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Beginnner planted aquarium questions?
I just recently started adding live plants to my aquariums. I stuck with low light, easier "beginner" plants. I have quite a few annubias, amazon swords, baracopia, banana plants and java moss. They are thriving in my hex tank, I was able to cut off 7 nice sized baby swords from the big plant and all he other plants are excellent. The same plants keep dying off in my 55gal. I have both tanks all set at the same temp of 78 degrees and the lighting is the same. I use liquid fertilizer in both tanks once a month. Any ideas on how to keep the plants in the 55 alive? When they are starting to look bad I replant them into the 27 and within a week they are improving. The only difference is I use sand in the 55 and gravel in the hex. Does that make a difference? I really don't want gravel in the 55 because I have loaches and parrot fish that like to dig around in the substrate.
4 Answers
- 8 years agoFavorite Answer
The key to growing plants is balance. If plants are thriving with no algae in the 27 then that tank has balance. The 55 would not. My guess would be that it's your lighting. On your 55 did it come with 2 t8 hoods? If it did, then that's probably the issue, extremely low light. That lighting offers only 30 watts which is a little more than 1/2 watt per gallon. You need a good substrate for use with plants, like eco complete, flourite, amano soil, bonsai soil, or a dirted tank. Then you need good lighting for the plants you plan on growing. 1 watt per gallon is low, 2 is medium, and 3 is high. The best lighting is 6700k because it's daylight equivalent. for the wattage requirements, you would need either halides or a double or quad t5 hood. Also plants seem to grow better in fine grain gravel compared to sand because roots can push through the gravel more easily.
- 8 years ago
Don't worry so much about the gravel or the sand because that doesn't make any difference. I strongly think that it's you're lighting that makes the difference in the 55. Try upgrading it into strong fluorescent lights and for the first few days at least have the lights lid at least 13 hours per day so the plants settle up.
- 4 years ago
a million - stay flora are lots greater effective, yet once you go with fake, basically rinse them decrease than heat water without cleansing soap a week once you do a sparkling. 2. you purchase a gravel vac out of your interior of sight puppy keep, this makes existence an excellent deal much less stressful whilst cleansing a tank. utilising the gravel vac (of a jug) empty one 0.33 of the water, upload all the splendid treatments (water ager, conditioner and so on.) then perfect the tank up with sparkling water. try this weekly, and sparkling the clear out fortnightly. formerly you purchase any fish, take a pattern of water to a aquarium/puppy keep for them to objective that way if there is something risky to fish, they might allow you to eliminate it stable success!
- 8 years ago
There are particular tube lights for live plants, you can use those....;)
