Plants in my malawi cichlid tank

M

mr.cichlid

AC Members
Aug 28, 2008
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Phoenix, AZ
Hi All,

I want your expert opinions on what plants to setup in my malawi cichlid tank. The tank is 125g with sand bed. I just bought a small java fern and currently just placed on a rock using a rubberband. Pls advice is this plant needs to go in the sandbed??

Thanks!
 
mr.cichlid said:
Hi All,

I want your expert opinions on what plants to setup in my malawi cichlid tank. The tank is 125g with sand bed. I just bought a small java fern and currently just placed on a rock using a rubberband. Pls advice is this plant needs to go in the sandbed??

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The java fern is fine where it is at. I have found that you can get onion plants to put in with the cichlid. They might dig it up but they will not destroy it like other plants, cause they do not like the taste of them. The onion plants are great looking plants but they get very tall and require trimming all the time.
 
awesome...i get some pretty soon...by the way i have 2 t5HO lights running on this tank...one day light and one actinic...do u think its good or bad???
 
replace actinic with another daylight bulb around 6500K.. the actinic does nothing for your plants
 
IMO, onion plants are the greatest... I've got probably 5 right now, plus plantlets and the things are just about impossible to kill, I've even got some reproducing in my mom's tank! This is a tank where it is difficult for even java fern to grow.

I like the height on them too, their leaves spread across the surface, kinda like vals but not in as uniformed a way... they kinda go where they want lol
 
i used to have two 10k day lights on my tank but didn't like the look of it...as its just very very bright white light...adding actinics really improved the look of the tank...as i dont have lot of plants i guess one 10k day light wud be sufficient...
i will buy onion plants soon...also bought a API conditioner for plants...is it recommened? can java fern and onion plants work without a CO2 diffuser???
 
mr.cichlid said:
i used to have two 10k day lights on my tank but didn't like the look of it...as its just very very bright white light...adding actinics really improved the look of the tank...as i dont have lot of plants i guess one 10k day light wud be sufficient...
i will buy onion plants soon...also bought a API conditioner for plants...is it recommened? can java fern and onion plants work without a CO2 diffuser???
Click to expand...
You should be find without the co2, but you might want to get some excel to help with co2 supplement the tank. The api conditioner is liquid ferts, they will not hurt.
 
In that light level, one 10,000K and one actinic bulb, I would not add anything else. The fish and their food will provide enough fertilization, and excel I think would be a waste.

I would recommend another full-spectrum bulb such as a 6700k or even a pink grow bulb, it would make the tank look better and even make red or yellow fish pop even more. And you would get better growth from any you try to grow.
 
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