Got HC

[pistolero]

So I was at a lfs last night and they had some dwarf baby tears in little pots for 7 bucks. I had to try some. I left them in the pot and stuck them in the 55 last night. Today I cleaned out a 10 gallon and put some pool filter sand in and broke up 4 or 5 API root tabs and spread them out under it. Opened up the rockwool and planted little bunches of it all over about 2/3 of the tank.
Dosed it with API leaf zone and Excel. I swear it's pearling already. Is that even possible?
They're under the generic 10 gallon hood that comes with two incandescent bulbs, I have two 10 watt cfl's in it.
Now if I could just get the water to clear up, it's pretty bad from the sand.

 

[ashleynicole]

I asked in another post but didn't get an answer, what is HC?

 

[pistolero]

Dwarf Baby Tears:

Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides)(potted)

Edit: better pics here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/m...llitrichoides_Hemianthus_callitrichoides.html

 

[ashleynicole]

ooh pretty, I want some! does it need high light or will medium light be OK? I also just started using excel today.

 

[pistolero]

Supposedly 2 wpg or more is enough. I got the two 10 watters in the 10. That puts them right at only 11-12 inches from the light.
They like Excel.

 

[aqua_chem]

In order to do HC well, you will want high-ISH light. Not saying you can't do it in medium, but it will be growing slower. It also might grow up rather than out. I've heard of people growing it in excel only tanks, but the majority say that you'll want CO2.

I would be more confident if you had two 13s rather than 10s, but I think you can pull it off.

I have a 5.5 that's growing emersed with HC right now. Had a bought of fungus that set me back, but it's growing again.

 

[aqua_chem]

Supposedly 2 wpg or more is enough. I got the two 10 watters in the 10. That puts them right at only 11-12 inches from the light.
They like Excel.

WPG breaks down for <20 gallons. I would say you're borderline at best as far as light goes.





Oh, and good luck trying to keep it down in sand It will want to float up at first, but keep putting it back down.

 

[ashleynicole]

I have LED so I have no idea how that compares to watts per gallon.

 

[aqua_chem]

Depends on the LEDs, but generally not well.

 

[pistolero]

Well, we'll see, if it isn't enough light to grow the HC I have a couple of ideas. As long as it stays alive and green long enough for me to make a hood with more light in it.

Water cleared up. Got pics. Put 7 Cardinal Tetras in yesterday. I know it's not a great idea to put them in a not really cycled tank but I had wanted Cardinals for this one and Petsmart had them for $1.25 each yesterday. I couldn't resist. Keeping a close eye on water parameters and will do daily 20% changes or more if necessary. Also grabbed a big ghost shrimp and tossed him in.

HC in the front, java moss on the cave, bacopa and little cabombas.

 

[pistolero]

Oh yeah and a java fern in front of the filter. And those other spots are snails.

 

[pistolero]

Well it's been almost a month. There are some Molly fry in there now.
I've been dosing Excel every day and Leaf Zone twice a week. Was dosing the LZ more before the tank got fully cycled because I was doing daily massive water changes.
The Cabombas love it in there. The Java moss is growing steadily. The Java fern on the right side of the tank is busting out all over. I could seperate it at the rizome into at least 3 plants. And all of the larger leaves have plantlets coming off of them. I added a small Java fern or two. And I stuffed a little Wisteria top in the back left corner, it's starting to take off too.
Only the Bacopa isn't really looking that great.
The HC is filling in, not exactly explosive growth but it is starting to spread out.