Nitrates

[Andari]

Ok I was referred over here from the FW forum. What type of plant ensemble would be good for a 20gal FW tank. Some general questions.

When should you add plants to the tank? Mine is just starting it cycling process?

Is there a limit to the number of plants you should add per gal?

I have problems with nitrate levels due to poor water quality in my area and having no alternatives for water sources. Jchillin said that plants are a better way to lower nitrate levels then using chemicals which I generally tend to shy away from?

Also I keep seeing different opinions on what lighting level is best for plants. So I figure you guys prob know what would be good wattage wise?

Any advice would be great. I would much rather use a natural means to lower the nitrates if at all possible. My tap water tests about about a 40 for nitrates. Everything else is good. PH, Phosphate, Nitrites, etc.

Any help is appreciated.

Andari

 

[flushingfish]

I am new to the world of planted tanks but I also have a 20G which is planted.

Add your plants as soon as possible they will aid your cycle by giving the bacteria a place to grow. They will also help in reducing your nitrates.

If you don't want to play with lights yet then do what I did, go with plants with low light requirements (crypts, java fern, anubia) they will not require CO2 or fert dosing maybe just some plant tabs in the substrate.

Later when you get hooked you can spend a ton of money on new lights, CO2, filtration, fertilizer, new plants etc. Or was that just me.
Don't worry about plants per gallon, plant waste is oxygen which is good for your fish.

 

[Andari]

What is good to use for substrate. Right now all I have is gravel. I have seen some friends tanks who keep their plants in boxes and just cover the boxes with gravel. Is that normal?

Andari

 

[flushingfish]

Take a look at my gallery everything is planted in neon blue gravel and is doing just fine. The only thing not planted in the gravel is the java fern. It is tied off to a pice of driftwood.

 

[Purrbox]

How are you cycling the tank? If you are fishless cycling then definately wait until after the cycle is complete before thinking about increasing the amount of light and adding plants. High levels of Ammonia combined with high light is an almost guarenteed recipe for algae. If sticking with stock lighting and low light plants, you can add the plants immediately and it will help speed up the cycle. On the other hand if you are cycling with a small number of fish, then adding plants immediately is a great idea. Often you can acheive a silent cycle if you plant densely enough from the start.

Most people plant too sparsely, so add more plants than you would expect to need. I saw a recommendation for how many fast growing stem plants to add per gallon to a new tank someplace, but can't seem to track it down at the moment. I'll try to post a link later if I stumble across it.

Nitrates are one of the primary food sources of plants, so plants are a great way to control Nitrates. Also it's a good idea to post actual numbers for all test results instead of just saying that they are "good", often what would normally be considered good for a non planted tank could be causing the very problem you're trying to solve in a planted tank.

The amount of lighting to put over your tank depends on several variable. This includes your goals for the tank, how much you're willing to spend, and what types of plants you want to grow. Generally a low to medium light tank is much less costly and easier to maintain than a high light tank with all the bells and whistles, but it will also limit your plant choices.

Gravel is just fine for plants as long as it has smooth edges and is relatively small (2-3mm is a fairly good size). Sharp gravel can damage the roots and stems of plants and larger grained gravel makes it hard to get the plants to stay put.

If you haven't already check out the Read this First sticky at the top of the forum. There are links to all aspects of the planted aquarium and will help you out with a lot of your initial questions. After reading through all of it, don't be afraid to ask for clarifications if any of it isn't making sense.

 

[joannde]

Hi Andari - glad to see you made it over to this forum.

My tank is low light with anubias and java fern (tied to some ceramic pieces I made), some stem plants and a beautiful red rubin sword. I have the stem plants and the sword planted in previously unused ceramic pots that I made (you can use previously unused terra cotta pots also). My tank is actually barebottom (no substrate) but you'd never guess it from looking at the plants.

Anubias are slow growing so won't remove as much nitrate as stem plants or even java fern. Java moss is a great nitrate absorber and can be tied to rocks or driftwood for a really neat look.

 

[Jchillin]

Glad to see you took my advice and popped in here. What I didn't mention is that you can keep your tank very simple (aka, low-light, low-maintenance) or extremely high tech (high light, injected CO2 and fert dosing).

I started with a low-light tank, no ferts and kept a lot of nitrate absorbing plants (java ferns, hornwort, jungle vals, anacharis and cabomba). These plants grow like weeds (and in the scientific circles, they are considered weeds ).

All you need is at minimum 1wpg and some nice substrate (see Purrbox's recommendation). You will not need to perform as many water changes either. As you add plants (I would recommended starting with several stems of each), testing your nitrate levels on a regular basis will show how quickly (or not quickly) your nitrate is being depleted. Doing frequent water changes will compound the problem because you will be adding back more nitrate than the plants can use up. This will be a delicate balancing act but once you get the desired results (nitrate doesn't build up), you will know when to do your water changes.

As mentioned, do not hesitate to ask further questions. We are here to assimilate...erm, help you out.

 

[Andari]

I went today and got some low light plants for both of my tanks. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again for all the help.