Quake2player
Aquarium Advice Activist
So thanks primarily to this forum, I converted my "plastic" plant 29 gal aquarium to a planted one... the major changes I've done over the past month:
- Changed gravel over to fluorite.
- Changed lighting to 65 watt Coralife.
- Dose Fluorish Excel every other day and weekly other ferts.
Overall, I think my plants are doing ok. Of course, they're not growing like gangbusters as with the CO2 setups around here. I'll get into why I've been cautious and not dived into CO2 yet.... but I wanted an evaluation of my plants as I think they're the obvious indicator to what I'm doing or not doing:
My single Amazon Sword has given me 2 baby Amazons... and this 3rd one has yet to be separated:
(fake background taped onto back of my tank, so don't be deceived!)
Here's one of the baby Amazons, doubled in size the past couple of weeks:
This 2nd baby Amazon is growing in the back corner of my tank:
and I have this banana plant for less than 1 week... the largest front leaf bright from the reflection was totally non-existent just this past Saturday:
Microsword just purchased on Saturday. Next to it is my dying PondPenny (also referred to Creeping Jenny?)... the stems are thin and weak... I'd say it's the 1 plant doing poorly. My guess is that it didn't take the "tank transition" too well:
Can anyone help identify the Crypt on the left? It's looked worst when I did the gravel changeover... The Val on the right has been growing nice tall and slim, extending past this pic:
and I am pretty sure this is a Crypt (thought it might be an Anubias)... can anyone help identify this? Sorry for the blurry pic:
last but not least... my smaller of the 2 Vals... it grows thicker, not as tall and slim as the other one... back of it you can see some of my Wysteria... not showing you much of that cause it supposedly grows in anything as I also have Java Fern.
Measurements:
PH: 6.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20ppm
KH: 17ppm (On the first drop w/my test kit, the vial turns yellow... I don't see blue at all)
GH: 300pm
So judging from my KH, I think I'd need to increase it before I do CO2, correct? This is what's preventing me as I am afraid of messin' w/the water chemistry via baking soda, nor do I want to buy a bag of crushed coral. I've been reading about the ph swings and problems potentially caused by the DIY CO2... and yes, I guess u can say I don't want to spend on pressurized (haven't found a local welding shop yet).
Be kind to the n00bie as I'm barely a month old to the planted aquarium
- Changed gravel over to fluorite.
- Changed lighting to 65 watt Coralife.
- Dose Fluorish Excel every other day and weekly other ferts.
Overall, I think my plants are doing ok. Of course, they're not growing like gangbusters as with the CO2 setups around here. I'll get into why I've been cautious and not dived into CO2 yet.... but I wanted an evaluation of my plants as I think they're the obvious indicator to what I'm doing or not doing:
My single Amazon Sword has given me 2 baby Amazons... and this 3rd one has yet to be separated:
(fake background taped onto back of my tank, so don't be deceived!)
Here's one of the baby Amazons, doubled in size the past couple of weeks:
This 2nd baby Amazon is growing in the back corner of my tank:
and I have this banana plant for less than 1 week... the largest front leaf bright from the reflection was totally non-existent just this past Saturday:
Microsword just purchased on Saturday. Next to it is my dying PondPenny (also referred to Creeping Jenny?)... the stems are thin and weak... I'd say it's the 1 plant doing poorly. My guess is that it didn't take the "tank transition" too well:
Can anyone help identify the Crypt on the left? It's looked worst when I did the gravel changeover... The Val on the right has been growing nice tall and slim, extending past this pic:
and I am pretty sure this is a Crypt (thought it might be an Anubias)... can anyone help identify this? Sorry for the blurry pic:
last but not least... my smaller of the 2 Vals... it grows thicker, not as tall and slim as the other one... back of it you can see some of my Wysteria... not showing you much of that cause it supposedly grows in anything as I also have Java Fern.
Measurements:
PH: 6.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20ppm
KH: 17ppm (On the first drop w/my test kit, the vial turns yellow... I don't see blue at all)
GH: 300pm
So judging from my KH, I think I'd need to increase it before I do CO2, correct? This is what's preventing me as I am afraid of messin' w/the water chemistry via baking soda, nor do I want to buy a bag of crushed coral. I've been reading about the ph swings and problems potentially caused by the DIY CO2... and yes, I guess u can say I don't want to spend on pressurized (haven't found a local welding shop yet).
Be kind to the n00bie as I'm barely a month old to the planted aquarium