My FW is 55G with a Magnum 350 Canister and the GE 2x55W PC strip. My substrate across the aquarium is mostly 2-3mm granules. I'd like to turn this into a planted tank, but the plants I keep all seem to wither away. The tank is medium stocked with 2 gouramis, three sharks, 5 loaches, 3 black tatras, 4 congo tetras, 1 bushynose pleco, 2 SAEs. I'm hoping for some tips on what equipment or husbandry I'm doing wrong.
I will be upgrading this to a 6' long tank next year, but in the meantime this will be great practice to get things right. The tank is kept at steady tropical temps and a 12 hour lighting period. Equipment right now is my lighting, heater, Magnum 350 Deluxe, and a 12" airstone bar slightly buried in the gravel. Thanks for your time! Been together for three years now and is quite stable except for the plants.
I'm thinking of adding CO2, but a friend of mine said she adjusted a small amount and she lost all her fish overnight, which kind of worries me, and that was last week already. I have good experiences with reef keeping in a few of my tanks but I cannot for the life of me keep FW plants happy. Only plant I have right now is a Sword which shriveled to half the size I bought it but is still pushing on in the two years its been there. Doesn't grow but doesn't die and it's about a foot wide and a few inches tall.
I will be upgrading this to a 6' long tank next year, but in the meantime this will be great practice to get things right. The tank is kept at steady tropical temps and a 12 hour lighting period. Equipment right now is my lighting, heater, Magnum 350 Deluxe, and a 12" airstone bar slightly buried in the gravel. Thanks for your time! Been together for three years now and is quite stable except for the plants.
I'm thinking of adding CO2, but a friend of mine said she adjusted a small amount and she lost all her fish overnight, which kind of worries me, and that was last week already. I have good experiences with reef keeping in a few of my tanks but I cannot for the life of me keep FW plants happy. Only plant I have right now is a Sword which shriveled to half the size I bought it but is still pushing on in the two years its been there. Doesn't grow but doesn't die and it's about a foot wide and a few inches tall.
