Newbie Advice needed

[Ian2000t]

I have a fairly well stocked tank, which I am trying to keep live plants in, rather than use fake ones.

I have some issues though, with plants dying off. This is a pic of my tank - please excuse the Hornwort that is going mad, and the state of the plants at the back centre!

I have been trying to keep a tall red plant in the back corner. The first one I bought lasted quite well, and get growing taller, however, it never replenished any leaves further down when they fell off. So was kind of like a bare stick with leaves at the top! every other one I've bought since then have died quickly. This one is brand new, and so is the Java fern next to it.

This is the only plant that has actually done well in the aquarium, and continued to keep growing/spreading. Can anyone tell me what plant this is, as my friend wants to try one in his?

Currently, I have one full length T8 Aqua-Glo tube, an oxygen bubble setup, and don't use any Co2 or Ferts.

I have considered adding extra lights, and also using Ferts tabs under the main plants - which are best to get and snail safe?

Any advice you can give me? Or, and good tall plants you can suggest?

 

[Tim Harrison]

I think that the best advice I can give is to read the articles in the tutorials section. I'd recommend cutting your planted tank teeth the low-energy soil substrate way.
With regards plants, you have to be careful buying those on offer from your LFS which should never be placed underwater, they will just die and rot.
And for those that can be grown immersed, some consideration needs to go in to their position, for instance, the rhizome of Anubias will rot if it's placed in the substrate.
For a list of easy plants and their requirements check out Torpica's easy plant list...http://tropica.com/en/plants/?tabIndex=1&alias=Easy

 

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion in my terrestrial gardening that it's best to work with what grows well, and not struggle too much with things that don't grow well. Now that I have returned to fish keeping after an absence of many years, I intend to follow the same principle with my planted tank.

So, my recommendation would be to encourage the hornwort and try to create a nice stand of it, since it seems happy in your tank. It's a hardy plant, and can look stunning if you make a thick, lush 'forest' of it. The tips even have a slight pinkish tinge sometimes. The tops of your stems are looking fairly compact, so it does seem happy. Keep cutting off the top 4 or 5 inches and replant the tops - the cut stems will branch. In fact, one of your stems is already making side shoots so I'd pinch it off just above, and pinch the other stem off about half way up. Replant both tops, and leave the existing stems where they are. If you keep pinching it out it will stay more compact and less 'stringy'. In time, you can create a nice thick display of it.

 

[aaron.c]

Hey Ian

Are you especially bothered about the plants you keep or do you just a tank full of nice plants?

I would be inclined to go down the low tech route to start with - otherwise things can get pretty complicated pretty quickly.

I would be looking at adding lots of mosses, java fern (best attached to wood) and anubias.

These plants are not especially challenging, and can certainly create a gorgeous aquascape.

If aquascaping and plants is something you then wish to get more invovled in, you can start to get more kit and more involved plants

Aaron

 

[Ian2000t]

I think that the best advice I can give is to read the articles in the tutorials section. I'd recommend cutting your planted tank teeth the low-energy soil substrate way.
With regards plants, you have to be careful buying those on offer from your LFS which should never be placed underwater, they will just die and rot.
And for those that can be grown immersed, some consideration needs to go in to their position, for instance, the rhizome of Anubias will rot if it's placed in the substrate.
For a list of easy plants and their requirements check out Torpica's easy plant list...http://tropica.com/en/plants/?tabIndex=1&alias=Easy

Thanks, will sort the anubias out, didn't realise that about the rhizome!

That's a great website, very helpful, I'll have a good look through there.

 

[Ian2000t]

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion in my terrestrial gardening that it's best to work with what grows well, and not struggle too much with things that don't grow well. Now that I have returned to fish keeping after an absence of many years, I intend to follow the same principle with my planted tank.

So, my recommendation would be to encourage the hornwort and try to create a nice stand of it, since it seems happy in your tank. It's a hardy plant, and can look stunning if you make a thick, lush 'forest' of it. The tips even have a slight pinkish tinge sometimes. The tops of your stems are looking fairly compact, so it does seem happy. Keep cutting off the top 4 or 5 inches and replant the tops - the cut stems will branch. In fact, one of your stems is already making side shoots so I'd pinch it off just above, and pinch the other stem off about half way up. Replant both tops, and leave the existing stems where they are. If you keep pinching it out it will stay more compact and less 'stringy'. In time, you can create a nice thick display of it.

Thanks, I have had some success with both Hornwort and Elodea before, although my Elodea did keep going brown, but kept growing.
I decided to use other plants as I was fed up with how "brittle" Hornwort is, I was forever hoovering bits up or clearing it from the filter.
Elodea was constantly getting pulled up, even if I bunched and weighted it. That was more so when I had a Goldfish though, with the smaller tropical fish it may not be an issue.

 

[Ian2000t]

Hey Ian

Are you especially bothered about the plants you keep or do you just a tank full of nice plants?

I would be inclined to go down the low tech route to start with - otherwise things can get pretty complicated pretty quickly.

I would be looking at adding lots of mosses, java fern (best attached to wood) and anubias.

These plants are not especially challenging, and can certainly create a gorgeous aquascape.

If aquascaping and plants is something you then wish to get more invovled in, you can start to get more kit and more involved plants

Aaron

Ideally, I want a good amount of plants because it looks nice, and to give more of a natural habitat, and to help reducing nitrates etc.

There are certain plants I would like to help, like the taller "leafy" plants (unlike Hornwort and Elodea) and I like the reds as well. However, if they are hi tech only, then I will use what is suitable.

I am going to try an extra light (6500k cfl bulb with reflector) and a root tab under the red plant, just to see of it helps keep it a bit longer this time. If not I'll move on to something else!

 

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Yes, brittleness is a problem with hornwort, and I'm not sure there's a solution to it. The alternative is to grow it as a floater - I don't think I've ever seen it create roots as such anyway.

I took a few sprigs from my pond. This does mean I've now got snails, and, er, a damselfly nymph!

 

[Ian2000t]

OK, so I've now added some Elodea Crispa, and Elodea Densa to the right of the tank. Maybe with the increased lighting they won't go brown like they previously did. I've also tidied up the hornwort, and taken the Anubias rhizome out of the gravel.

The red plant is still looking OK so far, see how it does with a root tab, and the extra lighting. If it dies, I won't try it again!

I am also going to try these 2, see how they go:
vallisneria americana var. biwaensis
Vallisneria americana var. natans