New tank

[fishorama]

My plant club meets this weekend. I hope I can bring a few kinds & not bring any home. Well, probably 1 or 2 if there are different crypts or buces, I love them! I haven't knowingly killed any buces but I have had them go MIA, lol. Even 1 attached to a small piece of wood. My theory is alien abductions or maybe they attached to anubias or somthing where I can't see them.

 

[dougall]

Stop!!!

Not our conversation!

(I've found bucephelandra to fall victim to algae as it's so slow growing algae gets a hold easily them smothers the plant, maybe having them placed where there's more water flow?)

 

[fishorama]

Oh, weren't just talking plants? I hope Adler will forgive me I'm sorry

 

[dougall]

Maybe

I'm just super conscious of talking about aquarium plants when I shouldn't be, for some reason.

You are probably ok in that it's fine.. I'm just paranoid.

 

[fishorama]

OK, I may have made Adler jealous of our plant clubs, lol. But maybe he(?) has a fish or plant club close to him? They really are a great way to get locally grown plants & fish. & to learn about local water issues, new shops, etc. & to just talk tanks & show pics with like-minded people. There may be facebook or similar groups nearby? It's worth searching around for them.

Sometimes it helps to have other people see tank pics to offer advice on hardscape layout (we on AC can help here too). Or even to say "that looks balanced & nice!" or maybe "move that wood to the left a bit". I find that easier to do with other's tanks than my own, I tend to have a narrow focus. This pretty rock & plant or a nice piece of wood & lose the overall theme.

 

[dougall]

I'm always a huge proponent of local clubs.. they are a god way to save money too... (At least until you get stranger tastes than everyone else)

I did get the impression that they weren't in the US though, which might make it more difficult to suggest any clubs.

I'm less of a fan of Facebook groups, at least the large ones, I find it's easier to get good advice In smaller groups and you are more likely to get advice based on experience rather than something that was read on the internet.

 

[fishorama]

I did a quick scan through this thread & didn't see where Adler lives. Maybe they said in another post. I'm thinking not US too but maybe if they live near a big city there could be a club or 3...Enough for a road trip to check them out even if it's only once in a while.

Adler, ask people around where you live if they keep fish/plant tanks. Co-workers, neighbors, casual friends or their parents might have ideas on what you may have locally available. It's all good!

 

[jake72]

If there's a benefit to the liquid, I have no clue what it is.

If it's bacterial there's a good chance it is dead at the time of use, if it contains nutrients for plants it will be gone with water changes.

Assuming it hasn't leaked out of the bag in the first place.

Any benefit I get from it, it's from the actual substrate itself and the high CEC.

I want to say I recall it being tested, but I cannot remember where, and do not have time to look it up, so take that with a grain of salt.

I have used it. And am currently using it (until I break the tank down that it is currently in). But I have so much new aquasoil stored in the basement I'm unlikely to use it.

If the liquid was nutritious, plant wise, it would end up in the gravel (CEC related) but I think I remember seeing a breakdown of it, and pretty sure it wasn't beneficial to the plants outside of maybe a few micro nutrients.

On one of the uk forums and i wish i had a link there is a bottle bacteria that will generally work - and there is an explicit explanation why this product works - but 99% of the other products are in fact as you suggest no good (dead). I think it might have to do with ph or similar but really don't remember since i never use bottle bacteria products.

 

[fishorama]

Dead bacteria & fertilizer can provide some ammonia & nitrate that can have a slight starting effect on cycling bacteria....When I used the Eco liquid it seemed to cycle the tank in maybe 4 weeks rather than 6 or 8. Not worth the expense unless, like me, you like the look of Eco.

There are 2 "bacteria in a bottle" products that seem to work in the US. I've never tried them. 1 is Dr. Tim's 1 & Only; the other is Tetra Safe Start (not to be confused with Tetra Safe, a dechlorinator).

 

[Adler]

Oh, weren't just talking plants? I hope Adler will forgive me I'm sorry

no worries, I actually find conversations entertaining