Plant Noob - help with some basics please?

kjr928

kjr928

Go fish yourself.
Nov 4, 2005
902
2
18
Garden City, NY
www.trollerkate.com | www.milesquaredesign.com
Real Name
Kate
I've got a 90g with some wood and some anubias.
A 4ft 216W light that I keep on 6-8 hrs.
Pressurized CO2 (1-2 bubble/second) which goes in through the powerhead.

Right now I am getting a little brown algae on the glass (maybe I don't have enough plants yet (?)) which is coming off pretty easy with the mag float. The tank is near a window so I'm sure that's adding to the problem a little.

I'm ordering about 40 plants of these species:
Riccia Fluitans (crystalwort)
Broad Leaf Ludwigia (Ludwigia repens)
Narrow Leaf Ludwigia(Ludwigia palustris)
Bacopa monnieri
Ceratophyllum demersum-(Hornwort)
Egeria densa (Elodea)
Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Microsorium brassii (Needle Leaf Java Fern) new species
Sagittaria subulata
Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot's Feather)
Vallisneria spiralis (Italian)
Crinum "Dwarf" onion plant (Zephyranthes candida)

So basically, at this point I'm winging it. I don't really understand ferts and what each one is for. I've seen the sticky with the fert dosing (oddly enough the chart doesn't apply to 90g tanks, so I'm not too sure about dosing anyway), but I would really like to know the purpose of each one so that I can learn how to tweak it, etc.

I don't have anything to measure the CO2 - is that necessary?

All help is welcome!!!
 
Checking your PH and KH is a much more accurate way to measure the CO2 rather than something like a drop checker. But having a drop checker can be handy. Generally, having 2 to 3 bubbles per second is going to give you the 30ppm of CO2 that is wanted.

The brown algae sounds like you may have your lights on for too long. Sunlight can contribute to it too.

If you want to get into ferts, I would use dry. Liquids you buy are just watered down dry ferts, and are much more expensive. I get mine from here, http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.asp

I use the EI method to dose my tank. If you have a 90 gallon , and the EI method is something you want to try, with your lighting and CO2 I would do this,

3/4 tsp KNO3 3 times a week
3/16 tsp KH2PO4 3 times a week
1/4 tsp K2SO4 3 times a week
1/4 tsp traces 3 times a week

I got this from this thread, http://www.aquariacentral.com/forum...pdated-10-10&p=1257519&viewfull=1#post1257519

To be honest, I don't know exactly what each different fert does for the plants. I just know that having CO2 and dry ferts makes your planted tank look very nice :)

Here is another link I have found useful. http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Co2/co2_faq.htm

I would have a timer for your lights and your CO2. This will help to make sure the plants are getting consistent amounts of each.

Good luck. I know I did not answer all of your questions, but I hope this helps a little.
 
My CO2 is not on a timer at this time - the solenoid is corroded and isn't functioning properly. I am going to order a new one. For now I am just opening and closing my needle valve when my lights are on.
I don't have a lot of plants in there yet - maybe that's why I'm getting some algae. Hopefully that will be resolved when I add some more.

So can you tell me how to check my CO2 with pH and kH?
Thanks!
 
So I have the option to buy the above mentioned 40 plants for $40. OR, I can get an additional 30 plants for an extra $20.
But how many plants do I need in a 90g? 40 or 70? I would like it heavily planted, but maybe with 40 plants it will already be heavily planted.

I'd like to make this purchase really soon so a quick response would be appreciated! Thanks!
 
It's always good to have more plants then not enough. With the CO2 and the lighting you got, they should definitely out compete any algae that may venture to grow in your tank, I'd definitely get some ferts in there too. definitely something with iron and potassium
 
Great, thanks! I ordered the 70 plants.

Can you tell me a little more about what ferts to get? Where should I get them (I would rather do dry ferts since they are cheaper). Does the dosage come on the packaging? How often do I need to put it in?

Thanks and sorry for all the questions!
 
kjr928 said:
Great, thanks! I ordered the 70 plants.

Can you tell me a little more about what ferts to get? Where should I get them (I would rather do dry ferts since they are cheaper). Does the dosage come on the packaging? How often do I need to put it in?

Thanks and sorry for all the questions!
Click to expand...
3/4 tsp KNO3 3 times a week
3/16 tsp KH2PO4 3 times a week
1/4 tsp K2SO4 3 times a week
1/4 tsp traces 3 times a week

http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.asp
 
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