75 BIG BAD GALLONS OF PLANTED GREEN & FISH (work in progress)[many pix i prmomis]

[dmoney87]

yeah that **** stand cost more then the tank but I do like

 

[brutus]

any more plants yet?

 

[dmoney87]

any more plants yet?

Naw, not yet. The selection at my LFS is quite limited. I was going to pick up some nana anubis, or broad leaf bacopala (spelling :S) and a few more amazon swords today but I didnt. Dont know if I should wait until I get my co2 System to get more plants. I only have 5 right now without any co2 (besides flourish excell) and using root tabs as ferts. Dont want an algae breakout.

On another side note. At the very top of the water theres very small particales floating (kinda looks like dust or skin cells) you can see it quite a bit with the lights being so bright. I really dont enjoy looking at it. Im thinking I might need more surface aggitation as I do have a few dead spots but also heard that is not great for keeping the co2 in the water. Is there anyway of removing this? I do have a microfibre pad for tiny particles in my filstar but dosent seem to capture these.

thanks,

davE

 

[brutus]

if you have a python maybe just skim the top still a new tank could just be crud from first fill up.can raise your spray bar untill you get your co2 also

 

[dmoney87]

Yea I moved the spary bar so i have a bit more aggitation in the water. well see how that goes. anyway one of you I think dskid told me your pond snails stay away from your plants.. well ive noticed quite a few holes in some of leaves on my hygro.. not happy. I wanted to get some yoyo's regardless so this just furthers my want for them. Unfortunatly big al's dosent have any in stock at the moment.. only friggin clown loaches which i do not want (well i do) but they grow to large, and I want to have my discus eventually. Im about to feed my rasboras some frozen blood worms, these guys go NUTS for it.

davE

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

How much lighting are you using? watts? hours?

Is the CO2 hooked up? I dont think you got it yet?

Are you using any ferts?

Holes in leaves can be from not enough nutrients for the plants

Pond snails can breed like crazy, I had some and chose to remove them. I think they only eat dead/decaying stuff so plants should be OK I think, but if the plants are suffering/dying i suspect that they would munch on them.

 

[dmoney87]

How much lighting are you using? watts? hours?

Is the CO2 hooked up? I dont think you got it yet?

Are you using any ferts?

Holes in leaves can be from not enough nutrients for the plants

Pond snails can breed like crazy, I had some and chose to remove them. I think they only eat dead/decaying stuff so plants should be OK I think, but if the plants are suffering/dying i suspect that they would munch on them.

I have Dual Sunpaq 65w 420/460 actinic and Dual Sunpaq 65w 6700k/10000k Daylight bulbs, 12 hrs on 12 hrs off. Total of 260W.

No, I do not have co2 hooked up yet. It will be coming soon as my wallet fills back up.

Ive been using flourish exccel since i got the few plants i have in the meantime as well as API root tabs. (which i only started using today as they just came in the mail today)

The hygro has been growing like a weed tho, tons of white roots coming out of it. Yeah your probably right my amazon, moneywort seem to be just fine. Not to mention I have yet to see a snail on them :S there just in the sand and around the glass, on filter etc. I also have two tiny albino plecos, they dont eat plants I dont think ? just the algae off them (if any)

thanks,

davE

 

[brutus]

i hate snails dont have any and never want any sorry.cant help with that..if it was me i get them out as fast as possible befor they fill the tank but some like them i guess

 

[dskidmore]

anyway one of you I think dskid told me your pond snails stay away from your plants.. well ive noticed quite a few holes in some of leaves on my hygro.. not happy.

It is not uncommon for the old leaves to die off after transplanting into your aquarium. Most of these plants are grown emersed (only partly in the water) and go through a change when they move to a submersed enviroment. The snails will eat dying portions of the leaves, but that doesn't mean they're resposnible for the death. Watch the new leaves to guage the true health of a new transplant.

Crypts for example almost always "melt" when transplanted, but will spring back with new growth given a little time.

 

[dskidmore]

Dont know if I should wait until I get my co2 System to get more plants.

Naw. Fill her up! The plant load isn't what causes algae without CO2, it's the light and nutrients without CO2. Keep your spraybar up for good gas exchange until you get your CO2 injection going. The only time to avoid adding plants for algae reasons is if you were going to have to increase the available light to support that plant.

 

[happygirl65]

Oh yeah...infact more plants usually equals less algae.

And what do the holes look like? Are they pinholes or is half the leaf look all chewed up? Pinholes can sometimes mean a potassium deficiency......OR you can sometimes be seeing the results of previous poor care of the plant and you will see it come back. Luckily hygro grows so fast you will be able to tell within a couple of weeks based on the new growth.

 

[dmoney87]

It is not uncommon for the old leaves to die off after transplanting into your aquarium. Most of these plants are grown emersed (only partly in the water) and go through a change when they move to a submersed enviroment. The snails will eat dying portions of the leaves, but that doesn't mean they're resposnible for the death. Watch the new leaves to guage the true health of a new transplant.

Crypts for example almost always "melt" when transplanted, but will spring back with new growth given a little time.

Hmm, yea i noticed the crypts and vals at my LFS look very um how should we say lacking life? I wanted to get some, just didnt want to have a half dead plant among all my other bright green ones, although im pretty sure once in my aquarium they would do much better.

Naw. Fill her up! The plant load isn't what causes algae without CO2, it's the light and nutrients without CO2. Keep your spraybar up for good gas exchange until you get your CO2 injection going. The only time to avoid adding plants for algae reasons is if you were going to have to increase the available light to support that plant.

Well i think the only way for me to increase the light is to either lower it (its about 3" above the glass) or to replace the actinic bulbs with more daytime bulbs. (do actinic lights do anything for plants btw?)

Oh yeah...infact more plants usually equals less algae.

And what do the holes look like? Are they pinholes or is half the leaf look all chewed up? Pinholes can sometimes mean a potassium deficiency......OR you can sometimes be seeing the results of previous poor care of the plant and you will see it come back. Luckily hygro grows so fast you will be able to tell within a couple of weeks based on the new growth.

They werent so much holes a a few tares mainly on the smaller leaves near the bottom. ( I might have just knocked them around a few times planting them with my tongs, which could have caused the tears and then the snails decided it was dead so they just added to it?) but the leaves are all nice vibrant green some of the shoots look a little browny purpleish.. soon as i added those API root tabs my amazon sword perked right up and my hygro, moneywort seems to be doing good too.. and i didnt even bother with that stupid mondo grass.. since its never going to survive underwater for too long neway.. well thanks for the advice Ill have to go see what else I can get at big al's on the weekend.. myb ill bring some paper write down a few names since I can never remember them, look em up on PG.net b4 I get them. Because I kno they have a plant called a "purple waffle" which also is not a true aquatic plant.

Oh and on a side note.. big al's got in some SWEET electric blue discus (er thats wht they called them, i think they look more like snakeskins) last week and they arnt selling em until first week of sept I think (they actually refuse to sell the new arrivals without letting them adjust and settle down after shipping) I know that Discus should be in a school of atleast 6-8 but what about mixing them :S ? can i have say three cobalt blue discus with 3 electric blue discus ? or should it just be all of the same if im only doing 6 not 8. cuz 4 and 4 i could see work but myb not 3 and 3. Either way I still cant get them yet, I want to wait atleast until I get my co2 and then awhile after that.

thNKS

davE

 

[happygirl65]

Good for big Als that they QT...that is a good thing!

Sure, you can mix thm. Get what you like. Basically you look at two schools of thought here....get them all the same so that when they pair off you will breed the same fish.....or mix them for a display and they may still pair up but few fry would survive if hatched.

The names of discus always crack me up...you will see the same fish with 10 different names depending on whre you buy them. Also it is quite hard to tell when they are juveniles wht they will turn out like unless you have seen the parents.

 

[dmoney87]

Good for big Als that they QT...that is a good thing!

Sure, you can mix thm. Get what you like. Basically you look at two schools of thought here....get them all the same so that when they pair off you will breed the same fish.....or mix them for a display and they may still pair up but few fry would survive if hatched.

The names of discus always crack me up...you will see the same fish with 10 different names depending on whre you buy them. Also it is quite hard to tell when they are juveniles wht they will turn out like unless you have seen the parents.

Hmm yeah I kno thats why I think the big al's in my city is one of the best.. they QT all of there new arrivals and are very addiment about what size tank you have.. setup etc.. before you buy them.. not to mention ive became a buddy with one of the girls who works ther.. so i get a little discount now and then but yea id like to get two differnt types.. i dont really need them to pair and have fry although it would be really awesome to see.. i just wouldent have the room to raise them properly.. as long as they schooled together id be happy..

ok so i think im off to bigs al's.. they have some good looking nana anubis and myb some lace java for the driftwood.. (id rather a moss of some sort but they never have any)

davE

 

[Purrbox]

(do actinic lights do anything for plants btw?)

The general concensus is tha actinic lighting is of little to no benefit to plants. There are a few that believe plants can make just as much use of them as other lighting, and some that believe they contribute to algae problems. Your best bet is to replace them with daylight bulbs if you want to ensure that you're getting the full benefit of your light fixture.

 

[dmoney87]

Yeah ill probably end up doing that, but until I get more plants and co2 the actinic lights can stay..

davE

 

[dmoney87]

"Plants have two types of chlorophyll, a and b. Chlorophyll a absorbs light at 405 and 640 nm. Chlorophyll b has a peak absorption at 440 and 620 nm. Plant lamps are designed to emit light at the red wavelengths to duplicate the job of the sun. But too much red color can cause aquatic plants to grow tall and thin. For best results, use a daylight (5,000 ¡K) lamp such as an Aquasun, Ultralume 50 or Chroma 50 in combination with an actinic white or actinic day lamp. The actinic day or white lamp is a mixture of 50% actinic (blue light) and 50% daylight. In large or deep aquaria consider using HO or VHO lamps."

© 1998 Dr. Timothy A. Hovanec

Now wouldent me having dual daylight and dual full actinic count as being 50-50? Although ive read reports from Tom Barr where he admitently stated the use of actinic lights in planted aquariums is of no or little use.

I dont know, Ill probably still end up taking them out, maybe Ill replace the full actinic with true 50-50 bulbs so ill have dual 10k and 6700k and dual 10k and actinic..

ne ways, got a few new plants today and some otos.. still dont know if I like the placement i did with them but well see.. Ill take some pictures probably on monday as my camera is off on vacation for the weekend again.. Oh and I did alot of research on oto's and if they are good tank mates for Discus.. lots of people dont have problems (with attaching themselves onto the discus) but some do. They say it depends on the species and or room in the tank etc.. I hope the ones I got will leave the Discus alone when I eventually do get them. If not ill be giving away some free otos oh and another question. If I were to cut the leaves off of the amazon sword, will they grow back where I cut them off or am i just going to have a bunch of stems ?

-davE

 

[Purrbox]

The stems won't grow new leaves. Cut the stems as close to the base as possible for the best looking plant. You would use this technique on any rosette plant, not just swords.

 

[dskidmore]

Oh and I did alot of research on oto's and if they are good tank mates for Discus.. lots of people dont have problems (with attaching themselves onto the discus) but some do.

Most of the sources I read indicate that the latching is a sign the oto does not have enough food. They prefer biological slime as their primary diet. They'll quickly clean up the tank and run out of food unless you run a slightly dirty tank. Most will transfer well to blanched vegetables and leave the fish alone.

 

[dmoney87]

Most of the sources I read indicate that the latching is a sign the oto does not have enough food. They prefer biological slime as their primary diet. They'll quickly clean up the tank and run out of food unless you run a slightly dirty tank. Most will transfer well to blanched vegetables and leave the fish alone.

blanched vegies being boiled? cooked? ok thats good to know.. hopefully I can wein my otos into eating vegies well before I have any discus in the tank.

thanks,

davE