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Plant Selection

Carpman

Member
Joined
5 Sep 2016
Messages
329
Location
London
I bow to those with the superior knowledge. I'm ready to plant my Trigon 190. My plan is to run low tech with standard twin T5's, Eheim pro 4+350 and injected Co2. I've made plant choices on ease to keep, colour, texture and position in tank.

The foreground would be -
Monte Carlo
Staurogyne repens
Alternanthera reineckii mini to break up the green.

The middle -
Microsorum pteropus
Helanthium tenellum green
Cryptocoryne wendtii tropica
Hottonia palustris.

Around the rear-
Echinodorus cordifolius fluitans
Limnophila hippuridoides
Echinodorus rose
Potamogeton gayi
Nymphoides hydrophylla taiwan

Can you see any problems with my (newbie) selection?
Is this to much?
If some one could help with quantity that would be great _DSC6467.jpg this is rough hardscape

TIA
 
If I'm not mistaken, tank height is 60cm - that's along ways for light to penetrate, substrate PAR is going to be low unless light is optimized, eg, use high intensity T5's, add good design & material reflectors

With lamps in place, look at light fall across tank, especially with hardscape in place (shadows)
This Interzoo 2014 video shows a nicely done Trigon

Depending on filter arrangement, you might run tank initially with lowered water levels (increase PAR while plants establish, especially carpet)
 
If I'm not mistaken, tank height is 60cm - that's along ways for light to penetrate, substrate PAR is going to be low unless light is optimized, eg, use high intensity T5's, add good design & material reflectors

With lamps in place, look at light fall across tank, especially with hardscape in place (shadows)
This Interzoo 2014 video shows a nicely done Trigon

Depending on filter arrangement, you might run tank initially with lowered water levels (increase PAR while plants establish, especially carpet)
Yes my tank is 60cm deep, lighting seems fine tank is nicely lit (but I'm no expert apparently 1.3w PG). I have no idea of what PAR rating would be for these though.
The above picture was my mock tank setup in my shed, being lit from 6ft flourescent about 6ft above it, I only posted pic for possible help with plant quantity below is a pic taken this evening.

20161101_1624261.jpg
 
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Not a co2 user, bt limnophila hippuridoides is a very nice plant provided your light is adequate ☺ look forward to updates...
According to the Tropica website which is what I used for plant selection it only needed medium light but I've just checked and it requires 0.5W/L I've got 1.3 but I have actually got 1.3 W/G = 0.3W/L. I'm glad you brought that up or I may have spent a small fortune and lost the lot due to clerical error, now i must go and check the others to....
 
I now know my bulbs are t5no's, I need to check other plants lighting requirements now.
 
According to the Tropica website which is what I used for plant selection it only needed medium light but I've just checked and it requires 0.5W/L I've got 1.3 but I have actually got 1.3 W/G = 0.3W/L. I'm glad you brought that up or I may have spent a small fortune and lost the lot due to clerical error, now i must go and check the others to....

Im no expert - so don't want to put you off, I really wanted to try it but have t8 bulbs over a 50cm deep tank so felt it would be too challenging - you could try a small amount & see how it goes? I'm growing echinodorus vesuvius, without realising it prefers higher light than other echinodorus species - & it's doing better than expected in the tank!
 
Lim. hipp. is a quite adaptable specie regarding light - so it may be able to "survive" your conditions (though the 60 cm. is a challenge). It will for sure not develop the rich, purple colour, though, if that is what you are after.
 
Lim. hipp. is a quite adaptable specie regarding light - so it may be able to "survive" your conditions (though the 60 cm. is a challenge). It will for sure not develop the rich, purple colour, though, if that is what you are after.
I'm defo after the colour. Got another tread going in lighting about my lighting strength with current bulbs.
 
Well I think I'm about ready as I'll ever be to order plants. I have ordered a pair of reflectors today from IQuatics in the hope that it will put me somewhere in the medium range of lighting, I will be trying a single one first then if needed add the second.
If I ordered plants tomorrow for delivery friday will they be ok till Sat to be planted ?
As this will be a fishless tank for the first 3 weeks after planting (to allow them to establish themselves) I assume I will need to add some ferts until the fish have moved in. Any recommendations?
I turned my Co2 and lighting off last week just left pump on, wasting money having everything running when there is no need as everything seems to be running as is should but I have now got a case of BBA, when I drain tank down for planting I will clean the wood and hopefully that will the end of it.
 
Just had a thought after planting I was planning on putting in some amano shrimp (10), could I do this after refilling tank the tank has had a fishless cycle?
 
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