Freshwater Plants

[Shubunkin01]

Hi

I've recently bought my first tank( ) tank (58 litres/12gallons?) and have some freshwater plants. No fish yet, still cycling. I'm wondering if I need any plant food, or anything I can do to help them. The petshop said no, but I've heard they can't really be trusted.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Shubunkin01

EDIT:
Sorry, not much info...

It is a 58 litre tank with a filter on the inside. I have quite large gravel, and a piece of driftwood. There's a neon light on the top, not sure how many watts. I was planning on Shubunkins and comets, do these fish eat plants or try to dig them up? Do I need smaller gravel for the roots to grow?
Thanks

 

[JDogg]

check out the planted tank forum, read the stickys they are most helpful!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewforum.php?f=21

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Moved to the Planted Tank Forum.

 

[sabbott1877]

Some plants will work, depending on the lighting and substrate (gravel) some other people will be able to help you more, but figuring out the wattage of the light will be very helpful.

You could go to www.plantgeek.com for some plant profiles, and to get Ideas,

Welcome to Aquarium Advice...


-Steve

 

[Jchillin]

It is a 58 litre tank with a filter on the inside. I have quite large gravel, and a piece of driftwood. There's a neon light on the top, not sure how many watts. I was planning on Shubunkins and comets, do these fish eat plants or try to dig them up? Do I need smaller gravel for the roots to grow?

From my understanding, most goldies see plants as a meal. In regard to your "neon" light, could it be an LED?

 

[7Enigma]

I would recommend tough skinned plants that are low light requiring. This will allow you do do virtually no plant care other than the occassional trimming. Java fern and anubias are great slow growing low light plants with tough leaves. I can't imagine a goldfish would go after an anubias leaf, but the java fern leaves are a bit less tough.

And with the amount of waste that a goldfish produces you should be fine with these plants without having to add anything.

Anacharis is another possible option for a goldfish tank but might not be practical. It is an excellent nitrAte user (which is good since your goldfish will produce a LOT of waste), it is a low light plant, but very well might be a tasty treat for your goldfish. I would look into this plant as a possibility as it will help to reduce the nitrAte level in the tank which might allow you to SLIGHTLY prolong PWC's, or as important allow you to not have to worry about ammonia spikes when you first add the fish in.

I would make sure that you have an ample biofilter in place prior to addition of the fish (at least 1ppm ammonia converted to nitrAte in 24 hours, better yet 2ppm).

Goodluck.

 

[Shubunkin01]

Thanks everyone,
I have a java fern, so I'm glad they're quite low maintenance. I think the cycling process might be enough trouble without having to worry about plants!

Thanks again
Shubunkin01

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Actually, once plants get established, cycling won't take long at all. And if you have a couple plants in that tank, your cycle may be done and the plants will take care of everything. But the key is that the plants are established and the shock period of moving and planting the plant is gone, which could take a couple days to a couple weeks, depending on the plants.

 

[Shubunkin01]

So how will I know when my cycling is over? I thought that amonia and nitrites started at 0, but then spiked. Is this true?

 

[rich311k]

That is correct your ammonia will rise and then drop, the nitraites will do the same. When they both go back to zero and you have nitrates you are cycled.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

In a fishless cycle, you, the aquarist, needs to add ammonia manually. That's the ammonia spike. You adding the ammonia or providing decaying shrimp, etc. Ammonia cannot spike with no source.

In a fish cycle, the fish provide the ammonia via poo and pee. This will cause the ammonia to rise and spike, then when the proper bacteria start colonizing, then nitrite will follow and rise and spike.

Finally, you will be cycled when ammonia and nitrite both fall to 0ppm in 24 hours if doing a fishless cycle, and if using the fish cycle or decaying shrimp fishless method, then when ammonia and nitrite are both 0ppm, you are cycled.

But most importantly, ammonia and nitrite cannot spike if no source is provided. Either you provide the spike itself by adding pure ammonia, or add decaying shrimp or live fish to provice the ammonia source. But remember, if live fish, you will need to do PWC's to keep ammonia and nitrite below .5ppm.

 

[Shubunkin01]

Thanks LoneWolf and Rich 311k
Now I understand.

Shubunkin01

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Not a problem... That's why the people above were stating that you need a source for the ammonia, or the tank won't cycle. It's like you as a person, you can't grow if you don't eat. And if you never eat, you will surely die from starvation. Saame with the bacteriaa, but generally happens faster than with humans. The bacteria will die off in days with no food, where we can go a few weeks without eating before we have complications.