Myrt
06-21-2003, 2:00 PM
My low-light, low-tech 20-gal hex will be home to mostly anubias, java fern, java moss, perhaps hygrophila polysperma, bolbitis heudelotii, and a marimo ball or two. It turns out that many of these plants are epiphytes. If I stick with epiphytes, which attach to rocks or wood rather than being rooted in the substrate, will it make a difference to the plants whether or not I include laterite/flourite in the gravel, or will they do just as well with straight gravel? You guessed it: the gravel is already in there, the water is nearly cycled (fishless cycling) and I have a hunch that adding special substrate at this point could be a very muddy mess. But if it makes a real difference to the plants, the gain would be worth the nuisance.