Tropical plant resources...

[schoeplein]

Does anyone have any info where I can read up on available plants that can handle the 78-82F temperature range? Most of the plants that I'm seeing suggests temps between 65-78F. I'm also planning to keep tropical fish (75-82F range), with no plans to add cooling (beyond maybe a fan).

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[schoeplein]

I should also mention I'll have a black tahitian sand as a substrate, and the tank is 25" deep. Lighting will be determined when I decide on the inhabiting plants.

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[ljlee256]

Anubias, dwarf hairgrass and amazon sword all have temperature ranges that top out at 82 and start between 70 and 75. They are all medium light plants too which is nice and consistent.

As for the substrate maybe do a layer of planting medium under your sand. That will give your roots a better chance and still maintain the aesthetic appeal of black sand.

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[Rivercats]

Most plants will tolerate tropical temps of 78-80 and some do higher temps. Just decide what plants in what light range you want and go from there. Look at places such as AquariumPlants.com and read up on individual plants. I've kept planted tanks since the 80's and most plants available with a few excepts do fine in normal temp tropical tanks.
Plants such as DHG are high light plants.

 

[ljlee256]

Additionally you can use larger plants that have high lighting reqs to shade ones under them with low light reqs. As to dhg, everything ive read suggests its medium light, high light +co2 for carpeting perhaps.

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[Sk3lly]

Anubias, dwarf hairgrass and amazon sword all have temperature ranges that top out at 82 and start between 70 and 75. They are all medium light plants too which is nice and consistent.

As for the substrate maybe do a layer of planting medium under your sand. That will give your roots a better chance and still maintain the aesthetic appeal of black sand.

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DHG is high light.
Anubias and Amazon Sword are low light

 

[Old Scales]

Kudos to you for wanting to research your plants BEFORE you buy them instead of after.
OS.

 

[ljlee256]

DHG is high light.
Anubias and Amazon Sword are low light

Cool so TPT and live aquaria are both wrong?

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[Sk3lly]

Cool so TPT and live aquaria are both wrong?

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Maybe you can post links to show this??

Everything ive ever read on the plants in question has put them in the light categories i stated. Until i read differently i wont change my opinion

 

[ljlee256]

Of course, my apologies I should have done that first.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+815&pcatid=815

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+2136&pcatid=2136

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+1632+802&pcatid=802

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=14&n=nana-anubias-barteri-nana

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=66&n=Dwarf_Hairgrass_Elocharis_acicularis

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=15&n=Amazon_Sword_Echinodorus_amazonicus

It would appear as though that tpt and live aquaria differ on the anubias nana. Didnt catch this when I was researching my initial plant selection for my new tank. I grow all three of these with a single T8 20watt 6700k bulb.

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[schoeplein]

At 25" depth, how much wattage in CFL is considered low/med/high? I may also go LED, but I can figure the conversion if I end up going that route.

Vallisneria for the middle, sagitteria for the floor... And possibly cryptocorne or a sword for the back. Are the reddish plants much harder to keep?

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[Rivercats]

I've been growing plants for over 30 years and DHG will fill in and carpet best in a high light tank. Remember the Par has to be high deep into the tank which is why it's important to research Par levels for fixtures a person it interested in. There are many factors that pertain to the optimal growth and spreading of DHG. I would only grow it in a higher light tank with CO2 and a good dosing regime with dry ferts using either the PPS-Pro or EI method. DHG also needs to be planted correctly for the best growth and spread as well.

 

[schoeplein]

I didn't see fescue in the list of tropical plants, and it's not my favorite carpeting plant, tbh. Sagitteria (dwarf) is what I'm looking at currently to fit that bill.

My tank came with a 6500k 36" T8 CFL at 38W. This can be replaced and/or supplemented with another lamp if needed.

If I add a layer of fertilizer under the sand, I'm assuming dosing with Flourish will be required after 6-12 mo, and supplementing before that time wouldn't hurt, either. Am I correct in this statement (depending on plant sensitivity to iron or copper, though the ones I've picked so far seem OK and eager for these metals).

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[ljlee256]

Afaik fertilizer enriched aquatic planting soil has the macro nutrients covered, but trace elements will probably need to be added, you can buy the super master test kits which have iron test in them. The planting medium isnt just for nutrient supply but also a better substrate for the roots to dig through and hold on in. I'm growing DHG right in the sand and the only issue I have had with it is it was getting uprooted easily for the first week or two until the DHGs roots made it down to the gravel substrate under the sand. Planting medium should help with that and give you a bonus of nutrients.

As for the light my tank has a single t8 6700k bulb and approximately 2ft of water above the grass, it grows and carpets, but very slowly, you might want to upgrade to a 18000k bulb and/or a dual bulb setup for faster growth and spread.

Co2 is the other half of photosynthesis I strongly recommend a pressurized kit to provide co2 for the plants.

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[Sk3lly]

Afaik fertilizer enriched aquatic planting soil has the macro nutrients covered, but trace elements will probably need to be added, you can buy the super master test kits which have iron test in them. The planting medium isnt just for nutrient supply but also a better substrate for the roots to dig through and hold on in. I'm growing DHG right in the sand and the only issue I have had with it is it was getting uprooted easily for the first week or two until the DHGs roots made it down to the gravel substrate under the sand. Planting medium should help with that and give you a bonus of nutrients.

As for the light my tank has a single t8 6700k bulb and approximately 2ft of water above the grass, it grows and carpets, but very slowly, you might want to upgrade to a 18000k bulb and/or a dual bulb setup for faster growth and spread.

Co2 is the other half of photosynthesis I strongly recommend a pressurized kit to provide co2 for the plants.

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An 18,000k bulb??? Really?????

Im very dubious to that advice

 

[ljlee256]

An 18,000k bulb??? Really?????

Im very dubious to that advice

I don't know but after 2 hours of no one responding to him I figured someone should. I did say literally right before that that I'm running a single 6700k and its doing fine. Which I might add got a snide response as well on a different post. This is just like talking to old mechanics lol, the more right you try to be the more wrong they try to make you feel.

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[Sk3lly]

I don't know but after 2 hours of no one responding to him I figured someone should. I did say literally right before that that I'm running a single 6700k and its doing fine. Which I might add got a snide response as well on a different post. This is just like talking to old mechanics lol, the more right you try to be the more wrong they try to make you feel.

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In my opinion theres nothing wrong with the 6700k. In fact im awaiting a 6700k dutch xb build my led fixture to arrive. I just dont see the benefit of trying a 18000k bulb like you suggested. Maybe you can shed some light? (no pun intended haha). I always thought that spectrum was used by reefers and not very beneficial to plants

 

[ljlee256]

In my opinion theres nothing wrong with the 6700k. In fact im awaiting a 6700k dutch xb build my led fixture to arrive. I just dont see the benefit of trying a 18000k bulb like you suggested. Maybe you can shed some light? (no pun intended haha). I always thought that spectrum was used by reefers and not very beneficial to plants

I don't know, it was a guess. Again I was told earlier by someone who seemed to know their stuff that 6700k is too low and deemed it unnecessary to tell me how much was enough. And again no one was replying to the guy, figured id give it a shot. Besides what's the point of trying something new if your going to do it flawlessly the first time? Life in general would get pretty **** boring. I dont know I'm pulling the pin on this app. Hope you have some advice for him.

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[Sk3lly]

I don't know, it was a guess. Again I was told earlier by someone who seemed to know their stuff that 6700k is too low and deemed it unnecessary to tell me how much was enough. And again no one was replying to the guy, figured id give it a shot. Besides what's the point of trying something new if your going to do it flawlessly the first time? Life in general would get pretty **** boring.

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So because no one had replied you thought youd just say anything? ..... Ok

Well im not here to argue anyway, i was curious about your 18000k suggestion.

I think its pretty common place knowledge that 6000k - 10000k range is good for planted aquariums.

6000k is towards the red end of the light spectrum which i believe researchers have concluded that plants use the most. 10000k is more of a whiter light which generally looks better in an aquarium. Although plants do use a little bit of the blue spectrum i think 18000k is simply too blue.
Its down to individual taste though

 

[jetajockey]

Kelvin ratings are in relation to color temperature, so a higher Kelvin bulb doesn't necessarily put out more power (it's not like wattage), it just means that it's higher on the color spectrum (i.e. more towards blue)