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Post by bamaplants on May 27, 2012 22:31:52 GMT -6
AHHH, Pashaw, Davidtcb1!!! I enjoyed everyone.. and am enjoying spreading some hints.. LOL been a few years since I have taken part in a club .. been since I moved out here in the middle of nowhere Southern Alabama.. wouldn't trade it for anything but man I wish there was a fish club around.. LOL
Sorry about the delay on more info.. I had a puter modem crash and have been struggling to get back online.. Just made it a couple minutes ago..
will add on this thread soon.. maybe not tonight but by tomorrow night I swear..
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Post by tlyons01 on May 28, 2012 15:52:16 GMT -6
Bnoel, if you really want to try a planted tank, I can help you out with that. I have enough of a variety of plants, I know a few tricks and can set you up with plant trimmings for free. That way if you fail, which I doubt will happen(especially with my local guidance), then you didn't waste a bunch of money.
I got ya on this!
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Post by bnoel210 on May 28, 2012 18:30:39 GMT -6
Awsome! You think I should try it in my 29g multi tank? Or a 20 tall I use for a fry growout tank
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 18:47:31 GMT -6
If I can interject--- 29 Multi tank.. choose stems and rosette plants to run the perimeter and back ground leaving an open area in the center with shells... stuff like Isoetes along the perimeter of shells 'cause they don't care at all about getting buried neck deep as the multis move the sand around. A couple anubias on small rock formations and maybe a nice microsword or glosso mat on the foreground as some of my multi fry hide in the dense foreground after Mom throws 'em out and until they are large enough to take a shell.. lol
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 19:41:00 GMT -6
something like this.. is an idea and please excuse my elementary drawing.. Attachments:
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 20:42:43 GMT -6
Filtration
Filtration in a planted tank is as important as it is in a Fish only Tank. Make sure that you have a filter with adequate flow (Most places suggest 10-15 times the tank volume per hour BUT I would say 5 times an hour is enough as long as it is allowed to flow through the tank.) Make sure that the output of the filter that flows back into the tank is allowed to flow unrestricted so it creates good circulation throughout the tank. This helps distribute nutrients uniformly among the plants and prevents dead/stagnant spaces where the plants do not get nutrients and hence begin to die off. This gives rise to algae. Hang on Backs work well, Sponge filters work well Box filters work well too as long as the air flow is sufficient to get the water moving. NOTE-- you cannot use good water movement in a tank with pressurized CO2 as it will let the CO2 disperse in the air instead of staying in the water. Also, note that a lot of planted tank folks do not use activated charcoal in their filters as it might pull out some of the nutrients. If possible, try getting your filter media pre-cycled by using it in an established tank for a couple of weeks prior to using it in the new tank. and anytime you change filter media always squeeze the old stuff into the new media.
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 20:53:46 GMT -6
Actual Planting
OK you have your Tank, substrate, lights, and filter.. now it is time to Plant.
This is extremely important – You have to make sure that you plant very very heavy right from the start. "Very heavy" means, when you look at your substrate from above the water, you should be able to see NO more than about 15% of the substrate. The rest of it should be entirely covered with plants. It can be a bit expensive to do this, but it is well worth the hassle. Get lots of cheap, fast growing stem plants and stick them into your substrate. Use Plants like Ludwigias, Hygrophilas, Vallisnerias, Isoetes, Pygmy Swords, Cabomba, Rotala rotundifolia ( commonly called Rotala indica) Try to be sure that at least half of your starting plants are the fast growing type. They will draw up the nutrients in your tank and help cycle the tank by quickly using up any ammonia from waste and decaying matter. Once the plants are established and growing well, you can begin phasing out the fast growing plants for other plants , the special ones that you wish to keep. Sell these stems off to other starters or share the wealth with your fellow hobbyists. Make sure to have a high plant biomass which is healthy. Major pruning and replanting can lead to algae outbreaks due to a sudden change in the total amount of healthy plant mass in the tank. Following these guidelines will go a long mile in helping to ensure an algae free tank.
Here is another selling point for always having plants in at least some of your tanks..
1) plants carry on their surfaces all the necessary bacteria to cycle a tank. by introducing at least some plants in a new set up you are giving your new setup a fast track on the cycling .
And that is beside the fact that plants do COMPLETE the nitrogen cycle
2) Any of you folks that want to breed egg layers esp. egg scatters will need infusoria for the fry to eat.. a well maintained planted tank Always has a ton of infusoria around... I have used masses of stem plants I have pruned from other tanks and put them into new fry tanks and watched their little tummies get as full and dark as their eyes.. LOL
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 21:02:50 GMT -6
Believe it or not I am almost done.. LOL 3 more sections and all is said for low tech then I will add the Excel Mid tech then the Vodka mid tech..
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Post by tlyons01 on May 28, 2012 22:00:33 GMT -6
Brian, if you like the idea Ken has presented, we can work with that. I know nothing about multis or the fry you have so I guess I would need to be educated. The shells are something they require?
I made a recommendation based on tank size in PM, but will work with whatever you choose to start with
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fuzzylogic
FORUM PARTICIPANT
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Posts: 789
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Post by fuzzylogic on May 28, 2012 22:03:47 GMT -6
Bring on the Vodka section!!!
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Post by bnoel210 on May 28, 2012 22:12:21 GMT -6
I think im going to try the multi tank only because those fish stay there. I dont mess with them. I dont move them. With the fry tank once the fry get to a certain size I move them and put new fry in. So constant moving around. T ill respond to your PM tomorrow. Its bed time!
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Post by bamaplants on May 28, 2012 22:14:21 GMT -6
Brian, if you like the idea Ken has presented, we can work with that. I know nothing about multis or the fry you have so I guess I would need to be educated. The shells are something they require? I made a recommendation based on tank size in PM, but will work with whatever you choose to start with and with that.. I have Isoetes.. I will get to you at my cost plus ship... Isoetes and shellies are a fine combo.. as they like to buried deep and like the sand and don't mind getting buried deeper which multies will do if it is on the perimeter of their shell cluster. and beyond the Isoetes.. ( LOL I am sticking by my guns on those.. Ha ha) it was just a potential idea set up and much if not all of the plants can be changed around exchanged etc.. EXCEPT THE ISOETES.. LMAO |
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Post by tlyons01 on May 29, 2012 10:53:21 GMT -6
Well, after researching the multi fish and their behavior, it doesn't sound like it is a good idea for have the vals , or any of the stems that you had on your little drawing, Ken. If the fish like to dig, then I would think it be best to stick with the java ferns and anubias. In my experience and in what I just read up on, those vals wouldn't tolerate being dug up and having to be replanted all the time. I will be researching the isoetes you mentioned as I am not familiar. The stems mentioned will surely not tolerate being replanted all of the time.
Brian, looks like this may take some planning outside of any plants that I might have. I have a many stems but not much of the anubias or java ferns. Doesn't mean I don't have access though...
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Post by bamaplants on May 29, 2012 11:10:32 GMT -6
they will tend to dig around the vicinity of their shells and throw their "diggings" out on the perimeter of their shell cluster..essentially putting their shells into a fish made valley.. that is why I placed shells in center surrounded by Isoetes then stems on the far sides.. and Vals along the back edge only... once established the vals can take some digging as long as they do not get constantly uprooted.. that's why they are far and away along back edge with small rock formations between them and multis..
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Post by rickl on May 29, 2012 11:32:55 GMT -6
My multi's basically dug a pit underneath their shell-pile (when I had their shells on sand, that is -- right now their "shell-pile" covers half the tank and is 2-3 shells deep down to the glass). It was funny to watch them spit sand on each other though. They built up a little mountain in the DMZ between them and Evil Witch's territory (the dominant leleupi).
-Rick (the armchair aquarist)
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