need plant help

[rodney10954]

so i have a 55 gallon with 2 balas 2 gouramis 2 red tail chalceus
a java fern, crypt wendti and java moss coming
now do you need flourite the tank is set up i have like
2-3 inches of natural pebble stone
can i just put some flourite in the tank and mix it around to get
50-50

[CHughes]

Rodney:
I'm not positive on this, but I think flourite should be on the bottom covered with gravel. I suppose your suggestion will work, but you may be bringing some bacteria to the surface by mixing in place and cause a bacterial bloom in your tank. I lost a Discus by stirring up the gravel bed, so proceed with caution.

Just my 2 cents, Chris

[125gJoe]

Flourite can be mixed in with existing gravel. Try for at least 50/50 mix to get the benefits of the Flourite. I prefer to go 100% Flourite.

Laterite is the substrate that needs to be covered up with gravel to keep it from getting in the water column and making it cloudy.
I will not use Laterite due to this... Eventually the gravel will be disturbed and possibly releasing the Laterite into the water column.

[Locust]

The java fern & moss shouldn't be planted in the substrate to begin with. All of the plants you listed have modest requirements. I should know since I have all of them (w/ some Anubias and some other crypto's) in my 29G w/ a gravel substrate, 20W of light, and no CO2, ferts, or anything else. They're all doing fine. :)

If you have flourite then I'd absolutely add it for the crypto, but don't feel that you need it.

[djlen]

If you are going to add Flourite to an existing tank without draining it, saving the water and then re-filling after adding the Flourite, you'd better wash the heck out of it first.
Otherwise you're going to have the most cloudy water you've ever seen. Even with washing well it'll still be hard to add to an existing setup without draining and re-filling.
Great stuff........but messy.

Len

[rodney10954]

i want to add it but i dont really want to disturb the fish
they are doing nicely
i dont really care if my plants grow slow
and if the plants dont need flourite then i would rather save the money and buy some more crypt or try anubias
thanks