I am new to the plant growing world. I have a 29 with two 33 watt wal mart "plant grow" bulbs in a DIY hood. I am dosing with 2 mL of Flourish twice a week and 1ML of Flourish excell everyday. I am thinking about adding root tabs but I have not decided yet. I have a emperor 280 that gives alot of surface agitation and the tank is built into an in wall bookcase so there isn't really any room for CO2. Is there anything else I can do to help grow plants (I have wisteria val and sword), and how many plants can I add, and of what variety? Lots of questions, thanks.
Trying to grow plants
- Thread starter scott
- Start date
After lighting, which you seem to have enough of, plants are most restrained by CO2. So if you are not going to add CO2, you may not need much in the way of ferts.
I am not familiar with Flourish Excell. Is that covering the major ferts (K, N, P)? Because Flourish is adding the trace elements and you need to make sure to cover the majors too. Probably your fish are providing the nitrates/ammonia and fish food the phosphates. Not sure if you are getting enough Potassium. Again, ferts may not be the growth limiting factor, so this is all relatively minor.
Continue choosing easier plants that do not require HIGH light. You should be able to grow many medium.low light plants, just not as quickly as the higher tech tanks. This may be a blessing - you can use stem plants that become problems in high growth tanks. I would browse your lfs, ask questions and buy what you like. Add plants until the fish cannot swim around any more.
I am not familiar with Flourish Excell. Is that covering the major ferts (K, N, P)? Because Flourish is adding the trace elements and you need to make sure to cover the majors too. Probably your fish are providing the nitrates/ammonia and fish food the phosphates. Not sure if you are getting enough Potassium. Again, ferts may not be the growth limiting factor, so this is all relatively minor.
Continue choosing easier plants that do not require HIGH light. You should be able to grow many medium.low light plants, just not as quickly as the higher tech tanks. This may be a blessing - you can use stem plants that become problems in high growth tanks. I would browse your lfs, ask questions and buy what you like. Add plants until the fish cannot swim around any more.
Scott, I refer you to the Sticky at the top the Aquatic Plants page.
It was set up with people like yourself who are new to all this, and talks about necessary ferts, dosing schedules etc. It will tell you what you need and where to get it relatively inexpensively.
Also here are a couple of other sites that will help:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_newtank.htm
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/may/aquatic/default.asp
http://www.sfbaaps.com/reference/barr_02_01.shtml
After reading this material, you will still have questions, but will come from a more informed place. And we are all willing to help.
Len
It was set up with people like yourself who are new to all this, and talks about necessary ferts, dosing schedules etc. It will tell you what you need and where to get it relatively inexpensively.
Also here are a couple of other sites that will help:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_newtank.htm
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/may/aquatic/default.asp
http://www.sfbaaps.com/reference/barr_02_01.shtml
After reading this material, you will still have questions, but will come from a more informed place. And we are all willing to help.
Len
Tom Excell is a carbon source for tanks that don't use CO2.
djlen, thanks for the links, I have read the sticky, and I am glad for some more info through the links, well, guess I have some reading to do.
djlen, thanks for the links, I have read the sticky, and I am glad for some more info through the links, well, guess I have some reading to do.
I've had my plants for a week and a half now. The red sword has three new shoots (which don't seem to be yellow but it looks like somebody might be chewing on one). The wysteria is going crazy and the val looks pretty good. My anubia (which was chewed down to the bulb by silver dollars in another tank) has new sprouts showing and lots of little roots coming out. I have not gotten the flourish root tabs yet put plan on doing so tomorrow afternoon. My last water change was on Wed when I did the standard 7.5 gallons. As of last night the nitrAte reading was 0. Should I add stump remover? How much for a 29 gallon tank with only the above mentioned plants? Should I raise it to a certain level (5ppm or higher, the tank is stocked above average I would say and I feed twice a day)? Where the heck do I get stump remover, and what brand? Thanks, I know its alot of questions.
Spectracide Stump Remover....Lowe's Home Center.
1/4 tsp. and then test N level. Only dose in 1/4 tsp. increments til you learn what it takes to keep @5 - 10ppm.
Salt Petre is KNO3 and very pure. Can be found at *SOME* pharmacies....good stuff. I was lucky to find it close to home.
Len
1/4 tsp. and then test N level. Only dose in 1/4 tsp. increments til you learn what it takes to keep @5 - 10ppm.
Salt Petre is KNO3 and very pure. Can be found at *SOME* pharmacies....good stuff. I was lucky to find it close to home.
Len
Check local Feed stores also
I found KNO3 at the local Feed store for 50 cents a pound. Very clean and pure.
I found KNO3 at the local Feed store for 50 cents a pound. Very clean and pure.
Scott....at most you'll be dosing MAYBE twice a week. No, it's not a daily dosage. Dose 1/4 tsp. and test. It will probably be close to the level you want. Then test in a day or a few days to see where it goes from there. The only time you automatically dose KNO3, IMO is after your weekly water change. After a while you'll learn what your plants will use. Same with PO4. Test and if necessary, dose.
Len
Len
Okay, I am planning a water change for wed so I will re dose then. I always do 7.5 gallons, but I see you recommend 50 percent so I will up it. I picked up some No Salt and Stump Remover on the way home. Added quarter tsp no salt a quarter tsp remover. Waited thirty min. Tested, no nitrate, added half tsp, waited hour, no nitrate, just added another quarter tsp. I will not add anymore, I am already nervous about adding something with the word "remover" to my tank. How long does it take this stuff to dissolve? Are my nitrates going to be off the chart tommorrow? Thanks for the help guys. Also adding plants, when I add more should I up the dosage of excel and flourish?
I don't think I ever mentioned my photo period is 12 hours. Ph 7.5 and KH 2. That makes my co2, in the "less than ideal" range, bordering on downright crappy. I turned down the flow rate on the 280 a click, added some aragonite, any other suggestions?
I don't think I ever mentioned my photo period is 12 hours. Ph 7.5 and KH 2. That makes my co2, in the "less than ideal" range, bordering on downright crappy. I turned down the flow rate on the 280 a click, added some aragonite, any other suggestions?