Getting ready to plant Oranda Tank, got a ??

[Ninkylou]

I am getting ready to set some plants, dwarf hairgrass, giant hydro and red ludwigia in my 72g Oranda tank.

I am just finishing up treating for ich and have temp still at 84 degrees and salt is elevated at between .2 and .3.

Do i need to wait before putting the plants in the tank??
I can put them in the pop up pond for now if I need too.

I am actually planting them in small bonsai trays and going to use potting soil and gravel tops.

 

[Paccula]

I'd wait until the salt is back to zero, some plants are sensitive.
also, be very careful the potting soil can't escape the pot (through holes in the bottom of the pot, or a thin gravel layer) or you will have a tank of algae!!! most plants would be very happy in flourite, which won't encourage algae.

 

[rrkss]

If you fertilize the water column properly, you will not need potting soil or even flourite. I keep my plants in plain old gravel and run a nutrient dosage regime customed to my tank allowing my plants to grow like weeds and keeping the algae away. Good luck in finding plants that your goldfish won't eat. I've tried everything from elodea to hornwort and my greedy goldfish consumed it all.

 

[twig]

Maybe anubias will be ok? They have pretty thick leaves

 

[rrkss]

The only plant that might be successful would be java fern. I has tough leaves and tastes bad (even to goldfish).

 

[Ninkylou]

Plants are in

Salt is back down to normal now and temp back to 76.

Plants went in today. I planted them in pots with regular gravel and covered the tops with river stones like my substrate.

So far the Goldies seem to be enjoying the Hairgrass buffet :duh:

They are leaving the others alone so far. We shall see once the hairgrass is devoured how things go, LOL.

Put some duckweed in the pop up pond. Yuch, hate it. Koi loving it but OMG it stinks. Do not think it is going to work out. Pond is filtered like an aquarium and i have a powerhead circulating and i think it is going to bog up my filter. We shall see.

Thanks for the input. Will keep ya posted with plant progess and take some pics in a few days

 

[Roan Art]

Try any crinum (onion) and the thicker leaved anubias. My orandas don't eat either of those. I float hornwort and frogbit for them to eat. They prefer the frogbit over the duckweed; probably because it's smaller.

Roan