I'm basically writing this as a warning for those who want to keep live plants, but aren't quite sure what they're doing. First of all, my tanks:
Tank 1 - 55 gallons, approx half a dozen each of black skirts, flame tetras, black neons, glo lites and buenos aires tetras. Approx 7-8 each of paleatus cories and pygmy cories, 2 dwarf gouramis (not quite sure how they showed up in there), and one fat and sassy bristlenose pleco.
Tank 2 - 29 gallons, approx a dozen or more cherry shrimp
Water - Same in both tanks, dechlorinated tap. Ph 7.8, tanks fully cycled, not sure on kh or dh, but I suspect both on the high side. Water around here tends to be limestone filtered.
Day 1 - I decide to keep live plants. I've kept fish for 3 yrs, had only one major loss when I moved and a filter crashed, but no disasters beyond that. There's been a share of ups and downs, but on the whole more ups than downs. I've been given some Java Moss free about a month prior to this and it's survived so, I figure I can keep something more complicated.
Day 2 - After doing precious little research I head down to the LFS. I had read a lot of complicated technical jargon about lighting, CO2 generators, phosphate levels, yada, yada, yada. I explain to the lady at the LFS that I want some plants that are easy to keep and impossible to kill (I have a notorious black thumb). I pick one plant that I think looks attractive, but she explains that it's a terrestrial plant that's really not geared to live underwater and will not survive very long. (I'm glad I'm such a frequent customer that she won't sell me something like that, but concerned that she will sell it to some stranger off the street.) She sells me some Hornwort and some sort of sword that she tells me is not an Amazon sword. I add them to the tank and they look great.
Day 5 - Plants are starting to droop. Leaves on the Amazon are turning brown. One plant appears to have died. Several specimens of the hornwort have drifted up off the gravel and are floating. I replant them, yet they still droop. I also discover a snail in the 29. I have mixed feelings about this.
Day 6 - Off to the LFS. They suggest my lighting is not sufficient. This is likely given that I've got two 18w bulbs on the 55 and one 22 w bulb on the 29. The suggest I replace my light bulbs (something I've never done on either tank) and sell me new ones. I do this and also remove the tinting I had over the light bulb on the 29 gallon (I wanted it to be darker). They also tell me some plants do this after they're replanted. I discover two unknown snails (but I suspect pond snails) in my tank. I am contemplating if I should remove them or not and if so, how.
Day 9 - The swords appear to be recovering. They're turning green again and the one I thought had died is perking up and growing leaves again. The hornworts still droop and I have to replant a few of them. Part of me thinks it is too late for them and the other part of me refuses to give up hope as the main stalk still stands up right. I go to Big Als and order new lights. A 110w for the 55 gallon and 60w for the 29. We shall see if things improve when the lights come in.
Tank 1 - 55 gallons, approx half a dozen each of black skirts, flame tetras, black neons, glo lites and buenos aires tetras. Approx 7-8 each of paleatus cories and pygmy cories, 2 dwarf gouramis (not quite sure how they showed up in there), and one fat and sassy bristlenose pleco.
Tank 2 - 29 gallons, approx a dozen or more cherry shrimp
Water - Same in both tanks, dechlorinated tap. Ph 7.8, tanks fully cycled, not sure on kh or dh, but I suspect both on the high side. Water around here tends to be limestone filtered.
Day 1 - I decide to keep live plants. I've kept fish for 3 yrs, had only one major loss when I moved and a filter crashed, but no disasters beyond that. There's been a share of ups and downs, but on the whole more ups than downs. I've been given some Java Moss free about a month prior to this and it's survived so, I figure I can keep something more complicated.
Day 2 - After doing precious little research I head down to the LFS. I had read a lot of complicated technical jargon about lighting, CO2 generators, phosphate levels, yada, yada, yada. I explain to the lady at the LFS that I want some plants that are easy to keep and impossible to kill (I have a notorious black thumb). I pick one plant that I think looks attractive, but she explains that it's a terrestrial plant that's really not geared to live underwater and will not survive very long. (I'm glad I'm such a frequent customer that she won't sell me something like that, but concerned that she will sell it to some stranger off the street.) She sells me some Hornwort and some sort of sword that she tells me is not an Amazon sword. I add them to the tank and they look great.
Day 5 - Plants are starting to droop. Leaves on the Amazon are turning brown. One plant appears to have died. Several specimens of the hornwort have drifted up off the gravel and are floating. I replant them, yet they still droop. I also discover a snail in the 29. I have mixed feelings about this.
Day 6 - Off to the LFS. They suggest my lighting is not sufficient. This is likely given that I've got two 18w bulbs on the 55 and one 22 w bulb on the 29. The suggest I replace my light bulbs (something I've never done on either tank) and sell me new ones. I do this and also remove the tinting I had over the light bulb on the 29 gallon (I wanted it to be darker). They also tell me some plants do this after they're replanted. I discover two unknown snails (but I suspect pond snails) in my tank. I am contemplating if I should remove them or not and if so, how.
Day 9 - The swords appear to be recovering. They're turning green again and the one I thought had died is perking up and growing leaves again. The hornworts still droop and I have to replant a few of them. Part of me thinks it is too late for them and the other part of me refuses to give up hope as the main stalk still stands up right. I go to Big Als and order new lights. A 110w for the 55 gallon and 60w for the 29. We shall see if things improve when the lights come in.
