i have vals in pea gravel and have grown fine. you can pick up gravel like turface soilmaster select or some of the other substrates that will be better then just reg old gravel. that will sure help more so with the crypts.
suggestions for a low light low maintenance 55g
- Thread starter shinyfish
- Start date
SHinyfish, I am doing exactly what you are doing. I have 1 shoplight fixture mounted on my 55g which gives me 80 watts. I'm trying to do some lowlight plants.
I just pulled my anacharis. Everyone is right, it doesn't like to be planted in a substrate (I use use a mixture of play sand and general purpose sand). I ordered some hornwort from mgamer to replace it as a background plant.
I just planted some dwarf hairgrass, so we'll see how that fills in. I've also got java moss and s. subulata as well as what I think is a sword of some sort. I should get some pics to track the tank progress.
Regarding ferts...I was planning on using the Seachem plan, for the first 6 months to see how everything goes. Once I figure it out, then maybe I'll switch to dry ferts and mixing my own. I've got root tabs in the substrate now, and dose with 5ml of Excel a day, as well as 5 ml of Fluorish 2x per week. The rest of the Seachem ferts (POtassium, Iron, Trace) are on the way. I was kinda hoping fish waste/water changes would take care of the phosphates and that nitrates would be handled by the tank cycle.
I just pulled my anacharis. Everyone is right, it doesn't like to be planted in a substrate (I use use a mixture of play sand and general purpose sand). I ordered some hornwort from mgamer to replace it as a background plant.
I just planted some dwarf hairgrass, so we'll see how that fills in. I've also got java moss and s. subulata as well as what I think is a sword of some sort. I should get some pics to track the tank progress.
Regarding ferts...I was planning on using the Seachem plan, for the first 6 months to see how everything goes. Once I figure it out, then maybe I'll switch to dry ferts and mixing my own. I've got root tabs in the substrate now, and dose with 5ml of Excel a day, as well as 5 ml of Fluorish 2x per week. The rest of the Seachem ferts (POtassium, Iron, Trace) are on the way. I was kinda hoping fish waste/water changes would take care of the phosphates and that nitrates would be handled by the tank cycle.
I cant really find a place where to add these.. so any suggestions on slight rearrangements I do like having a partial curtain of vals.. but after that i am not sure. I would like to include a couple more mid range height plants on the side of the vals (see pic).
replacing the gravel really isn't an option. So i will avoid crypts for now. not sure about plant tabs yet id really like to try without them as all i am looking for is them to stay alive and propagate but very slowly.
Once i get into plants ill go all out but right now the goal of this is to just add a little variety to the swim space instead of just openness.. while keeping it rather open..
I do want to keep the right side open because the tank can easily be viewed from that side
replacing the gravel really isn't an option. So i will avoid crypts for now. not sure about plant tabs yet id really like to try without them as all i am looking for is them to stay alive and propagate but very slowly.
Once i get into plants ill go all out but right now the goal of this is to just add a little variety to the swim space instead of just openness.. while keeping it rather open..
I do want to keep the right side open because the tank can easily be viewed from that side
Nice layout. The vals and hygro and even the java fern shoud propagate for you and fill the tank out nicely.
well the java fern definitely will and is propagating. Before i redid this tank i pulled out about 5lbs of it, got it all floating around in a 10gal with a couple lights on it.. don't know what to do with it.. i recently found out that it is lace java fern.
Instead of root tabs if i mix in some fluorite in the areas i want to plant would that provide enough iron?
Instead of root tabs if i mix in some fluorite in the areas i want to plant would that provide enough iron?
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