I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS

[jim_shedden]

Roncra / ChloroPHIL :
I have been checking your little hide-away here more than I care to admit to................I am a bare-bottom kind a guy........... ;D
But I have a 90 gallon tank with 9 wilds in it and I am considering putting in potted swords. What else would you recommend?
Also : Do I need to quaranteen the plants? Since they are comming from an LFS........should I be concerned about nasties?

Bare-bottom Jim

[Tkuemmet]

im not sure if this is correct, but i think that plants are sposed to be dipped in a mild solution of potassium permagnate before adding

[Wahter]

Jim,

I usually dip newly acquired plants in potassium permanganate for a few minutes before adding them to the aquarium. Supposedly alum works to get rid of snails on the plants too. I've even seen a leech on a plant before.

As for suggestions on plants - how much lighting do you have? if you have around 160 watts of lighting, you can try some hybrid swords like the echinodorus rubin or echinodorys ozelot. If you have less lighting, anubias can grow.

HTH,

Walter

[jim_shedden]

thanks Walter.............much appreciated.

jim

[ronrca]

LOL! Welcome to the dark side!

I would recommend a dip before placing in your tank with the discus! Or you can remove the discus and place the plants after the dip into the tank for quaratine! Is it necessary? Well, that will be your choice on how far you want to go! I would consider the value of your discus. Plants from a lfs could have nasties on it and its always better to be safe than sorry! ;) ;D

Keep us posted with pics! 8)

[Brian-pdx]

Yes! One more and Phil gets his Toaster Oven ;)
You might look over his post on plant packages available for Discus. Good combinations, and I would've gone with a "set" if I hadn't already planted. Send pictures when you're done!

[ChloroPhil]

Brian,

I'm not getting a toaster, it's one of those neat little Oceanic cubes.

As for plants, I've not been able to dredge up enough interest to be able to put together an order, and finances are so tight here that I can't afford to make up the difference on my own. For now I'm backing out of general sales. If you want to buy stuff and I happen to have enough interest at that time to put an order through I'll be happy to do so.

Best,
Phil

[Brian-pdx]

Sorry to hear about the orders. But! You have put together great recommendations in the Carolina post of types/quantities that go with discus for someone to use as a beginner's shopping list.

[CARY_GLdiscus]

Hi Jim,
Try alum to dip your plants in works better then PP IMO

hth
Cary Gld!

[Barb Newell]

Hi Jim, I'd be careful. I have QT'd plants for weeks, now don't use them. The pothos roots work well for removing nitrates and they look great growing out of the top of your tank.

I was in a lfs recently, in a large 150 gal gravel tank they had a lot of very sick angels, looked like dropsy, fin and tail rot.... the angels were laying on the bottom dying. I asked, they said they had been dying since they got them in. A couple of days later they advertized a large sale of sword plants, I went in to check them out. The plants were all in the tank that the angels had been in, it hadn't been sterilized. :o

Barb

[Barb Newell]

My nitrates are very close to zero all the time.

[Barb Newell]

last one...

[ronrca]

:thumbsup:

I love the pics of your tanks! ;)

Thanks!

[Barb Newell]

Thanks :)

[jim_shedden]

barb : What filters are you using?

Jim

[Barb Newell]

Hi Jim, I use hydrosponges, Aquaclears on a couple of tanks and those square sponges that you see in the pics. I order them from out West, they're quite reasonable -- if you want, I'll send you his email address.

Barb

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
Jim, I also use Alum(Aluminum Sulfate) to dip my plants in before using them. I did swords in a 20 minute(?) dip, I believe. You can find Alum powder at a pool supply store, as it is used as a flocculant in pools, but I don't know the dosage to use. There is also an Alum dip solution sold at LFS' under the name "Lime-It" by Aquatronics I have used. The stuff works good to disinfect plants of nasties. I will have to take and post some pics of my tank with the Pothos and Philo root jungle in it. Barb, cool pics of your Nitrate eatin' machines on your tanks! I love the look they give a tank.


Steve

[jim_shedden]

THANKS STEVE

JIM

[Molly525]

Beautiful tanks. Is there any reason to not put the whole pothos in the tank? I just put them on the bottom but have noticed that both you and Carol only have the roots in.

[Paulio]

I have heard that some folks use a product called "lime it" Never did it myself so I cant say if its worth anything or not.

Paul

[gj555]

Jim,

You can get alum at any shoppers drug mart. Their own Life brand comes in 125 gram version and can be found in the "first aid" section of the store. Its been over a year since I purcahsed it, so I don't know how much it costs.

[jim_shedden]

Thanks a bunch

Jim

[lesley]

Barb,

do you get the Pothos get to a certain stage and then plant it?? or just leave them in?? I tried a couple that grew fantastic roots and looked great, but then suddenly started getting limp leaves and looking unhappy so I took them out.

Thanks, Lesley

[Barb Newell]

Hi Lesley, I usually root them in a cup of water first. When they have good roots I put them in the tanks. Make sure all of the roots are well below the water, I had some go limp and some of the roots weren't in the water. Mine have survived salt, formalin, prazi, furan 2... they thrive!
What's your temp of your tank? I keep mine around 83 degrees.

Barb

[lesley]

Hi Barb,

I usually run mine at 84.

The ones I lost did have their roots exposed on odd occasions, not all the way but the top inch or so.
I will try again and take care that they always stay in the water and see what happens.

Thanks

[snakebaby]

Hello all.
I have a question about the pothos plants. I read that those of you who use them have no nitrates in the water. Does this mean that you can forgoe daily water changes? My understanding with those that doe the daily changes is that it is to eliminate the nitrate build up. Am I on the right track or missing something? Thanks for any help.

Tim

[limige]

HEY JIM!

i also have used lime it with no problems. never had a snail or anything, mine also came from the lfs.

i am also thinking about doing a planted tank too for my wilds! i think they feel more at home in a planted tank, i've seen tons of wilds spawning in planted tanks.

i have chosen to go with the cordefolious version of the sword, spelling may be off alittle. beware the ozelots don't grow very tall. but the cord's do.

i waiting to get the rest of my breeders from cary then i can tear down the 190 and start setting it up for planted.

both of those swords work well in mild lighting and so do water sprite.

good luck on the tank. how are your fish doing now anyway? still nothing hatching?

[Smokey]

Jeessse - I can not believe I am saying this: Plants in my discus tanks --- hmmm perhapsssssssssss. Love your pics Barb.

Smokey