mumrah
Aquarium Advice Freak
I was reading some articles today on the natural enviroment of Blue Rams.
A few notable things i read:
-Rams love live plants. I observe this in my tank everyday as i see them hiding underneath the wide leaves of my Melon Sword or under some driftwood.
-Rams appriciate some humic acid. The tannis leached from peat and driftwood soften the water and slightly tint it. This is a very natural setting for Rams (or any S.A cichlid).
-Rams don't like much current, or light. Some duckweed will very quickly provide some shade for the Rams, and if you're like me and have a HOB filter, filling the water above the "waterfall" thingy will greatly reduce the surface agitation.
So that's all fine and dandy, but i had a thought about the humic acid. Most of the tannins found in S.A cichlid's enviroments are due to rotting plant matter at the bottom of streams - such as leaves, trees, roots, etc. So, while i was bagging up the 3' high pile of maple leaves from my backyard, i thought "why not use these in my aquarium?"
Anyone ever done this? I would take some of the crispy ones, boil them and let them sit in some water for a few days, then test the params of that water.
Thought?
-D
Oh, and i also want to ditch my gravel/sand substrate for something more natural/better for the plants. I like the idea of a layered substrate. Any ideas on this?
A few notable things i read:
-Rams love live plants. I observe this in my tank everyday as i see them hiding underneath the wide leaves of my Melon Sword or under some driftwood.
-Rams appriciate some humic acid. The tannis leached from peat and driftwood soften the water and slightly tint it. This is a very natural setting for Rams (or any S.A cichlid).
-Rams don't like much current, or light. Some duckweed will very quickly provide some shade for the Rams, and if you're like me and have a HOB filter, filling the water above the "waterfall" thingy will greatly reduce the surface agitation.
So that's all fine and dandy, but i had a thought about the humic acid. Most of the tannins found in S.A cichlid's enviroments are due to rotting plant matter at the bottom of streams - such as leaves, trees, roots, etc. So, while i was bagging up the 3' high pile of maple leaves from my backyard, i thought "why not use these in my aquarium?"
Anyone ever done this? I would take some of the crispy ones, boil them and let them sit in some water for a few days, then test the params of that water.
Thought?
-D
Oh, and i also want to ditch my gravel/sand substrate for something more natural/better for the plants. I like the idea of a layered substrate. Any ideas on this?
