My first live plants ever...HELP!!!!!

[Aqualady40]

Hi guys, I purchased some Anacharis (5 bunches) and 2 thrown in Cabomba branches plants (which I am letting float) and flourish liquid today. The guy told me I didn't need to fertilize them (he said he doesn't fertilize at all he lets the fish do the fertilizing). He also told me that I can't stick Anacharis in the sand subtrate so does anyone know if I can use pots (I truly prefer pots)? If so, what is the least expensive but safe way to go? What is the least expensive but good soil for pots?

 

[hellaasian]

Why pots ? Just take the rubberbands off and replant them

 

[aqua_chem]

They should be fine in sand.

 

[ianeberle]

You can use pots, but I would suggest taking the weights off the plants (pet stores normally put these around the roots) and just planting it in the sand.

As for fertilizing, using chemicals like Flourish can actually be harmful to some fish and inverts like shrimp. When the guy said letting the fish fertilize them, he was talking about their poop. Generally plants will do well with "having the fish fertilize them" given that you have strong enough lights.

Do you know the wattage on your lights?

 

[Aqualady40]

You can use pots, but I would suggest taking the weights off the plants (pet stores normally put these around the roots) and just planting it in the sand.

As for fertilizing, using chemicals like Flourish can actually be harmful to some fish and inverts like shrimp. When the guy said letting the fish fertilize them, he was talking about their poop. Generally plants will do well with "having the fish fertilize them" given that you have strong enough lights.

Do you know the wattage on your lights?

i wanted low light/maint. plants that could use my regular ligts (1 light is 15watt reg and 1 15 watt plant light)... I want to be able to move my plants around so what type of pots can i use?

 

[ianeberle]

You can move them around without being in pots too. Just search a website like Drs. Foster and Smith and see if they sell any plant pots. But it won't hurt the plants to move them around every once in a while as long as you aren't uprooting them every day. It's not like an oak tree that can't move after it's been planted.

 

[jetajockey]

Flourish isn't harmful to fish or shrimp.

And I agree, save the pots for heavy rooting plants. You can stick anacharis in wherever or even leave it floating.

 

[ianeberle]

Flourish isn't harmful to fish or shrimp.

And I agree, save the pots for heavy rooting plants. You can stick anacharis in wherever or even leave it floating.

My Flourish bottle says it contains copper as one of the ingredients. Copper is known to be harmful to shrimp. I'm sure there are other chemicals on the market that do not contain copper, but specifically Flourish does.

 

[Aqualady40]

Flourish isn't harmful to fish or shrimp.

And I agree, save the pots for heavy rooting plants. You can stick anacharis in wherever or even leave it floating.

Okay will they do fine even though I don't have any type of soil underneath the sand?

 

[ianeberle]

They will be okay without anything. I grow plants in just rocks in one tank and special plant substrate in another. There's honestly no visible difference between the two in my opinion. Most aquatic plants (including the ones you have) are very hardy and adapt to any condition.

 

[jetajockey]

My Flourish bottle says it contains copper as one of the ingredients. Copper is known to be harmful to shrimp. I'm sure there are other chemicals on the market that do not contain copper, but specifically Flourish does.

Copper in trace amounts is perfectly fine for inverts, its actually an essential element. Inverts are sensitive to copper, but itd take an extreme overdose to hurt them with flourish. Most, if not nearly all micromixes have copper in them.

 

[jcolon]

My Flourish bottle says it contains copper as one of the ingredients. Copper is known to be harmful to shrimp. I'm sure there are other chemicals on the market that do not contain copper, but specifically Flourish does.

This is a bit of a debate, as it should be considering how much we care about our inverts. I dose the prescribed amount of flourish comprehensive in my 75gal tank. The copper in Flourish shouldn't harm shrimp, it's just too low a concentration as long as we follow the proper dosage per water volume.

Here's a thread I had bookmarked about CU when I was first adding shrimp to my son's old 10gal ... and later my 75gal. You'll see arguments for and against.
Seachem Flourish - Cu trace harmful for Cheery Shrimps ?

I just started a 6.6gal RCS tank with so far, one anubius. Will be looking to add a couple more before I begin dosing flourish.

 

[aqua_chem]

The debate seems to be divided between absolutists who think copper = bad and their dissidents, many of whom have used copper containing fertilizers extensively with inverts and don't know what the other side is talking about.

Remember that copper does for shrimp what iron does for us with regards to blood. They need it in their diet somewhere. But like pretty much everything in life, excessive amounts will cause issues.

 

[Aqualady40]

Guys I really need suggestions where to place these. I know they get tall so they need to be in background per se, but I do not know how much space should between them, where they look best, the light on the right is a regular 15w, light on right is 15w plant light, etc...I want to place them where they wont be disturbed while I my have to clean the surface of the sand....please if you have live plants and pics...post your pics....help again

I must mention there will be a huge DW centerpiece really soon when it finishes leeching enough tannings for me to place in tank (already been scrubbed, waterlogged, and now soaking in boiling hot water daily)

 

[Stingray68]

Guys I really need suggestions where to place these. I know they get tall so they need to be in background per se, but I do not know how much space should between them, where they look best, the light on the right is a regular 15w, light on right is 15w plant light, etc...I want to place them where they wont be disturbed while I my have to clean the surface of the sand....please if you have live plants and pics...post your pics....help again

I must mention there will be a huge DW centerpiece really soon when it finishes leeching enough tannings for me to place in tank (already been scrubbed, waterlogged, and now soaking in boiling hot water daily)

You can plant them how ever you want to. If you want like a small jungle plant them close or if you want it growing sparsely around the tank just add them around the driftwood and keep them short.
This plant will not make a huge root system only like one or two so what I do is when mine get too long I cut some off the bottom and replant the top and BOOM! A Shorter plant
I will try to gett some pics of mine

 

[jcolon]

If your referring to the Anacharis, I'd say bunch them on one side. I like it when there's a thick area of Anacharis along the back to one side. The ones on the center line can go just in front of the ones on the left.

Personally, I'd say first get the other DW into the tank and post another pic. I get the feeling it's going to change the whole look of the tank and maybe having Anacharis along the back may not look best.

How are they doing? They do look nice and green ... every time I added Anacharis to my tank, they just withered away ... drove me NUTS! I'm done with Anacharis, now I just go with large Anubias and Crypts, though Anubias is quickly becoming my favorite.

 

[Aqualady40]

If your referring to the Anacharis, I'd say bunch them on one side. I like it when there's a thick area of Anacharis along the back to one side. The ones on the center line can go just in front of the ones on the left.

Personally, I'd say first get the other DW into the tank and post another pic. I get the feeling it's going to change the whole look of the tank and maybe having Anacharis along the back may not look best.

How are they doing? They do look nice and green ... every time I added Anacharis to my tank, they just withered away ... drove me NUTS! I'm done with Anacharis, now I just go with large Anubias and Crypts, though Anubias is quickly becoming my favorite.

They are doing ok I guess they are going through a tank adjustment phase....I know my TB's are highly active going through them...think some fishy business is going on in that neck of the woods...lol....spawning...btw...I did put them together in that left corner...I feel sorry for the females...I noticed one is being chased by 2 ...how can I get this video to upload?

 

[jcolon]

I really like the look of bunched anacharis ... Sort of Resembles an evergreen forest.

 

[Aqualady40]

I really like the look of bunched anacharis ... Sort of Resembles an evergreen forest.

Every since I bunched them together earlier, my 4 of my barbs are chasing the scales off my other 2 barbs..jk....I know I have 2 females now because they are being chased ....there is alot going on in those bushes...hmmmm

 

[Stingray68]

Every since I bunched them together earlier, my 4 of my barbs are chasing the scales off my other 2 barbs..jk....I know I have 2 females now because they are being chased ....there is alot going on in those bushes...hmmmm

I am probably wrong but aren't barbs just nippy in general?