How do these plants do in sand?

[Primordialsoup]

Hiya guys! Soon I will be able to start setting up my new tank and adding plants. I have drawn up a plan for the types of plants I want to add to the tank and I've done some research. I'm going to be using sand for substrate, either black diamond blasting sand or some kind of darker colored play sand. Based on my research I know that many plants on list such as java fern and Anubias Barteri will do just fine with the sand but others I'm not too sure about. To summarize here's what I'm considering:

Bacopa caroliniana, glossostigma elatinoides, cardamine lyrata, Nymphoides aquatica, hygrophila polysperma, shinnersia rivularis, vallisneria tortifolia, echinodorus tenellus and sagittaria subulata.

My question is do any of those plants absolutely NOT work in sand?

 

[Fishingtrees]

I really like the look of the black blasting sand. Some root tabs for some of the larger root systems should make up for any deficiency in your sand. Hardest part is getting the plants to stay planted. Some liquid fertilizers are necessary for less rooty plants. (Think swords vs. anubias or bucephalandra)

Most important thing to research is what kind of lighting you have. From the plants you listed that I know (don't know latin names well) you appear to have some easier to grow plants.

 

[Primordialsoup]

I really like the look of the black blasting sand. Some root tabs for some of the larger root systems should make up for any deficiency in your sand. Hardest part is getting the plants to stay planted. Some liquid fertilizers are necessary for less rooty plants. (Think swords vs. anubias or bucephalandra)

Most important thing to research is what kind of lighting you have. From the plants you listed that I know (don't know latin names well) you appear to have some easier to grow plants.

Excellent! Thanks Fishingtrees! A lot of my research definitely did mention root tabs but I wasn't sure 100%. I will be sure to get some now! I even heard something about the Flourish Brand being able to withstand filter carbon.

 

[Aiken Drum]

From what i understand carbon will take up some of the nutrients in the standard flourish product, but not enough to effect anything and carbon wont have any effect on seachem flourish excel.

Why are you using carbon?

 

[Primordialsoup]

From what i understand carbon will take up some of the nutrients in the standard flourish product, but not enough to effect anything and carbon wont have any effect on seachem flourish excel.

Why are you using carbon?

Great to know! Thanks Aiken Drum! The carbon just came with the filter, it's a Fluval 407 canister filter. I've been debating whether or not to actually use it. I just don't know if taking it out and not replacing it with some other medium would effect the performance. I don't want to risk breaking it if it's designed to work that way. I did see one really knowledgeable guy on Youtube replace the carbon with a bunch of ceramic balls so he could use the carbon in a different tank but if I don't actually need to fill that slot with something else I can't imagine it's 100% necessary. Not quite sure.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Carbon is good for removing organic compounds from the water. This is usually medication after a course of treatment, tannins that colour the water (leeching out of driftwood most commonly) and can remove smells (which you shouldn't have in a healthy tank system). If you dont need it for a specific reason, don't use it. Use it for its intended purpose and once its no longer needed stop using it.

Activated carbon is expensive and needs replacing every couple of weeks to remain effective. Keep hold of the unused carbon you have in case you need it in the future. If you do need to get more, get a tub of loose carbon and some media bags. Thats cheaper than those pre packaged carbon bags that fluval supply with their filters.

 

[Primordialsoup]

Carbon is good for removing organic compounds from the water. This is usually medication after a course of treatment, tannins that colour the water (leeching out of driftwood most commonly) and can remove smells (which you shouldn't have in a healthy tank system). If you dont need it for a specific reason, don't use it. Use it for its intended purpose and once its no longer needed stop using it.

Activated carbon is expensive and needs replacing every couple of weeks to remain effective. Keep hold of the unused carbon you have in case you need it in the future. If you do need to get more, get a tub of loose carbon and some media bags. Thats cheaper than those pre packaged carbon bags that fluval supply with their filters.

Good! In that case I'll just save it in case I ever need it! I think the filter should work just fine without it! Sounds like more trouble than it's worth when you don't need it!

 

[Fishingtrees]

Agree with the carbon statement above. It is an expensive band aid. More biological filter is what most hobbyists would use.