Planting an established tank question

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Joe Khul
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Location: Wisconsin, USA

Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:01 pm

Hello All,

I have a 55 gallon tank that has been established for approximately 6 years and I would like to added live plants. I have a red granite fine gravel as a substrate and two pieces of mopani wood. The tank is filtered by two HOB units rated for 75 gallons. It has an 6 inch air stone and heater.

Do I need to start from scratch? The tank is currently populated as follows:

5 bloodfin tetras
5 rummy nose tetras
6 sids
6 zebra loaches
5+ pangio kuhlis
3+ mystery pangios
1 emerald cory
1 black neon tetra
1 clown pleco.

Please advise. Thank you. Joe
Last edited by Joe Khul on Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

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Danelle Vivier
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Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Danelle Vivier » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:24 pm

I guess your substrate is inert then? You can grow quite some plants in inert gravel.

Easiest would be Java fern, anubias, Vallis, some roatals, Amazon sword.

If you have a fast flowing system then Java fern and anubias will work good, because the must be attached to wood or rocks, and can handle flow.

You can just plant your plants, except if you want to use a different substrate. Just make sure you have enough light.

Joe Khul
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Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:59 am

I believe so.

The HOB filters have two settings plus and minus. The flow is fast enough that I had to add sponges to the intakes to save fish.

I have two 18 inch bulbs that came with my duel hood set up. I was going to swap out the bulbs for plant bulbs to start. If necessary I will swap the hoods out for something more robust.

As a new father, I need to keep the spending in check so I am going to do this in steps and see how it goes.

Thank you Danelle!
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

Diana
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Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Diana » Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:59 pm

I would upgrade the lighting first. The light fixture that comes with most kits will not grow plants, and will not handle a bulb that is bright enough to grow plants.
If the tank is near a window, that could help. Then adding the plant bulbs might work.

Plants use parts of the spectrum that are not so bright to our eyes.
We see certain colors better that the plants do not use so much.

Plant bulbs will be rich in certain reds and blues, and have little or no yellow-green wavelengths. This can make a tank look sort of odd.

I run about twice as many bulbs as is possible with the sort of fixture you describe, and have some plant specific bulbs and some 'daylight' bulbs. Makes the tanks look more natural. I use a fixture that I got at Home Depot. It holds 2 bulbs, 4' long each, T-8. On my taller tank (2' high) I have 2 of these fixtures. 4 bulbs in all.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Joe Khul
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:07 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:07 pm

Thanks Diana! Could you post a pic of your fixture setup (if you haven't somewhere else)? I will start researching lighting setups for a 55 gallon and see what I can do on my present budget.
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

Diana
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Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Diana » Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:41 am

Having trouble linking this.
Go to Home Depot web site.
See if you can find this model of light. It is in their industrial lighting section. Model # C 2 40 120 MBE 2INKO
Mine look the same, but use T-8 bulbs.
I added a reflector. Not a really good one, but it keeps the light from shining in my eyes when I am in the room.
On the label it says:
Lithonia Lighting 256442
"Suitable for damp locations"
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Joe Khul
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:07 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:41 am

Did you get yours at Home Depot then, or do yours just look like that? Either way, thanks! :mrgreen:
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

UVvis
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Location: Central Florida

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by UVvis » Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:04 pm

I've had pretty good luck with crypts and anubias in low light plants, with maybe 4-5 hours of tank light per day.

You can also do neat stuff with some of the mosses.

Joe Khul
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:07 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:32 am

Thank you Danelle, Diana, and Uvis. :mrgreen:
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

jonstfrancis
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Location: Near Dartmoor, Devon, UK

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by jonstfrancis » Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:12 pm

I bought a little pot of this plant, Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae, about three months ago. Took it out of the pot and removed the fibre it was rooting into and spread it about the tank's substrate. http://www.fnzas.org.nz/?p=820 Really am surprised at how well it has done in my tank and it has spread even into the dark place under a large piece of wood and finally growing right at the back of the tank. Seems like a really tough but pretty little plant that doesn't mind shade.

Diana
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Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Diana » Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:30 pm

I bought so many light fixtures at several stores I no longer remember which I bought where. Definitely hardware types of stores, not aquarium or pet stores.
I shop at Home Depot a lot, so it could have been there. Another store was going out of business and I paid about $300 for over $600 worth of electrical and plumbing supplies, so it could have been there, too.

These are shop lights, suitable for damp location, and intended for hard wiring. I added a plug so I can plug them into a timer.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Joe Khul
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:07 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:04 am

Ok. Thanks! :D
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

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gramps
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Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by gramps » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:18 pm

Here are a few tips I found work very well in my personal experience.

If anyone has anything to add or thoughts on my tips, please by all means chime in and give me your opinions, I love expanding my knowledge and learning more... I'm sure it will help the thread poster too :)
Smaller gravel is best with plants. Roots will be able to attach themselves in a healthy little network.
Pinch off faded and discolored stalks regularly. Just as in a backyard garden, underwater species also require pruning to keep them healthy and allow the roots to generate new stalks to replace old ones. Plants will die if not pruned.
Plants require added light – but this will also encourage algae growth. Add a plescotemous or algae eaters to keep algae spores under control.
Another way to control algae growth is to have several plants. When only a few plants are present, algae will out compete for essential nutrients, drowning out your plants. A heavily planted tank will usually drown out algae’s need for nutrients. Regardless of the quantity, we still suggest algae eating fish be present.
source: http://www.fish4beginners.com/aquarium-plants/


I had a 10 gallon with plants and had pretty good luck, then I added them to my goldfish 29 gallon and they ate most f the plants. I had no idea at the time that some fish are herbivores but it makes total sense so you may want to analyze the species to see if they are herbivores or omnivores, even though plants are a nice little snack for fish, it's a bummer when they keep eating your stalks!

Diana
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Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Diana » Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:15 pm

Stocking list in the first post do not eat plants.

Algae control is easier if you can add CO2 to the tank at the right level to help the plants. This pre-supposes the good light is also used.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Joe Khul
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:07 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Planting an established tank question

Post by Joe Khul » Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:38 am

Re-reading my initial post I left out the blood fins. I don't believe they art herbivores, but I could be wrong.

I am slowly introducing plants. At this time I have two amazon swords, 2 packs of micro swords, and 4 packs of dwarf hair grass. Planning on adding more swords soon as well as java fern to my three chucks of mopani wood.
Kuhli Loaches are like Pringles... you can't have just one!

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