Plant Questions

[ilaizm]

This will be my plant setup:

3 to 4 Java Ferns
Some Java Moss
1 Anubias
3 Amazon swords

I have a 30 gallon aquarium.

For the plants and aquarium size mentioned above...

1. Do I need a CO2 system?
2. I have two 20W light. Should I upgrade? If so, how much should I aim to have?
3. Should I keep air stones switched off during the day and switch them on at night? Or should I keep them running 24/7?

[KDodds]

For the plants listed, no, you'll probably not need CO2 supplementation. However, they will not grow as fast as they would with CO2 and high powered lighting. You WILL however, probably have to use fertilizer tabs for the swords. Swords take up nutrients more at the roots and require fertilization at that point to really thrive.

For the Anubias (barteri?), Java Moss, and Java Fern, your lighting will, again, probably be okay to maintain them. Depending on the lighting type, the swords might not respond so well. Are these PC lights? Screw in type? Normal Output fluorescent? If they're normal fluorescent bulbs, my gut says, no, they'll not be enough for the swords and barely enough to keep the moss, ferns, and Anubias alive.

Air stones will rob the plants of CO2/carbon. If you keep them on, you might want to consider using a liquid carbon supplement. Why, if you don't mind me asking, are you using airstones?

[ilaizm]

The lights are the ones that came with the aquarium. I think I have two standard tubes. Each tube has “F20W/T8 10000K” written on it. If they're not enough what do you suggest?

I am using the air stones as I previously had an artificial plant setup and had to generate oxygen. If you tell me with the plants I mentioned I wont require the air stones then I won't even switch them on at all.

[KDodds]

The lights are the ones that came with the aquarium. I think I have two standard tubes. Each tube has “F20W/T8 10000K” written on it. If they're not enough what do you suggest?

I am using the air stones as I previously had an artificial plant setup and had to generate oxygen. If you tell me with the plants I mentioned I wont require the air stones then I won't even switch them on at all.

The would be NO (Normal Output) lamps. You might be fine with them with all but the swords. If you're looking to go low tech, I'd leave out the swords. If you're set on the swords, you might want to switch to a small CF or T5 fixture. Why did you need air stones in the first place? Are they your primary source of water movement/surface break? If not, I'd remove them. Plants generally do better with less movement and more dissolved CO2.

[ilaizm]

Thanks for your replies. I'll think about whether to go with a low tech setup or upgrade the lights.

Well I do have another source of water movement - my filter is a power hanging filter which returns water back to the aquarium after passing through the filter. Would that be enough for water movement/surface break? I had two air stones as I thought/was worried it would need more movement than what is generated by the filter.

[ltgoof]

Hi Ilaizm,

I'm no expert when it comes to planted tank but I learned a lot since I started my Low Tech (Non CO2) tank. There's a bunch of contradicting theories on the internet regarding planted tanks, at the end of the day every tank is unique as what works for me may not work for you since you need to consider lots of variables.

One thing I have proven, is that you'll be able to raise certain types of plants without injecting CO2. As a rule of thumb lighting that exceeds 3W/g needs CO2. The Watt/Gallon rule is a bit confusing as it depends on what lighting you are using.

On this Low Tech Planted tank:
http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/sh...ad.php?t=68747

I'm only running 1.25W/g based on my "lights specs" I tried adding another 56W strip to make it 1.86W/g and got algae. So I pulled it out immediately, everything now is on autopilot with 50% WC every week. I dose Flourish Excel though as a liquid carbon source.

On the plant's the you have listed and the type of lighting that you use, they should be fine without dosing anything as those anubias, swords, and ferns doesn't require much lights and would be fine with the CO2 content of your tap water.

At the end of the day, you have a bunch of good information from the net, and from experience people here, but still you need to experiment and create your own formula. If your 1st trial is successful then stick with it. If not, don't give up try to analyze and do the necessary adjustments.

Good luck.

[Tito]

I just have to shake my head - the internet and forums can also be a dangerous thing. Do you know how many times I self diagnosed my health from the internet - and 95% of the time I was wrong!

Same goes for fish keeping. Back when I didn't know anything - I just bough Anubias and Swords and I placed them in a 29 gallon tank with the standard bulb it came with and they all grow very well. My substrate was black sand - no fertilizer. Go figure.

I think I will just continue to not know much and keep doing what I do.

Let me also add that I am growing out 8 juvi Discus with some pants and a sand substrate and they are growing very fast. i feed NLS five times a day and a few other treats. I change water every third day 50% from my 125 gallon. So far so good.

[KDodds]

Oh, I hear you, Tito. My first foray into plants was at 12yo. Banana plant, sag, cabomba, all under a single 15W incandescent in a 10g. Those were pretty much the only choices in plants at the time (but for anacharis, which always turned to mush on me) in my area. They all did fine for a very long time, but that's not really the norm. What did I do different? Hecked if I know, but maybe it helped that the internet was a good 15 years in the offing.

[Sandy W]

What is your temperature? And what plants can flourish at above 84 degrees?
Sandy W.