dead or yellowing leaves too. You don't want the plant working to maintain a dead or dying leaf.

B

 

[mrvincent]

Hello ed...

You can. Plants that need to go into the bottom material need room for healthy root growth. If you keep roughly three inches of room between the plants, this should be sufficient, so the plants aren't crowded. Trim the tops periodically so the light isn't blocked off from neighboring plants. Trim off dead or yellowing leaves too. You don't want the plant working to maintain a dead or dying leaf.

B

When the substrate is filled with ferts tabs, the root system doesn't need to be so big... I have a lot of crypts, they're all together in the same spots, never I saw a dead leave. Maybe this could be a problem in a poor nutrient substrate...

 

[Mebbid]

When the substrate is filled with ferts tabs, the root system doesn't need to be so big... I have a lot of crypts, they're all together in the same spots, never I saw a dead leave. Maybe this could be a problem in a poor nutrient substrate...

Agreed, it would be awful trying to carpet with root feeders if they had to be 3 inches apart.

 

[mrvincent]

Agreed, it would be awful trying to carpet with root feeders if they had to be 3 inches apart.

Dwarf hairgrass or HC lol. Hey Mebbid, do you have pictures of your tanks ? You seems pretty much active on the forum...

 

[ScotJudd]

A well planted aquarium is a joy. Mine is heavily planted and the fish choose to hang out in the quiet planting or join the main throng if the tank. This is my first Successfully planted tank and fish seem to love it, shrimp too. I like not being to see all the fish all time except at feeding time. I do remove a lot of plant once a month to keep a reasonable swiping area. I see some tanks on here and wonder at why they are so sparsely planted.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Mebbid]

Dwarf hairgrass or HC lol. Hey Mebbid, do you have pictures of your tanks ? You seems pretty much active on the forum...

Alas, the only tank that I am able to keep as nice as I want is my reef tank. Both of my planted tanks have gone downhill since I started nursing school since I just don't have the time or energy to keep up with their demands.