My planted aquarium 20G

[Adler]

I am making this thread to keep my posts regarding all plant related subjects in one single thread.

current plants:
1 amazon swordplant
2 water wisteria
2 hornwort/fox tail
sagittaria
mini hair grass
hydrocotyle verticillata (not sure about this one)
salvinia auriculata

current water parameters:
pH: 6.0 - 6.5
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate: 0 ppm
GH: 120 ppm (it looks like 60 in the second picture but it's 120)
KH: 40 ppm

the pictures were taken 1 minute after dipping

 

[Adler]

fertilizers that i'm using:

Aqueon aquarium plant food, dosage: 20ml /week (10ml twice per week).
Seachem Fluorish Excel, dosage: <5ml /day (i only have a cap that goes every 5 ml)

 

[fishbuddha]

pH is low. Plants need a nitrogen source to grow(nitrates). What about lighting?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Sounds like a nice setup, although keep in mind an amazon sword will take over a 20gal tank. It's root system you won't see will cover the whole floor and everything around it.

 

[Adler]

i forgot to include some java fern leaves

pH is low. Plants need a nitrogen source to grow(nitrates). What about lighting?

how can i raise pH naturally? i could get API pH up but the package says it raises KH too, so i'm not sure about that.

LED lighting info:

Sounds like a nice setup, although keep in mind an amazon sword will take over a 20gal tank. It's root system you won't see will cover the whole floor and everything around it.

I know and for some reason the sword is my favorite plant that i have , i love that the roots expand in the substrate.

should i get Seachem's root tabs or any brand root tab for my sword, saggittaria and hair grass?

 

[FreshyFresh]

I wouldn't worry about the pH. My goal would be to keep it consistent with your tap water.

Rooted plants will always do better with root tabs, although on a tank that's been setup for years, where you don't vacuum the substrate, you can get away without using them. That's what I do. You'll just have a slow growth rate of the rooted plants.

In terms of a quality brand of root tabs? I have no idea, but I'd be leery of big box pet store stuff.

 

[Adler]

I wouldn't worry about the pH. My goal would be to keep it consistent with your tap water.

Rooted plants will always do better with root tabs, although on a tank that's been setup for years, where you don't vacuum the substrate, you can get away without using them. That's what I do. You'll just have a slow growth rate of the rooted plants.

In terms of a quality brand of root tabs? I have no idea, but I'd be leery of big box pet store stuff.

my tap pH seems to be neutral.

what i don't understand is if my pH is acidic shouldn't it affect KH instead of GH? what can cause GH to increase?

 

[NoodleCats]

View attachment 227436

my tap pH seems to be neutral.

what i don't understand is if my pH is acidic shouldn't it affect KH instead of GH? what can cause GH to increase?

Some rocks and some types of gravel and decor can raise GH

 

[Adler]

my java fern came with this black thing on it, I didn't quarantine it and put it immediately in my tank (this was in March)


and I think it passed on to my sword


i cut that leave off but it started to grow on other leaves, in another post someone mentioned that my wisteria had black beard algae, is that what grows on sword too?

if whatever that is on my fern can be treated ill have it on a separate container, but if it is a no biggie then i'll put right back in my tank

 

[NoodleCats]

The sword and fern have black beard algae, yes.