Plants - beginner/low tech questions

[cassandra87]

Hi - I have a 20 gallon high community tank, and I'm new to fish. The tank contains 5 bloodfin tetra, 2 platys, and 2 amano shrimp. I might add a few more shrimp and another platy, but I plan on keeping stocking on the low end. I currently have a small red sword planted directly in the gravel (which is staying alive and growing slowly) some dwarf hairgrass (I think that's what it is, it's still alive but hasn't done much) and a banana plant that is unhappy. I'm fine with plants growing slowly, it keeps maintenance low. I have plastic plants in the background, and I'd like to replace them with live plants. I want to stay low tech, I don't want to mess with CO2 and I'd like to keep fertilizer to a minimum. My first thought was to pot up some live plants in aquaponics pots (with big holes for roots) filled with some sort of substrate (maybe fluval stratum?) I thought this might give the plants more nutrients than planting in the gravel directly. Is this reasonable, or is there a better way?

Thanks for your help!

 

[BBradbury]

Hi - I have a 20 gallon high community tank, and I'm new to fish. The tank contains 5 bloodfin tetra, 2 platys, and 2 amano shrimp. I might add a few more shrimp and another platy, but I plan on keeping stocking on the low end. I currently have a small red sword planted directly in the gravel (which is staying alive and growing slowly) some dwarf hairgrass (I think that's what it is, it's still alive but hasn't done much) and a banana plant that is unhappy. I'm fine with plants growing slowly, it keeps maintenance low. I have plastic plants in the background, and I'd like to replace them with live plants. I want to stay low tech, I don't want to mess with CO2 and I'd like to keep fertilizer to a minimum. My first thought was to pot up some live plants in aquaponics pots (with big holes for roots) filled with some sort of substrate (maybe fluval stratum?) I thought this might give the plants more nutrients than planting in the gravel directly. Is this reasonable, or is there a better way?

Thanks for your help!

Hello cass...

Low tech is fine. There is a long list of aquatic plants that you can keep. Any of the varieties of Anubias, Swords, Java fern, Onion and Cryptocoryne. You still need a decent amount of light for slow growing plants. I use standard florescent bulbs from the hardware store. I use a four bulb fixture, 32 watt, T8. The set up is cheap and the lights last well over a year, before you need to replace them. If you have a good fish load, you don't need added fertilizers. Just change out half the tank water weekly to maintain good levels of the trace elements.

Have fun!

B

 

[cassandra87]

Thanks! So is potting in net pots with something like fluval stratum a decent way to go?

 

[TMaier]

This tank is low tech. Set up since December. Everything is planted in the sand or tied.

 

[IHaveAquariums]

That's really pretty! Good job!

 

[Caliban07]

This tank is low tech. Set up since December. Everything is planted in the sand or tied. View attachment 304640

T.Maier what are inhabitants and how many? Are you still adding ferts?

 

[TMaier]

I have 8 Neons, 6 Dwarf Rainbows, 9 Khuli’s, 2 Amanos, Snails+ and some RCS.

I have homemade root tabs in the sand I replenish every 2-3 months. I have Flourish Micro and Potassium and add a 1/2 tsp mix of them weekly.

 

[toolman]

This tank is low tech. Set up since December. Everything is planted in the sand or tied. View attachment 304640

Very Nice!