Add lots of plants or one by one?(looong post)

flyingfish

time to play!
Dec 26, 2004
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I'm hoping some of you chemistry/plant enthusiasts can help me develop a sustainable aquascape. :bowing: Main agenda: plants hardy to my specific aquarium conditions. I'll list my conditions first: 15gal.tall tank, PH=6.0, KH=1 drop(17.?ppm), GH=0, ammonia=0, NO2=0, new lighting:2wpg one GE plant&aquarium bulb, one floraglo bulb. I have an eclipse hood(biowheel & charcoal filter). I will not be adding CO2(chemistry dunce/non-cook ;) ). Plants doing okay in tank: Amazon sword and dwarf(some dwarf leaves looking thin). Plants surviving: cabomba(coming back from getting eaten) and moneywort(melted when I added it - it may survive?). Algae:every kind imaginable - under control I think(I even have nitella - should I trash it?). I have probably 20+ guppies but most are juviniles. I've done considerable research trying to find plants that exist in nature under conditions like mine - especially low CO2. All I've found is that Lobelia may be a possibility - but I'm concerned about my warm conditions too. What plants do you guys think, and should I add a ton at once, or try one at a time 'till I see what survives? I would not throw 30-40 bucks down the drain. :troll: My tank has been re-established since October'04 (I had to bleach the tank to rid it of mosquitos after hurricanes left us with no power for weeks - I happened to have no fish at the time - just sword plants - which survived it all). The entire setup was originally set up in '00 I think. HELP! :D
 
You have an established tank and want to add plants to it, correct?
I don't see a problem relating to plants in the environment you describe. There are many, many varieties that will do just fine in soft water.
If you're not going to increase the lighting, you don't need CO2 so that's a non-issue.
Cryptocoryne would love your tank and it's water quality(I'm partial to this variety) and comes in many shapes and sizes.
If you have no immediate issues(algae) I would try a few at a time and see what you like and what grows for you.
I'm not quite sure what 'help' you're looking for. I know a lot of people who would envy your water's parameters.

Len
 
I don't see a problem relating to plants in the environment you describe. There are many, many varieties that will do just fine in soft water.
Then why has everything I put in (besides swords) melted or been eaten? . . . Ceratopteris thalyctroides, hygro varieties, the moneywort I mentioned above. I've got to be doing something wrong or they wouldn't be disapearing like they never existed. :sad
 
Oh sorry - I thought I posted the temp range. MY tank stays between 77-85 degrees. The higher temperatures are in the summer, we don't have central A/C so I have to shorten the time the lights are on and open the hood to lower the water temp.
 
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