FUTURE TANK!! FW, incl. fish and plant stkg.... issues   5/17/09
Hiya to u all,
Hehe I'm sorry to bother u all but I think I'm going to go crazy if I don't get things straight...... so I've decided to ask u guys ( the best site for advice for an inexperienced aquarist :) ) Well this is my plan: I'm planning to buy a 55+US Gallon tank with a stand and a lid (as my current 20G tank have no lid and my SAE died!). the livestocks will probably be.. 6 platies (2 males, 4 females), 5 SAEs, 5 otos, 6 bronze cories, 4 spotted or whatever types of cories that have spots :). 2 peppered cories (the ones I have now), 20-25 neon tetras, 1 cobalt Gourami, 2 angels (still deciding on this one) and finally 2 pearl gouramis (I'm also still deciding on this one..).
<I'd review this list a little before you did anything else. Neons can/will be eaten by large Angelfish, and Siamese Algae Eaters and Otocinclus will be competing for the same food, and I'd expect the Otocinclus to starve to
death within weeks/months. Cobalt Gouramis (Colisa lalia) are a total waste of money in my opinion, much of the farmed stuff being plagued with an incurable, inevitably fatal virus (something like 22% of them according to
one study). Even without the virus, they're sensitive and delicate fish prone to bacterial infections. Pearl Gouramis by contrast are generally hardy and peaceful, and make superb companions for Angelfish. I'd also suggest keeping at least six of each Corydoras species; only in reasonably large groups will you see them behave properly, and will these catfish be truly happy. Cherry Shrimps are Angelfish food.>
Along with all the fishes I also want to have 10 red cherry shrimps, and some red ramshorns and Malaysian trumpet snails. I'm planning to make my tank a community tank (obviously) and in a heavily planted sort of way...
Well what lighting should I get?
<Depends on the specific types of plants you want. Assuming you want fast-growing, underwater jungle type things like Hygrophila and Vallisneria, you need reasonably strong lighting, a good estimate being 2-3 watts per gallon of water. It's better to overestimate than under, since you can easily provide extra shade for the fish via floating plants like Amazon Frogbit and Indian Fern.>
100Watts? or more? or less? I'm planning to include a couple of DIY CO2 and the substrate is probably going to be Fluorite(2 inches deep) with maybe 1 inch of white fine gravel or sand to cover it up.
<Do check the substrate you want is compatible with Corydoras; many aren't, and the results are eroded whiskers and a greater likelihood of infections along the underside of the fish. Carib Sea Floramax for example isn't suitable fish with soft bellies; refer to the manufacturer for details before purchase (the Carib Sea web site describes this quality as "soft belly safe").>
Filter will probably be an external filter. Now the questions begins :)
First of all do u think my plan would actually work? Will my fish be compatible towards each other?
<No.>
Especially the pearls, cobalt and the angels. Will my shrimps be eaten by the angels?
<Yes.>
Can I keep snails co-peacefully along with shrimps?
<Yes.>
Do u think red cherry shrimps are allowed to be shipped into New Zealand? ( I can't find any around my LFS).
<No idea; from my vantage point in England I really can't answer this. Your Department of Fish & Wildlife should be able to answer this though.>
Should I get an external filter? what brand is best suited?
<It's hard to fault a decent external canister filter, with the Eheim ones being universally regarded as the best value in terms of longevity and reliability.>
Should I go for a DIY or a pressurized CO2? Do I even need one?
<You can get great results without CO2 if you're happy with just adding whatever plants do well, and removing anything that doesn't. I find Hygrophila, Vallisneria, Cryptocoryne, Anubias, Java fern, Java moss and all floating plants do perfectly well without CO2. But if you're after something more like a "garden", with a mix of specimen plants like dwarf Echinodorus, Rotala, Myriophyllum and other sometimes finicky plants, then adding CO2 to the mix can make a difference.>
Am I overstocked? Will 20-40% weekly water change be enough for my tank? I know that every1 says that black substrate really brings out the colour of the fishes but I've seen aquariums with white gravel and I simply adore
them! So which colour do u recommend?(white/black?) Should I use sand instead of gravel? Will my Malaysian Trumpet snails be able to 'tunnel' through the sand? Do u recommend Fluorite?
<Avoid white substrate when keeping tropical fish since the brightness tends to cause the fish to "fade" their colours. Other than that, use whatever works for burrowing fish and is available within your budget.
Personally, I use plain vanilla pond soil (basically nitrate-free compost)
mixed with pea gravel for the base, to a depth of an inch or so, and then top that with either fine gravel or smooth silica sand. All of this is very cheap, available from garden centres, and works extremely well.>
Cuz they r quite expensive in New Zealand..($60+ for a bag!!) My plants will probably consist of an Amazon sword (specimen plant planted in the center), 60% stem plants maybe Cabomba, baby tears, some hyperphilas(wrong spelling hehe), some red plants I think its called rotolas, Anubias (foreground), and more waiting to be decided(like star moss, Christmas moss, java moss, java fern, Vallisneria etc). I greatly appreciate ur time and knowledge!
Urs sincerely,
Francis
<Francis, do please try and use regular spellings and grammar next time; besides the fact I'm not a teenager and therefore irritated by text-speak, the search engines that make this website usable (and financially viable in
terms of advertising and hits) depend on messages being written in normal English. Put another way, badly written messages don't help us at all, so you're "taking" without "giving" in return. Think of clear English as being the currency people pay us in return for our help. We think that's a good deal; I hope you do too. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Requesting small freshwater aquarium stocking advice 3/24/09
Hi Neale and Crew! I'm really hating that I have to send you a query because I feel like I should be easily gleaning this information from the great articles and FAQs you guys are nice enough to share. That being the case, let me first apologize for having to take your valuable time with this and adding to the multitude of similar queries.
<No need to apologise. Of course, yes, you should peruse the pages of WWM, but only because that approach is usually quicker for all concerned!>
I doubt you'll remember my tank from our previous conversation below, so I'll try to quickly recap my tank (actually my mom's tank at the library she works in that I am TRYING to oversee for her). It's a 10 gallon planted freshwater with 7 Paracheirodon axelrodi, 7 Nannostomus sp, 4 Caridina japonica and 4 Nerita sp. I also have 2 small groups of Hygrophila deformis (which is not doing well-the only leaves remaining are at the very top, so it looks like a healthy stalk with a crown of leaves) and a good amount of thriving Vallisneria americana (they've really, really shown their corkscrew shape of late and I've actually had to do some trimming).
My non-plant creatures all seem to be doing really, really well and now the Val is doing well too, but the Wisteria seems at an impasse.
<I probably warned about Hygrophila deformis; but if I didn't, let me say again: this plant really only ever does well under very strong lighting.
It's even more finicky that Hygrophila polysperma. Small tanks tend to have weak lighting simply because of the confined space in the hood.>
My water parameters seem strange to me-0 ppm Ammonia, 0 ppm Nitrites, 20 ppm Nitrates (hard to read test, but I think that's right), the GH was 7-8 dh (I hope that's the right unit of measurement), which is up from last time we spoke when it was at 2dh. However, my KH is still between 2-3 dKH and my ph is now 8.2 (I believe it was slightly under 7 when we corresponded before). This combination of parameters has me confused as to what to do. I think I need to raise my KH, lower (or at least not raise at all) my pH and increase my lighting and everything should be perfect minus my nitrates, which I'm hoping to lower with better plant growth.
<Your carbonate hardness (that's the KH reading) is fairly low, and that's likely one reason pH varies. The other type of hardness (measured with the GH test kit) certainly does "add stuff" to the water in terms of minerals, but it has essentially no impact on pH stability. Hence, carbonate hardness is the thing to focus on. If you raise the carbonate hardness to around 5 degrees, you should find pH stays stable between water changes. It doesn't matter much what the pH is, provided it's stable.>
The reason I am not including increased water changes for lowering nitrate is because at present, my mom does about a 15% water change weekly and I come in monthly and do about a 40% water change. Part of our problem there, I believe, is that when I tested her tap water, it had about 10ppm nitrates in it, so we're probably only slightly, if at all diluting it. Is that odd to have that much nitrate in tapwater?
<No; the safe limit in the European Union is 50 mg/l, and certainly city-dwellers here will be dealing with levels upwards of 20 mg/l fairly routinely.>
So, my major issue is how to raise that KH while either stabilizing or lowering my pH. From reading the FAQs, I was about to go the baking soda route, but then it seemed like there was some muddy information about that raising pH and I wanted to avoid that. I see 2 Seachem buffers, one that buffers and lowers pH to 6.0 and one that does the opposite. I'm thinking using the one that buffers and lowers is the way to go? However, after reading the FAQs and seeing some horror stories, I thought it best to consult your sagely advice before doing something dumb and disastrous rather than just humbly asking.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardnessfaqs.htm
Scroll down a couple of queries to "Re: Torgo the Betta update - 03/06/09".
Over there, I discuss making up a Rift Valley cichlid salt mix for pennies a go. While you don't need full dose, a 1/4th to 1/3rd dose added to each *bucket of water* (not the tank directly) should raise the KH and thereby steady the pH, likely around the 7.5 mark. Don't change all the water at once, but just do this as part of your weekly routine. Over the weeks, the water chemistry will alter, and the fish adapt alongside.>
My other question is whether you had any other ideas on lowering the nitrates other than what I've mentioned, and the last quickie (so sorry this is so long) is if you think this is a proper lighting upgrade.
<Wouldn't worry about nitrates. Once you get some vigourous plant growth going, the nitrates won't be much of an issue. Certainly, 10 mg/l isn't at all dangerous.>
Currently, I have 2-10 watt Coralife Colormax bulbs in my little All-Glass hood, and I was going to replace that with this:
http://www.current-usa.com/novaextremet5hox2.html
...the freshwater version. I'm hoping that in addition to correcting my water parameters will help the Wisteria recover, or barring that, set up good conditions for another medium to high light hungry plant to replace the Wisteria.
<Should certainly do the trick, but if you have a lot of light, but only a few plants using up that light, algae will be the end result. That'll be green algae though, which is fairly easy to control. I'd add some floating plants to the system, for example Amazon Frogbit or Indian Fern. Floating plants do three things: they devour nitrate, they block light, and they make fish feel happy. Once happy, you cull them back weekly (!!!) and that physically removes nitrate in a way that's easy to do. Dump the waste plants on your compost heap, and you really can't be any greener!>
Okay, once again, I am incredibly sorry for the length of this query. I certainly did not originally intend for it to be this long. Thanks so much for all of your incredible help and I hope I am not being a bother. I really do try to survive without your guys' direct help, but admittedly, there's something very assuring and calming about receiving a direct response from the experts (and no saying that you guys aren't experts-we all know you are and there's no need to be modest!) Thanks, thanks, thanks-Nicholas
<Hope this helps. Neale.>

Re: Requesting small freshwater aquarium stocking advice  03/24/09
Thanks a million times over Neale, that absolutely helps very, very much.
<You're welcome.>
As far as the Wisteria, I made the mistake of not asking you beforehand and unfortunately I went by Live Aquaria's care sheet in choosing that plant because I interpreted their description as saying that if insufficient light was provided, it would simply result in a different growth form.
<Hah!>
I should have asked you (but I really, really try to only bother you guys occasionally).
<Not a bother.>
Not disparaging Live Aquaria at all either because I love the whole Drs Foster and Smith company, but they list it as a "Moderate" (vague term that I should've researched more) light hungry plant and it was my fault for not
doing my due diligence and researching completely.
<The colour of the leaves is usually a give-away: plants with pale green leaves invariably need lots of light.>
You have cautioned me to keep an eye on them though in past emails. I want to get a good picture of how they look now and send it to you to see if you think they are able to be saved with the lighting improvement or if it's
time to let them go, but that may take me a bit, and maybe I'll wait to see if some of the changes help first.
<I wouldn't spend $100 on a lighting rig just for the sake of $5 plant. I have a 60 litre tank with two 18 W bright blue-white but otherwise standard fluorescent tubes (with reflectors) and frankly, plant growth is rampant. The trick is to choose plants that make sense. In this case, there's Anubias, hybrid Crypts, Vallis, some Hygrophila, hybrid Aponogeton and a
water lily. Plus lots of Amazon Frogbit! Some are low-light plants (like Anubias) while others are known to be adaptable, to a degree (as with the Vallis). My usual recommendation is for people to buy a few hardy plants that put up with anything (like Crypt hybrids and Anubias) and then gamble on one or two adaptable species such as Vallis or Amazon swords. See what grows, and throw out what doesn't. There's no point keeping plants that are straggly, so if the Hygrophila for example is all leggy (long stems with small, widely-spaced leaves) then chuck it out; it'll never improve.>
I'm definitely going to take your advice on the floating plants as well. I was hesitant to add them at first with my lower light levels in fear that the rooted plants would not receive enough light, but with the lighting change, the shade may even help, so thanks for that as well.
<Floating plants combined with low-light plants works very well. Indeed, Anubias and Java ferns tend to get smothered by algae otherwise.>
I have another set of questions for you about some thoughts on a 30 gallon planted freshwater tank that I am in the "idea phase" with, but I'm going to give it a couple of days so I don't Bogart all your time all at once... I don't want to be one of "those guys".
<No problem.>
So, thanks kindly again-Wet Web's services are so kindhearted that it makes me frustrated that I can't do anything in return except offer my thanks.
You guys all have good karma overflowing all over the place. Thanks again!-Nick
<Good karma is probably more useful than either UK Sterling or US Dollars these days, so thanks! Neale.>

First planted tank questions!!! – 03/02/09
Hello Crew!! I've been researching plants via the online Tropica database and narrowed my choices down to (from SE Asia/Asia) : (nothing set up yet :-)
For background/midground or specimens:
Bacopa monnieri
Cardamine lyrata OR Nymphoides spec. 'Flipper' (Dennerle N88)
Ceratophyllum demersum 'foxtail' (hornwort)
Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite) OR/AND(?) Hygrophila difformis
Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae AND/OR Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Egeria densa
Vallisneria asiatica var. biwaensis AND/OR Vallisneria americana 'Mini Twister'
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Cryptocoryne ciliata
<Most of these are extremely light demanding. So be prepared!>
For foreground or specimens:
Monosolenium tenerum
Pogostemon helferi
Riccardia graeffei
Riccia fluitans
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Eleocharis parvula
<Eleocharis can be extremely difficult to settle in, and does tend to require both good lighting and a nutritious substrate. Like a lot of "difficult" aquarium plants, it's really a bog plant, and only survives under water if kept on life support.>
[ Maybe later? ]
[Limnophila aromatica? ]
[Rotala wallichi? ]
[Lysimachia nummularia? ]
Floaters: duckweed and Salvinia cucullata (Asian water moss)
<Wouldn't add Duckweed; does tend to take over. While nitrate removal is useful, I'd choose a big plant that is easy to crop back, like Amazon Frogbit or Indian Fern. The smaller plants tend to be difficult to crop, and within days can take over. Just spend half an hour cropping back rampant Duckweed this afternoon, about two weeks after I thought I'd exterminated it from that tank!>
But now the super hard part begins!!! How many (and which would you recommend) to fit into a 40 gallon breeder tank??? I want the fish to have plants to eat and plants to import excess nutrients.
<Depends what you're after, but almost always, a select list of 3-6 plant species looks much better than dozens and dozens. An aquarium needs to be more like a landscape than a greenhouse, so the aim is to create coherent beds of plants differentiated into foreground, midground, background and specimen categories. One or two types of background plant usually works well, and likewise working forwards. Specimen plants usually look best as just one plant in the tank. If you're going with red plants, these can look distracting if everything else is green. Sometimes the contrast is nice, if it's one red plant against a sea of dark green plants. But if its just a mess of different shades of red and green, you end up with a jumble. It's also important to choose plants that "behave" in a complimentary way; Vallisneria for example can become rampant and overgrow low lying plants, so looks best when kept with equally vigourous plants in the foreground.
Consider growth rate, distribution of leaves, whether the leaves go up or bend in the current, etc. Background plants for example are often expected to flow in the current, while foreground plants are often used like fixed "bouquets" in the centre. Much written on this topic in many books. Peter Hiscock's book 'Aquarium Plants' is probably the nicest and least expensive quality book on the topic, and remarkably unpretentious. If, on the other hand, you like pretension, then almost anything in the 'Nature Aquarium' series will stimulate your creative processes.>
The 40 gal. breeder tank will have Eco-Complete substrate with heater cable, an Eheim 2028 pro. II canister filter, Prime chiller/Jaeger heater on controller to keep it between 68 and 73 degrees F. (my house gets pretty hot in the summer especially so I will need to cool it down to keep enough oxygen). I've got a Current USA Orbit with two 96 watt bulbs, dual actinic and dual daylight. I still have to buy timers but will set it up for the actinics to come on first in the morning for an hour (then shut off) then the daylights to come on for 10 hours (then shut off) then the actinics come back on for another hour (then shut off) then the moonlight LED's come on for the rest of the night. Does this sound correct so far?
<Yes. But do remember Eco-Complete is NOT compatible with burrowing fish (Corydoras, dwarf cichlids, etc.).>
My intention is if I am successful with the planted tank, it will eventually hold a maximum of 4-6 crown Pearlscale goldfish.
<Wouldn't mix Goldfish with Eco-Complete for a start; they'd shovel the sand, and since this stuff is sharp, they'll damage themselves. More significantly, GOLDFISH ARE HERBIVORES. A planted aquarium is a SALAD BAR to a Goldfish. Let me be honest here: I have yet to see a "serious" planted aquarium that contained anything other than tiny schooling fish. Big fish create too much solid waste, and they also demand strong water currents, and both are incompatible with fancy plants. Water current will drive off CO2 for example, and silt will block the fine/feathery leaves of things like Ceratophyllum and Eleocharis.>
But I want to run it with just plants initially. (I need to get used to all the cycling/testing/adjustments/gardening tasks!) Our water has 7.0 pH and is basically liquid rock in Phillipsburg, NJ.
<Liquid rock suits some plants extremely well, including things like Vallisneria and Cryptocoryne ciliata (the latter being as common brackish water as fresh). But others won't like it, so just as with fish, draw up a list of plant species that enjoy your water conditions. If you're keeping Goldfish, robust, non-edible species would be high on the list:
Vallisneria, Crinum, big Cryptocoryne species, Anubias, Java fern certainly, perhaps even Hygrophila corymbosa and Bacopa monnieri if the Goldies left 'em alone.
I am prone towards the few following because they are brackish adaptable in case I have to add salt for the fish: Bacopa monnieri, Java Fern, Java Moss, Cryptocoryne ciliata and the dwarf hairgrass but alone they would make a boring tank I think, so I've added the others to the list.
<Ah, I think you're confusing "style" with "substance" I have seen spectacular arrangements using just rocks and Java ferns, or bogwood with Anubias. It's all down to design. Next time you're in a second hand book shop (or online) hunt around for 'The Complete Aquarium' by Peter Scott; it's a classic book of aquarium arrangements with 6-page features of dozens of different tanks, each designed for a certain type of fish community.>
I'd like to NOT use driftwood as these goldfish are golf balls with tiny flippers and not the most intelligent fishes on the planet----I think they'll smash into it and damage themselves!
<Actually, probably wouldn't; fish have a "distance touch" system called the lateral line, and in general are able to navigate perfectly well, even in the dark. Water-worn bogwood like Mopani wood would actually be pretty good, provided the hardness in the tank ensured the pH wouldn't drop too much (Goldfish hate acidic water).>
If they do, the pearl scales will be permanently damaged, I understand they grow back 'normal' not 'pearled'.
<Not sure; sounds unlikely, given fish continuously lose their scales as they grow. But who knows?>
So if I use plants that like to be attached it will probably be on flat rocks or mats not to driftwood.
<Round stones like cobbles would be ideal, and coupled with a silica sand substrate, you'd create a nice habitat for Goldfish to root about it (they like digging!). I'd be seriously tempted to look at plants attached to stones: Java fern, Java moss, Anubias, Bolbitis, etc. Why? Three reasons. First, you can install a thin layer of sand for the fish to root about in, and maybe add a couple of weather loaches if you were so minded. Secondly, you could easily clean the tank with nothing more than a quick stir of the sand with a bamboo cane. Goldfish are notoriously messy fish, and gravel tends to become foul quite quickly. An inch-layer of sand would not get so dirty because the gunk tends to sit on top, so you can siphon it out easily. People often thing sand gets messy faster than gravel: in fact sand merely SHOWS the dirt more easily, hence SEEMS dirtier. Finally, all these plants are super-tough or nasty-tasting, and the Goldfish won't eat them.
Floating plants would work great as well. Best of all, low tech! Floating plants don't need CO2 or fancy fertilisers, and epiphytes are generally so slow growing they don't care either.>
So, any comments, suggestions, plans for the new tank?? Is there something I missed? And thanks so much for helping me out!!! Being a newbie there are so many questions, and first I need to learn what they are ;-)
Thanks again!!!! Lisa in NJ, still learning!
<Hope this helps. Neale.>

Good plants/lighting for 52 gallon basement tank..   2/25/09
I have a 52 gallon basement tank, 36, inches long,15 inches wide 20 inches deep. I plan on stocking with Rams and cardinal tetras. I plan on using RO water- PH of 6, and adding driftwood to the setup. I was wondering what types of plants like the water rams like, Also the substrate is Sand, river sand, I collected from a river by my house (to save $$) Any good choices? Some here, say Cryptocoryne and Limnobium as good for my tank
Thanks.
<Greetings. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi really doesn't care about plants, so I'd actually focus more on their other needs. Since they don't like bright light, and their colours look best in peat-stained water, your use of bogwood to create hiding places is good. Add to these some Java moss and you'll be doing even better. Add to the top floating plants, ideally Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) and Indian fern (Ceratopteris) and you're well set. Otherwise, no really need for plants. This will simplify maintenance dramatically: the river sand can be a shallow bed, and the Rams will forage naturally in the sand. You can easily move bogwood and Java moss clumps about if required. The floating plants will create shade and also remove nitrate at a very fast rate, optimising water quality. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish Compatibility for London Freshwater 240 L tank... Plant sel.    2/25/09 Neale, here's a photo of the tank. Thought you might like to see it! Not sure about the background, but for the moment, it seems to make the fish happy. <Your fish couldn't care less about the background, so long as their is one! So if you want corals behind your freshwater fish, go for it. A bigger issue is likely the planting. The live plant on the far left appears to be a Dracaena species; these are NOT AQUATIC plants and WILL die underwater. They are widely sold by ignorant retailers, and purchased by uninformed aquarists. Whip the plant out and treat as you would any houseplant. You appear to be relying on plain gravel for a substrate, and while that can work, you will need to add fertiliser pellets to the gravel around the base of each potted plant on a regular basis. Liquid fertilisers don't, in my opinion, work in tanks with a gravel substrate so don't waste your money on them. Liquid fertilisers are useful for floating plants, epiphytes, and plants with roots in a rich substrate like aquatic soil. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish Compatibility for London Freshwater 240 L tank Fish are not gasping at all, they are active all over the tank and very curious every time I go near. They know I might feed them. I am monitoring the ammonia and nitrite levels twice a day. Fingers crossed even if I did make a mistake by putting them in, my diligence will keep them healthy. <Sounds like they're fine. Feed moderately, do regular water changes, and you should have few, if any, problems. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish Compatibility for London Freshwater 240 L tank Hi Neale, Here's a closer picture of that plant on the far left. Is it as you suspected, a Dracaena species that I should rip out of the water? Thanks again! Summer <Yes and yes. Nice houseplants; bad aquarium plants! In fact as houseplants they don't like waterlogged soil, so why anyone thought they'd do great underwater is beyond me. The plant in the black plastic pot is a Cryptocoryne, probably a C. wendtii variety, and these are an excellent choice. Very undemanding and does well in hard water. The plant further back seems to be a Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis). Needs good light and supposedly suitable for beginners, and to be honest I've never had any success at all with them. Then again, I've never had any success with Neon tetras either. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish Compatibility for London Freshwater 240 L tank Thanks - plant is no longer in the tank and I now wonder about my LFS's knowledge. <Do see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/keepoutfw.htm These are some of the most common non-aquatics sold in the UK and elsewhere. Pet shops get them in because they sell. People buy them because they're pretty. When they die, buy some more, so the pet shops sell them again. It's a idiotic cycle.> Can you help identify the other plants in the two pictures below and give any pointers on them too? <Image 001 is Ophiopogon japonicus in front of Bacopa monnieri. Ophiopogon japonicus is a non-aquatic as well, so it needs to be repotted. Bacopa monnieri is a good aquarium plant, but needs a LOT of light to do well, i.e., 2+ watts per gallon, otherwise it goes straggly and eventually just falls apart. A good substrate will help, though fertiliser pellets can be used instead. On the plus side, it loves hard water. Image 002 has the Water Wisteria mentioned earlier on the left, then Giant Hygrophila (Hygrophila corymbosa) in the middle, and Anubias barteri 'nana' in the front. Giant Hygrophila is another plant that needs masses of light. I've had great success with it in an open-topped tank next to a windowsill where it grew some 70 cm in height and produced lots of lively purple flowers. It's woody and has a massive network of roots, and tends to become too big for most aquaria unless pruned aggressively. On the other hand, unless you have lots of light, it will barely grow at all, and probably fall apart eventually. (Note: keeping bright-light plants in low-light conditions doesn't slow their growth, it kills them.) Anubias are bullet-proof plants grown correctly. For a start, do NOT plant them in the substrate! They're epiphytes, just like Java ferns, and should tied to a piece of bogwood or lava rock with some black cotton or lead weight. Bits put under the gravel or sand will rot. Notice how they have green stems and a green rhizome (horizontal stem)? Whenever you see that on a plant, it means "put me above the ground". The only bits that go into the sediment are the tips of the roots, and even then, they'll do fine in midwater. These plants need moderate light and do best in tanks with lots of floating plants. They are good plants in terms of fertiliser, requiring hardly anything beyond liquid fertiliser in the water. Superb plants, and though expensive, like Java ferns they "years of life per pound spent" is something like 10 times that of cheap plants. There is a huge argument to be made for beginners buying just Anubias, Java ferns and Java moss: none needs bright light, none needs a fancy substrate, and none is fussy about CO2 or fertiliser. My bet here is that 3-6 months from now only the Cryptocoryne and the Anubias will be alive. The others will all be dead or living happily as pot plants.> Muchas Gracias!! <Cheers, Neale.> I have so much to learn. Thank you Fish Yoda. <My work here is done. Cheers, Neale.> <<Highly unlikely... RMF>>

Good plants/lighting for 52 gallon basement tank.. 1/25/09
I have a 52 gallon basement tank, 36, inches long,15 inches wide 20 inches deep. I plan on stocking with Rams and cardinal tetras. I plan on using RO water- PH of 6, and adding driftwood to the setup. I was wondering what types of plants like the water rams like, Also the substrate is Sand, river sand, I collected from a river by my house(to save $$) Any good choices?
Some here, say Cryptocoryne and Limnobium as good for my tank Thanks.
<The "some here" were probably me, and I'll stick by call that plants such as Limnobium and Cryptocoryne wendtii would work particularly well in this system. There are other Crypts like C. becketti, C. lutea, and C. walkeri
that would work well too. Crypts are good because they're not too big, they tolerate shade, they do well in acidic water (with a few exceptions) and have sturdy root systems that keep them secure around digging fish like
Mikrogeophagus spp. They are also very long lived and will gradually spread out across the tank. Most Crypts (at least here in the UK) are sold in pots, and these are very convenient. You can leave them in the pots if you want, or not if you prefer. Because sand contains no nutrients, it will be important to push fertiliser tablets into their roots every few weeks.
Other good plants would be among the epiphytes, things like Java fern and Anubias. These get their nutrients from the water and are very easy to look after. Cheers, Neale.>

Plants, plants, and plants... sel.   1/18/09
Heyyyy!!! How are you guys.
<? Okay!>
I must say, I love your site and it is so useful. I spend hours and hours looking at it. Well, I have a question to ask you obviously, and I hope you won't mind. What plants are the hardiest, cheapest, less light required, and easiest to maintain?
<Posted on WWM...http://wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/agpltlvstkfaqs.htm
and the linked files above... Some "standards" are Watersprites, Aponogetons, Crypts, Vallisnerias, Sagittarias... but there are MANY more... depending on temperature, some aspects of water quality...>
This is for the freshwater aquarium by the way. Oh, and I need a tall plant as my tank is tall. I have a 35 gallon tank. Thanks Bob Fenner and crew members for this amazing site.
<Please use it... Read the genera, species accounts... Bob Fenner>

Planted tank and livestock compatibility ~ 01/09/09
Hello to the WWM crew! After much reading/research, I have compiled a desired stocking list for my planted tank. I've gone through a lot of the FAQs and articles on your site, visited several of the LFS, and asked questions among some local hobbyists. I have been trying to find a good balance between the plants and livestock (i.e. what fish are less likely to destroy my plants, and what fish will have the best chance of getting along with one another).
<Ah good>
If you don't mind, I'd like to run my stocking list by you before I finally consider it "final". First, here is some basic information about my setup and current plants/inhabitants:
29 gallon tank, 70/30 mix of Fluorite/aquatic soil with half-inch layer of natural dark gravel on top, approx. 4 watts/gal of 6700K PC lighting, parameters (last checked a couple of days ago) were...0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, 20ppm nitrate, pH 7.6, temperature of 78 degrees F. For fish, only have 7 zebra Danios; they are doing quite well, very active, etc. Tank was set up about 4 months ago. For plants, I have (several of each of these) Hygrophila deformis, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Crinum thianum and java fern.
All are doing well. Have been using Flourish as well as the Flourish tabs.
11 hours of light per day. Doing one 10% water change on Wednesdays, and one 25% water change on Saturdays.
<Good plant choices... the Hygro and Crinum will grow very quickly, the Crypt and Fern not...>
As of now, my plan is to (over the next 6 months) add the following:
-7 cherry barbs
-1 Colisa fasciata
<A fave Gourami species... may prove too aggressive, but you should be able to discern this as time goes along>
-1 "real" SAE
-1 cherry shrimp
<Mmm, I'd get more SAEs and Shrimps... they're social species... and much more active, interesting in groups... and you have room for them here>
I will also be adding quite a few more plants. I know that the barbs may pick at the plants a bit, but especially with the Hygro, I'm seeing rapid growth and feel that they can probably "keep up" with whatever the barbs might eat/pick off of them.
<I do agree>
I guess this is more of a "sanity check"...in terms of the plants, and selection of livestock, does it seem like I'm going in the right direction?
Thanks!
-Matt
<I'd say so! Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Breeding Velvet Platies/Live Plants (ID, sel.)    12/17/08
Hi Crew!
I have a couple tricky questions and am hoping you can help. First of all I have a 29 gallon aquarium and I am currently trying to breed some velvet platies and velvet platy swords.
<Should mix Platies and Swordtails; they frequently hybridise, causing problems with the quality of the offspring.>
I have two pure swords, three half sword/half platy (one of which is a female), and three more pure velvet platies (another female in here).
They are all from the same batch and mother and father. I bred them myself. My question is how do I get them to breed again?
<Assuming you keep the male Platies with the female Platies, breeding will happen automatically. The tricky bit is catching the fry before they're eaten.>
And what kind of conditions do I need?
<Platies and Swordtails both want hard (10+ degrees dH), basic (pH 7.5-8)
water of moderate temperature (around 23-24 C being perfect).>
have separated my two females and one pure bred male plattie into a separate 10 gallon breeding tank. I have a sponge filter operating so no babies get sucked up my filter (I learned the hard way when I lost a few last time round), I put two layers of marbles down on a clear bottom tank (no gravel) for the babies to hide in, I feed them a variety of live foods to condition them including flake, blood worms, and Tubifex worms, and keep my nitrates and nitrites all at zero with a stable pH of 6.5 by testing my water weekly.
<Your pH is far too low for Xiphophorus spp.>
I also do weekly 15-20% water changes to suck up any waste and provide optimum conditions. Every other week I rinse my sponge filter in luke warm water. My platies ARE ready to breed as I have observed the slight transparency in their gills changing to a bright clearer somewhat see-through orange. They also seem to be very affectionate towards each other with my male rubbing up against my two females continuously. I was told by my LFS that their should be two females for every male. I also have a few small live plants such as Cabombas and a small Cryptocoryne for the young fry to nibble the algae off of during their first stages after I remove the parents so they won't eat them. My lights are on a timer set for 12 hours a day and my water temp between a steady 22-24 degrees Celsius. Is there anything else that I should be doing to help my platies to breed? Any help at all would be great!
<Improve hardness, particularly carbonate hardness. This will correct the pH. DO NOT just add "pH up" potions!!! Carbonate hardness is what's required.>
My second question is in regards to a few new plants I recently bought at my LFS. When I inquired as to the names and water conditions of the plants the manager didn't know, saying that they come in bunches of different plants each time. I took a few pictures of the three plants I purchased below. I was wondering if you would have any idea by any change of their names and water conditions from looking at the pics and my brief description of each. I fertilize all my plants weekly with Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Organic Carbon and have two 20 watt fluorescent lights in my 29 gallon aquarium. All my plants, both red and green are growing very
well.<http://ujyq9g.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pqJ_hZNbZ3xlycfEItpAGb5k3VK-Oxza
KhwIZe29ZgNI55sVv8WhJL91tsB0SgKrxuCgPwv0NbOc/121520081806.jpg?download>
1.
<http://ujyq9g.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p6yPJwWe0v0KSAgmp-GVWTYUK2eV4n8nO2g8P
1-JDzR63a5w-ffTxEX2fhrYMmjbc0KHk2PpWgM4/121520081807.jpg?download>
2.
<http://ujyq9g.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pEMUodsKJseRf-WrLFRsZh1YXdTZVj5cn5Jdq
jRpOWgZJhFbirpTrU548ZPETVexiZEA_7oZpDPs/121520081808.jpg?download>
3.
1) The leaves on the first one look very much like a pink flower. It is a bright pink approximately 5 inches high with thinner green stems. The veins in the leaves are quite noticeable and stand out and it appears to be very light loving which is not surprising for a reddish/pinkish plant.
There are no roots on the stems. It also strikes me as a more sensitive and fragile species.
2) This second one has bright red leaves on the undersides and a lighter reddish brown on the top sides. The stems are rather thick and bright red as well. It is approximately 4 inches tall and also likes the light. On some stems there are a couple tiny roots.
3) This last one is kind of like a very bushy fern (next to red plant in pic). Its very thick and full and a light brown reddish in color. The stems are very skinny and the plant has many fine threads the same width of sewing thread as well. It stands about 6 inches high and appears somewhat light loving but not as much as the other two mentioned. It has one small cluster of roots at the base from each stem.
<The feathery one is Myriophyllum, an extremely difficult to species to grow except in tanks with crystal clear water and incredibly bright lighting. Rots is virtually every other aquarium. The red ones are something like Rotala or Ludwigia. In any case, all these red plants need VERY BRIGHT lighting. We're talking 3 or more watts per gallon.>
If you happen to have any thoughts on the above plants it would be very much appreciated. I like to know the names and requirements of the plants I house in my tank.
<Almost everyone who buys red aquatic plants without knowing about them first ends up with dead plants. Myself included! Red plants are notoriously difficult to maintain in aquaria because they need so much light. The red colour is an adaptation to intense lighting conditions; the darker the green, the more shade-tolerant plants tend to be.>
Thanks a bunch!!!
David
<Cheers, Neale.>

Aquatic Mosses 12/07/08
Hello to all of you. Hope things are going well! Even though I have done some research on aquarium mosses I am still unsure of which one I would like to grow on my driftwood. One of my main concerns is the plant breaking apart and having to net out small pieces everywhere. Could you please recommend a moss that is attractive, good for beginners and will not fall apart easily? Thank you for your help.
James
<James, I'm not sure *any* moss qualifies in this regard. By their very nature, Bryophytes are fairly loosely put together because they lack vascular tissues, which is why, among other reasons, they never get more than a couple of inches tall. The only common moss in the trade is the Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana), though there are liverworts (e.g., Riccia) and even algae (e.g., Cladophora) that get sold as "mosses" from time to time.
The only other mosses you sometimes see are Fontinalis spp ("Willow" and "Christmas tree" mosses), but not all species do equally well in tropical aquaria and in general they're best suited to subtropical to room temperature tanks, depending on the species. In any case, my experience of mosses is basically this: in a tank with small, gentle fish they frequently become established very quickly and soon develop into a lush bed of green.
But in a tank with fish that root about or scrape (e.g., Plecs) mosses can be destroyed before they get a chance to become established. The "trick" if there is one is to carefully bind the moss with lots of black cotton to whatever bit of wood you want it to cover, and then to make sure big fish aren't going to destroy it. Cheers, Neale.>

Floating Plants, Aq. sel.   12/3/08
Hello Crew, Hope things are going well for all of you today. I have been thinking of putting some type of easy floating plant in my aquarium that will be very attractive, provide cover, not hard to trim. One that will not fall apart in small pieces a lot. I have been debating on crystal wort, some for the surface and some to anchor to driftwood. Please tell me your thoughts on this plant please. Thank you, James
<James, my two favourite floating plants are Indian Fern (Ceratopteris) and Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium). Both are very easy to grow and yet don't fall apart all the time, so you can crop them back as required. Both stay at or below the waterline, so they don't get burned by lights, a common problem with species such as Salvinia that grow above the waterline. They do an excellent job of removing nitrate and also provide shade for sensitive fish and plants. Crystalwort (Riccia) is certainly popular, but personally I don't find it terribly easy to establish. It needs a lot of light. Because it fragments so easily, it can be a menace if you have a lot of water movement. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Floating Plants  12/4/08
Thank you. And could you please tell me also if java fern is hardy. I thought about trying some on some driftwood. Thanks again.
<Java fern is very hardy once established. But I have to admit to finding it difficult to establish in some tanks, perhaps because the catfish I like to keep eat the wood and so uproot the ferns! If you can buy a Java fern pre-attached to bogwood, so much the better. Cheers, Neale.>

Freshwater tank upgrade – 10/10/08
Good afternoon, wonderful WWM,
I am upgrading from my 29 gallon planted freshwater tank to a 60/65 (not sure exactly) gallon bowfront tank. I'm having trouble picking out lighting for the new tank and there's so much research out there that I just get lost. Hopefully you can help out a bit. I will be using Fluorite Dark substrate and moving over my existing plants of Java Fern, Java Moss, Green Crypt, Jungle Val and Giant Hygrophila (rooted and floating). I've purposely kept plants that do not require too much light as I'd like to avoid the highly complex sets that require C02 and fans. I found a Compact Fluorescent fixture on Dr. Fosters that has 1 96W bulb. Do you think that's acceptable for my 24" deep tank? If not, what do you suggest? The livestock include 2 SAEs, 3 yo-yo loaches, 4 Congo Tetras 4 Blue Emperor tetras and a random Endler. I use tap water and live in Florida so it's as hard and alkaline as it can get.
Any advise for lighting is appreciated.
Thanks,
Christine
<Hi Christine. A good rule of thumb is to work upwards from 2 watts per gallon and see how things go. Your 96 W light fitting should be ample. Do try and strike a balance between the fast-growing species that help with algae control and the slow-growing species that become algae magnets if kept under bright light. If you find algae becoming a problem, add fast-growing species like Cabomba and Hygrophila polysperma and you should be fine. Water chemistry shouldn't matter either way, and as for CO2, yes, that can make a big difference under bright light but it's rarely (if ever) the difference between success and failure. By contrast, using a good rich substrate with lots of laterite or aquatic soil has a tremendous affect on plant growth. Cheers, Neale.>

Live aquarium plants... collecting, sel., found in NJ    7/26/08
Are there any plants native to New Jersey that are suitable for an aquarium? Thank You, rjmacrae
<For a coldwater aquarium, very likely yes, provided the tank provides equivalent conditions in terms of substrate, water chemistry and light intensity. But broadly speaking temperate zone plants do not do well in tropical aquaria. The high temperature and the lack of a cold phase during which the plant can go dormant stresses the plant, eventually leading to its death. Cheers, Neale.>  

New set up question, planted tank set-up, plt. sel.   2/2/08
Good afternoon all. I have had two aquariums going for about two years now. One for goldfish and one for tropical fish. I have now decided to upgrade to a planted tank with fish.
<Ahh!>
I love the look of a planted tank but also do not want the aquatic gardens that I have seen in many pictures as I am a big fan of the fishy inhabitants too. Following is a list of my planned aquarium and would like your opinions since I have been reading non-stop for about a month now. Thank you for any help you can give me.
Jorge
1. 50 gallon glass aquarium
2. Coralife 2x65w 6700K lighting system
<Mmmm, may need, want more light intensity than this>
3. 48in 24LED White moonlight 3/4w each
<I'd switch this to more daytime...>
4. Cascade 1000 canister filter
a. Filter floss
b. Zeolite
c. Bio rings
5. HOB power filter for mechanical filtration only
6. HOB 150w Heater
7. Root Therm 160 substrate heater
<Nice>
8. Red Sea CO2 Bio reactor w venturi pump
9. Aquarium Plants.com <http://plants.com/> Substrate with associated pellets (Trace elements, Iron etc.)
10. One extra power head, not sure if necessary for water circulation?
<Mmm, of use here with the canister filter>
Flourish additive
Tap Water:
GH= 70-75 ppm or 4 and 5 degrees
kH= between 120 and 180 ppm
Do these parameters and pieces of equipment seem good for the following plants (ordering from you guys when all other equipment is set up):
1 bunch Rotala indica
1 Ludwigia palustris
1 Ludwigia peruensis
10 Corkscrew vals
1 Indian Red sword
1 Alternanthera reineckii
1 Limnophilia aromatica
1 Anubias nana on driftwood
1 Java fern
1 Crypt Wendtii v bronze
1 Crypt Undulata
1 Tiger Lily Red
1 Dwarf lily
<Mmm, the lilies will not likely grow here>
10 Sagittaria subulata
2-3 clumps of Riccia grass
<All else can/could adapt to the water, light conditions listed... best to start with the lower growing plants first... introduce the taller plants a month or two later. Bob Fenner>

Plants and fish... stkg. both   1/5/08
Hello.
<Ave!>
I have a 55 gallon aquarium and got my water tested.
ammonia = 0 mg/L
nitrite = .25 mg/L
nitrate = 40 mg/L
pH = 8.4
alkalinity = 300 mg/L
hardness = 75 mg/L
chlorine = 0 mg/L
temp = 78 F
<Nitrite still too high... only add very hardy fish at this point. How are you cycling this tank? If using a "no fish" method, then carry on cycling another week or so before adding fish.>
I have a few ideas on what plants and fish I want, but am wondering if they will all be compatible. I am wanting to get assorted kinds of platies, mollies, and Danios.
<I'd nix the Mollies because they do infinitely better in brackish water tanks than freshwater. But Danios and Platies will both do well in your water chemistry and can be considered excellent fish for a new aquarium. Do remember both are sociable: I'd add a school of six Danios first, let them settle in, and only then think about a second species. Do also remember schooling fish look better the bigger the group. A school of 20 Danios will be an amazing sight, and far more rewarding that small numbers of half a dozen species. Trust me on this. Schooling fish only school in big numbers, and when they do, they put on a shimmering display of co-ordinated swimming.>
I also want an eel of some sort, like a dinosaur eel or peacock eel kind of thing.
<Hmm... "Dinosaur Eel" is, I assume, one of the more silly common names given to a Bichir, likely Polypterus senegalus, the Grey Bichir. A superb community fish in many ways, and not difficult to keep, but remember two things: It's a predator, and will eat small fish even though it gets along with other fish of similar size (20-30 cm). Secondly, it needs chunky, meaty foods like prawns and mussels, and won't eat flake or pellets. Peacock Eels are typically species of Macrognathus, such as Macrognathus siamensis. A very difficult species to maintain in aquaria. Must be kept in well-planted tanks with a SAND, NEVER GRAVEL substrate and lots of hiding places. Quite sociable, so keep in groups of at least three specimens. Will try to escape from tanks if unhappy. Only eats wormy foods, and CANNOT compete with other nocturnal fish, so never mix with catfish or loaches unless you want it to starve to death. 99.999% of the spiny eels purchased by aquarists die because most people can't be bothered to work around this essential requirements. When cared for properly they are lovely animals though.>
Are there any that are possible to live with the fish I want to have and the planted aquarium. I want a fish that will make my aquarium unique, like a different kind of fish to spunk it up.
<Lots of options here, but not all of them go with Danios and other small fish. Spending some time with a decent aquarium atlas such as Baensch's Aquarium Atlas is likely the way forward. Failing that, a medium-sized loricariid is usually a safe way to add a community oddball, since these catfish tend to be harmless loners. I also have a fondness of Halfbeaks, which would do well in your water chemistry and generally ignore everything below the surface of the water. Glassfish are great community tank oddballs, too, but a bit fussy about diet. You can't go wrong with a school of Kuhli Loaches either. In big groups they form real tangles, with their heads poking out of their chosen cave. A variety of new species are available, all similar to the standard orange and brown species usually traded.>
Right now I have 2 Corys and an African dwarf frog, but I might move that to another aquarium. Any suggestions would be great.
<Some more Corydoras would be a start. They're schooling fish and are unhappy kept in groups of less than six. The more you keep, the more fun they will be. In a 55 gallon tank, you have no excuse to be stingy here. Get half a dozen more, sit back, and enjoy.>
The plants I am considering are Java fern, Anubias nana, possibly some java/willow moss, Cabomba, Wisteria, Water Sprite possibly, Amazon Sword, Anubias barteri, and Dwarf Hairgrass. Do these work with my water parameters and fish?
<Should all be fine. Loricariids are sometimes a bit hard on Anubias though.>
If you have any suggestions, I'm open to all.
Thanks.
<Hope these help. Cheers, Neale.>

29 gallon, FW... temp. high and Ram and plant sel.... algae-eater sel.  10/21/07
Hi,
I have had the same 29 gallon aquarium since 1993 when I received it as a birthday gift from my dad when I was 12. Since that time I have evolved quite a bit in my knowledge of fish keeping! I recently moved, giving me the opportunity to completely overhaul my tank to become a planted aquarium.
I purchased a 50 watt cable heater from Aquarium Designs (but it has no thermostat?!) which I sandwiched between a thick layer of sand on the bottom. I then spread a thin layer of Eco Completer, a thin layer of Fluorite, and finally mixed the rest of the two substrates with my original gravel to bring a good 5-6" layer for rooting.
The problem is, with no thermostat, the water is a steady 84 degrees. Too bad 29 gallons is too small for Discus.? I started the cycle with black mollies, Cory catfish, and a Chinese algae eater (I hate them, but didn't want to buy another pleco that would quickly outgrow the tank and uproot everything ~ I can't find any dwarf pleco's locally and the shipping is quite high on my budget for online ordering). I have several large pieces of wood, and a small (but growing) collection of plants.
<Hmm... I think you'll regret the "economy" of a Chinese algae eater. Since you don't need an algae eater (the idea you do is a myth) better to just go without. Ancistrus sp. catfish make a better alternative, and as 2-3 cm "kittens" they are usually easy to obtain and very cheap.>
Would Blue Ram's be ok in water this warm? Are there any plants that thrive
in warm water that you would suggest?
<84F (29C) is just about perfect for all Mikrogeophagus species, so this shouldn't be a problem. However, most Corydoras *hate* water that warm, and in some cases (e.g., bearded, peppered, panda and bronze Cories) they will die prematurely from heat stress (those species are subtropical fish). Mollies are fine in very warm water. If you can, swap out the Corydoras for something else, or at least make sure you have true tropical Corydoras species (like Corydoras sterbai and Corydoras adolfoi). At 84F (29C) you're basically running things at "Discus temperatures" and need to make allowances for the fact relatively few tropical naturally endure such temperatures indefinitely. Likewise with the plants. Good choices tend to be things like Cryptocorynes, Java ferns, Anubias, Echinodorus bleheri. Coldwater plants, like Elodea and Eleocharis, tend to do not so well. Subtropical and low-end tropicals, such as Vallisneria, are somewhere in between. To some degree, you'll need to experiment, but going by the temperature guidelines in an aquarium plant book would be a sensible way to start.>
Thanks,
Ben
<Good luck, Neale>

Plant Issues for discus tank   8/22/07
Hello everyone at WWM,
My name's Peter Johnstone, I live in Melbourne Australia. Like many others, I've been (excitedly) reading for a couple months now after stumbling onto your site while looking for general aquarium advice. Your site is amazing and has helped increase my understanding immensely which is very much appreciated. I've got a few questions that I'll put together because I think they're probably related somehow. I've got a small, approx 90 L (22G) freshwater tropical tank which has been running very successfully for approx 4-5 years as a community tank with some basic plants. Here's the stats for my tank so far: Tapwater is very soft and ph neutral.
Approx 90L, under filter, with only a gravel substrate approx 3-5cm thick 18W plant-grow single tube (6 weeks old), adequate heating.
Temp is now 28-29 degree Celsius (changed from 24ish about 2 months ago)
pH 6.4
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10/15
GH 5
KH 4
I have
7 cardinal tetras (? small amount of ich, non responsive to 2 weeks at 32degrees and Multicure but seem happy otherwise)
1 black ghost knight (growing healthily)
2 glass cat fish (very interactive)
1 pearl gourami (appears happy)
2 flying fox (doing their job)
2 bristle nose
Am planning on getting 2, 3-5cm discus in the near future once I've got a hold on everything.
I have the following plants with the attached problems. Any thoughts on the cause would be most appreciated.
4 various Anubias (edges of the leaves and new shoots being eaten/nipped off-added lettuce and zucchini which are eaten up daily with no changes to the plant state)
1 wisteria (happy)
2 Amazon swords (1 growing slowly, one has rotting roots which turn brown and translucent and rot off. Not sure why may be terminal)
some small old java ferns (very very slow growing)
java moss (not dying)
stag horn java fern (new growth turns brown and dies within 1-2 days for no apparent reason. Tiny new shoots still sprouting occasionally)
1 Bolbitis fern (only the rhizome left after it turned very dark green/brown and rotted away, 2 days after being in the tank from the shop)
3 pieces of drift wood.
Here's the history.
I'm aware that under filters are not great for plants, however the tank was originally given to me as is, and I've been learning more along the way. The plants were doing very well up until the end of 2006, with essentially no algae, when I went away for 2 weeks and left the tank in the care of my housemates. On return I had lost almost all of my plants due to an unknown reason- no problems with the fish. I've been learning more about the tank in an effort to get some discus soon and so have the current plants and testing kits as stated above. Since the big die off, I've never been able to get the plants to grow well again and I'm not sure why because nothing else has changed. I have a few remnants of the java fern which have very slowly regrown a couple of leaves off the rhizome root over the past 6-9 months however I bought 2 great specimens a couple months ago, only to have them both start rotting from the bottom up within two days of them being in the tank. 1 week later they were gone- and no the roots weren't buried in the gravel. Why will the old plants regrow slowly, but new ones of the same species die off so quickly? the Bolbitis died off within 2 days too. Not sure if its rhizome will survive. I've lost every type of crypt that I've tried to house with the leaves becoming transparent and flaccid -> rotting off. The rest of my plants are o.k. but non thriving like they once did when I had multiple flowering anubias. I have started using fertilizer pellets and some liquid fertilizer to help add nutrients about 2 weeks ago. Is it possible to over fertilise, because I think I initially put in too many pellets as my water levels blew out to high ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels and the ph dropped within 4 days, which is rare as my tank is always very stable. I removed much of the pellets, multiple water changes and all's back to normal with no fish fatalities thankfully. So here's the questions.
As I'm looking towards getting discus, I've put the temperature up from approx 24 to 28 degrees in the last 2 months. Can this effect the plants I have or have attempted to have? My fish appear much more active and happy since the temp went up. All fish are growing nicely.
Am I likely to get good plant growth with my setup or is it flawed from the beginning with the under filter, and if so, why was I able to get good growth for the first few years?
Also, something is eating/nipping many of the anubias plant leaves and any new growth that does appear. I'm yet to witness the culprit after hrs of observation so I'm thinking it may be a nocturnal thing. I'm sure I have no hitchhiker snails. Any thoughts on who's to blame?
Are products such as black water extract likely to be of benefit to me and can you suggest any others that may help.
Any other thoughts/advice on the general setup would be most appreciated before I get the discus in. If all goes well for 6 months or so I'll probably invest in a nice 4*2*2 setup and redo everything properly, keeping the old tank for quarantine/breeding.
Again, any help/advice you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks again for such a useful, entertaining and interesting site.
Cheers.
Pete J.
<Hello Peter. Your problem is insufficient light coupled with the wrong water chemistry. Lighting for shade-tolerant plants needs to be upwards of 1.5 Watts per gallon, and for most everything else at least 2-3 Watts per gallon. So, Java ferns and Java moss will want no less than 33 W of light in your tank, and the Amazon swords 44 W upwards. This is non-negotiable: while plants can adapt to quite a lot of things, light is something they can't do without. The type of light used makes a big difference, too. Lights optimised for terrestrial plants (e.g., Gro Lux) don't work well in aquaria because the red light doesn't penetrate water well. Instead you need something around the 5500 to 6500 Kelvin colour temperature. To human eyes, this will seem blue-white. Adding reflectors to the lights is a low cost way of getting the best from them and highly recommended. Second, the water chemistry. Relatively few plants like soft water, and many are highly intolerant of it. A lot of aquatic plants get at least some of the carbon used for photosynthesis from dissolved bicarbonate salts. Aim for a water hardness around "medium hard" on the GH and KH scales for the best results with a broad range of plants. If this is out of the question, then carefully select plants that tolerate soft water. Amazon swords -- despite the name -- include many common species (such as E. bleheri) that don't like soft water. And very few plants come from water that is completely soft in the way aquarists mean it when keeping blackwater fish like discus. If you look at those blackwater habitats, there is virtually no aquatic vegetation at all. As for the damage to the plants, when the plant leaves start to decay, they can become attractive to Loricariid catfish that would otherwise ignore healthy plants. I agree with you that trying to get rooted plants (like Cryptocorynes and Amazon swords) growing in a tank with an undergravel filter is a waste of time. They won't ever do well. But epiphytic plants, like Java moss and Anubias, which should NEVER be planted in the substrate, should do fine. Since you have a mind for discus, and ideal water for them too, you may decide to forget about plants. Plants are NOT part of the discus habitat in the wild: dead wood is what they swim around and lay their eggs on. Hope this helps, Neale>

Plants for Discus and Angel Fish  – 4/10/07
I have a 60gal freshwater aquarium with 2 Discus and 2 Angel fish in it I would like to know if I should use artificial plants or real plants...
<Aquatic plants aren't part of the normal discus (or angelfish) habitat: these fish live in the "flooded forest" where nutrient poor waters wash around sunken wood and the trunks of huge trees. The fish live hidden among the wood, and when pairing off, guard bits of wood on which they lay their eggs. So by all means use real or plastic plants if you wish, but the fish don't care. They'd sooner have nice tall bits of real/artificial wood that they can explore, guard, or school around. Also bear in mind not all common aquarium plants enjoy soft/acid water. Vallisneria spiralis and the common Amazon sword Echinodorus bleheri for example both like neutral to basic, moderately hard water.>
...also if it is a good idea to  use volcanic rock in it as decor.
<Volcanic rock -- if you mean artificial lava rock rather than actual pumice -- does acidify the water. This is the porous, reddish-brown "rock", right? While harmless enough in a tank with a basic pH and lots of hardness, in a soft water discus tank I'd personally be vary wary of using it. At least, not without trying a little first, and monitoring the pH for a few weeks before buying any more.>
I do not want the fish to get hurt on the rock.
<They shouldn't.>
I would also like to know how many of these fish I can put in it if I was to add other fish and what kind of fish I can add with them and how many.
<Discus, and to a slightly lesser degree angels, need good water quality. Understocking is the easiest way to get this. Also, once they mature, angels especially become very territorial, and will hold an area about 60-90 cm in diameter, vigorously pushing away any conspecifics. So while you can probably house half a dozen of either fish in a 60 gallon tank, the question is whether you want to and whether the fish will put up with that once mature. As for tankmates, both angels and discus appreciate slightly higher than average temperatures. Lace gouramis and moonlight gouramis can work well though both are a bit large. Clown loaches also work well, but again, rather large. Small tetras (e.g. Neons) become angelfish food so not recommended. Bleeding heart tetras, silver hatchetfish, African Glowlight tetras, and other non-nippy characins of this size would work well. Warm-water catfish include Brochis spp., Bristlenose plecs, and non-subtropical Corydoras (i.e., not bronze or peppered Corys). Very small Suckermouth cats, like Otocinclus spp., can attack the sides of these slow moving fish to eat the mucus, so avoid. Likewise aggressive loaches and cichlids will often terrorize them. All this said, discus are perhaps best kept alone, simply because it makes maintaining water quality good so much easier.>
George
<Cheers, Neale>

Freshwater Plant Questions, growing    1/7/07
Hello crew,
<Hi!>
I know Java fern should be grown attached to wood, right?
<Or rocks, decor, etc.  It can also be grown in substrate - actually, it pretty much grows anywhere, in most any conditions!>
Well, what about the following, can they be grown attached to wood, grown right in the substrate, or both? Java Moss, Java Lace Fern, and Anubias nana.
<The java lace fern is merely a different species of java fern, and thus has the same requirements.  Java moss, to my understanding, does need to be grown attached to something, like plants, rocks, decor, etc.  Anubias can be grown either directly in the substrate or attached to rocks, wood, etc. All of these plants you mention are fairly undemanding.>
Also, is hornwort grown in the substrate, or is it a floating plant because I have heard people use it
both ways.
<It is my understanding that hornwort doesn't have roots, per se, thus is a floating plant.  In cooler waters, I understand it sinks, but it doesn't actually grow from the substrate.>
Also, my LFS told me that Flora-Glo fluorescent lights are good for growing plants, but my other LFS told me they were useless. Have any of you found that "special" bulbs help the growth in plants? If so, which ones? My other LFS said the Coralife Trichromatic bulbs are nice.
<This is largely a matter of preference, really.  It sounds as though you have normal output lights (i.e., not power compacts), right? There are different brands advertised for plant growth, but in all reality, so long as the minimum wattage requirements for the species of plants you want to grow are met, it really doesn't matter.  The plants you mention above are relatively undemanding, and require only around 1.5-2 watts per gallon (WPG).  Here's a helpful link that makes sense of the WPG calculations: http://www.aquariumplants.com//Articles.asp?ID=111
The bulbs that are specifically advertised for plant growth, such as the ones you mention, are simply coated on the inside of the tube to emit more reddish/yellow/violet/blue colors.  This is indeed ideal for plants, but doesn't look as "pretty" as a full-spectrum tube.  If you are using two bulbs, I'd recommend perhaps one of each.  If not, simply go with the plant bulb, as there are benefits for the plants. Peter Hiscock's Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants does a nice job of explaining lighting (as well as everything else plant-related) - it's a must-have book for the planted aquarium lover.
Thanks!
<You're welcome.  Best of luck, Jorie>

Lake plants to Aquarium?   8/22/06
Hello!
<Hi there>
Is it safe to add Floating Myriophyllum sprigs found in a lake to your aquarium to make a new plant?
<Mmm, with some prep., quarantine...>
Is there a way of cleansing the sprigs from unwanted lake bacteria before adding them to your tank? Or is this just not advised all around?
Thanks!
R
<"Outside" plants can often be acclimated to indoor/aquarium use... given a tolerance/range of conditions... I would at least isolate these in their own tank... mixing more "domestic" water in with water changes... for a month... checking on the presence of unwanted hitchhikers (worms, insects, snails...), treating to rid the plants of same if discovered. Bob Fenner>

Re: Lake plants to Aquarium?  8/22/06
Right now the sprigs are sitting in a small fish bowl where I change the water frequently and add little bits of aquarium salt
<Not much of this...>
and stress coat (same as I would treat the water for all my tanks). I'll think about adding them to the main tank in a month or so after I see how it does.
Thanks so much for you help!
r
<Real good. BobF>

Stocking... FW fishes and plants   8/14/06
I have just recently got a 70g tank with plenty of caves and hiding places in it. It hasn't yet got any fish in it but I will be adding them slowly in
the next couple of months. I was just wondering if the following fish would go together without fighting:
Red tailed shark
<May well become nippy... feisty with time/growth>
An angelfish
Red line torpedo
<Mmm, is this a barb? http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Puntius_denisonii.php>
A type of catfish
A gold nugget pleco
Clown loaches
Kuhlii loaches
And maybe a blue crayfish,
<Yikes... not this... too opportunistic a feeder>
some crabs
<Neither these>
and some snails (so the clown loaches can eat them)
Will the crabs try and get some of the fish like the loaches?
<Oh yes>
Also could I have a black ghost knife fish?
<Perhaps... see WWM re>
What types of plants would these type of fish like?
<Ditto>
I have researched on the fish and I know how big they will get and how many I need of each one.
Many thanks.
<Take a read on WWM re the plants that "like" similar water quality to the fishes listed. Bob Fenner>

Transitioning a Discus Tank from Artificial to Live Plants   8/1/06
Hi,
<Hello>
I have a 120 gallon discus tank that I'd like to transition from artificial plants to live plants, and I'd love to know what you think and if you have any suggestions. Here are the details:
Current setup:
120 gallon glass aquarium (60" x 26" x 18")
2 x Fluval 405 External Canister Filters
2 x 250W Visi-Therm Stealth Heaters
Medium-size gravel (about 3mm in diameter)
Artificial plants and driftwood
4 x 24" Marineland Eclipse T8 18W Fluorescents
Temperature = 81 F (a little low for discus, I know, but I have Corys... do you still think I should raise it?)
<I would not raise this temperature unless there was some "call" to do so... Disease, reproduction/breeding... Likely you have cultured livestock... can/does do fine at consistently lower-tropical thermal regimes>
pH = 6.8
3 dGH, 3 dKH
NH3 = 0
NO3 = 0
NO2 = 0
30% water changes twice a week, 50% water changes once a week
6 discus (3" and growing)
6 cardinal tetras
2 Corydoras axelrodi (I plan to get a few more Corys once the plants are in to keep these guys company)
What I'd like to add:
4 x 24" Coralife Aqualife Single Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights: 6700K
(260 W total)  (I would remove the current lighting)
"Deluxe Fully-Automatic CO2 System" from Drs Foster & Smith
Substrate: 1/2 sand, 1/2 Eco-Complete
Driftwood from www.aquariumdriftwood.com
Plants (Amazon biotope package from freshwateraquariumplants.com)
- Alternanthera reineckii "Red"
- Lilaeopsis novae zelandiae
- Echinodorus osirus
- Echinodorus tenellus
- Mayaca fluviatilis
- Myriophyllum elatinoides
<Mmm, no... Doesn't do well in warm water: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/plant_survey/aquarium_plants/?user_plants=98&cHash=bfa1164e86>
- Heteranthera zosteraefolia
- Hydrocotyle leucocephala
- Echinodorus latifolius
<Mmm, a couple other plants will be near their upper thermal limit... I encourage you to review these individually>
I know the gravel isn't great for plants (or the Corys, either), so I'd like to upgrade to a mixture of sand and Eco-Complete. The Eco-Complete appeals to me because it would involve less rinsing and it is packed in blackwater extract, which I think my discus would like. Would simply mixing the sand and Eco-Complete into the gravel be a bad idea?
<Can be done... slowly... a few pounds per day>
I think the visual effect might be pretty cool, and the gravel would help prevent the sand from packing in too tightly and creating anoxic areas. Not to mention that it would be much easier than removing all the gravel.
Is the "Deluxe Fully-Automatic CO2 System" overkill for the plants I'd like to keep?
<No. Very worthwhile>
The system is expensive, but it would be nice to have good control over the pH. Without the automatic controller, I'd always be worrying about a pH crash since the water is relatively soft. Same for the lighting - is it too much? Or just enough?
<Should be fine... the plants, fishes listed are adaptable to its output>
Am I missing anything? Any other advice?
Thanks for all your help,
Danielle
<Mmm, your set-up and maintenance listed are close to "picture perfect"... the transition will be a bit stressful for you and your livestock, but will result in greatly more enjoyment and vitality for both. Bob Fenner>

FW Planted Tank Set Up   7/28/06
Hi WWM Crew, First I would like to say thanks for having such a great and knowledgeable site open to the public. My question is about setting up an freshwater community planted aquarium, here a my plans. A 30 gallon tank, substrate would be 2 inches of EcoComplete (for the plants), the filtration would be a Rena xp3 canister filter, as for fish I'm thinking 3 angels, 2 German blue rams, and maybe 4-6 true Rummynose tetras, as for plants I was going to get the drfosterandsmiths standard plant pack. I just wanted to know if this was an ok setup equipment wise, and if the fish are compatible for a community planted aquarium, any recommendations, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks love the site.
--SBatiste
< As long as the rummy nose tetras are big enough not to be eaten by the angels the fish set up looks OK. Rams like it on the warm side around 82 F and this may be a little warm for some plants. Stem plants usually do better with CO2 and lots of light. Plants like Cryptocorynes, Amazon swords, Anubias and java fern are very easy to grow and don't require strong light. Try the other types and see how they do.-Chuck>

Gouramis and plants sel.    7/13/06
Hi folks.
Could you please help me with a small problem? I have a 100 gal. freshwater tank with 10 blue Gouramis and 8 albino Cory cats. I am trying to get some live plants started but the fish eat them down to the stalk. I need advice on  low lighting plants that they won't eat.
<Mmm, Ceratophyllum demersum, Ceratopteris, Anubias, Cryptocorynes...>
The Amazon sword I put in lasted 2 days...The anacharis lasted 30 min.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work and thanks again...DR
<Good to provide some inexpensive live plants for food occasionally... Like the Anacharis/Egeria. Bob Fenner>

Setting Up A South American Plant Tank  - 5/5/2006
Hi Guys, I was wondering if you could give me any information about South America plants,
I'm hoping to set up a biotope aquarium but I only know of one or to species such
as Amazon swords I would like some medium plants for the mid ground and some
small plants for the foreground. If you could help with any info about this biotope and how I would go about setting it up I would greatly appreciate it, looking to put cardinals and Rummynose once it set up. thanks Yasfir Nadat
< The dark tannin stained waters of the Amazon River actually have very few plants in them. Go to freshwateraquariumplants.com and click on the biotope and there you will find lots of South American  plants and how to plant them,-Chuck>

Mainly FW plant selection, growing with UG filtration  3/21/06
Dear Bob / Sabrina
I have been keeping tropical fishes for the last couple of years. I have 5 Angels, 3 Clown Loaches & some tetras in my aquarium.
During this period I tried so many times to keep real / live plants in my 5 feet long tank which is based on under gravel filters but I never got success :-( again I had to decorate my aquarium along with Plastic Plants.
This time again I am trying to keep the real plants. I need some information from you
1. Can I keep them in Under Gravel filters based tank. ( Here in Pakistan I have seen many aquariums which are full of live plants and are running on Under Gravel filtration )
<Not all species... or not w/o "blind-potting" many of the rooted varieties (in their own substrate, containers, or with a solid barrier placed on top of the UG plate between the gravel...>
2. What species of plants should I keep ? I mean what types of plants ? I intend to keep Hygrophila, Cabomba, Vallisneria, Java Fern & Cryptocoryne, are these plants suitable for keeping with each other.
<Posted: http://wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html>
3. If the above mentioned plants are o.k. then what are the lighting requirements for these plants and what types of fishes I can keep along with these plants
<Also posted...>
4. Here in Pakistan a local plants dealer told me that Java Fern do not grow well if it is potted in a gravel. Placing it on a Bog Wood will do better. Is he right ?
<Yes... posted>
I am a regular visitor of your website and I think it is very informative.
Wish you good luck in your future endeavors
Very Best Regards
Shany
Karachi, Pakistan.
<Thanks much. Bob Fenner>

Moss sel., mis-mixed FW  2/10/06
Hey James,
<Methinks he's ducked out>
I will start by saying thank you for the quickness in which you answered my email and the information you gave me, I am very grateful.
  That being said, I think I need to reword my last question a little  bit  Do you know what kind of moss (mosses since there are so many  different
kinds) would be most beneficial to an aquarium of 5 months loaded with  fresh water fish....as to help keep the water at acceptable levels for the  
fish....were would be the best place to find the moss you recommend for  this?
<Requirements and suggested species are posted on WWM. Sources? Depends on where you're located...>
  I have two Disc,
<What?>
two Angle fish, two Neons, one Chinese algae eater,
<Watch this last... can be trouble/mean>
two Rummy nose, six other assorted tetras, and two other algae eaters that I  think are going to get very large, all in a 29 gallon  tank.            
<Keep reading... Bob Fenner>             

FW Plant Recommendations  1/1/06
Crew, Great site, came across it tonight.  I have had aquariums in the past  and
have had limited success with live plants.  Hornwort - success - it  grows
anywhere.  Swords - fair.  I just moved and I am setting up a 75  gallon freshwater
aquarium. What are a good combination of plants that are  attractive and easy to grow?
< Crinums, Cryptocorynes, bulb plants, swords.>
What type of lighting do you recommend and is a co  2 system of some sort necessary?
< Go with florescent lights with a color length of around 6500K. You will need at least 80 watts. More is better, maybe two double hoods for 180 watts. Use Fluorite as a substrate too. Stem plants and red colored plants require good CO2 levels. The one I have recommended with do better with CO2 but generally it is not needed.>
I am trying to avoid the expense and involvement on the plants, I prefer to put that toward fish.  IF you could recommend a variety of plants that are  
attractive, grow easily and anything else I need to keep them flourishing, I would be grateful. Happy New year Mike
< Get all your plants at once. If you don't, the algae will take over with all the new lighting and cause problems. Get at least 3 to 4 inches of Fluorite. This is pretty expensive stuff but works great. If you don't want to do an entire tank then place the plant in a pot with the Fluorite. Cryptocorynes will do very nicely. This is not a good time of year to buy plants. During the winter the plants are not really growing and often come in in poor shape. If the conditions are right your plans will bounce back in a couple of weeks and look great in no time.-Chuck>

Comment re www.aquariumplants.com shipment, and WWM  12/18/05
Dear WWM,
   I have benefited greatly from your website and your crew's experience
-special thanks to Adam Blundell, back when I had a 72gallon reef tank.
Since then I've moved from the north east to the SF bay area, and am in the
process of starting a planted FW tank.
   I don't really have a question, just a comment. I've seen several crew
members recommend www.aquariumplants.com and so decided to go with them. Let
me just say the plants I got from them were mostly full of dead leaves or
leaves with holes in them or broken stems -they were shipped USPS overnight,
so it couldn't have gotten here sooner.
<Perhaps the shipping was somehow delayed on their end... I do hope you immediately contacted them re the shipment>
I'm in the process of replacing it
all with plants from my LFS, with the exception of a single Anubias nana!
I'm not so sure that they are worthy of your endorsement... Of course this
is only one data point...
Thank You,
Narayan
<Mmm, thank you for this. For clarification, we (collectively) don't "do" endorsements. The comments by individuals here are simply that... their opinions... borne of first and other-hand experience. Bob Fenner>

Plants For An Unfriendly Plant Tank  11/11/05
Hey guys, quick question about freshwater plants, I’ve got a 55 gallon tank with two big silver dollars and a ton of apple snails, there's some other fish in there too, but those guys are the problem. I've tried many times to plant a wide variety of plants but the only ones that seem to survive are the anacharis, and they are really growing out of control, nobody seems to touch them. My question is, are there any other types of plants that could survive in this situation? There must be something out there, I’ve heard good things about one called moss something, or something moss... anyway if you could recommend one for me to try, that would be fantastic. Thanks- Julian.
< Try some of the Cryptocorynes, crinium sp., Java moss and java fern. Aquariumplants.com has a lot of mail order plants. Just tell them what you have and they can put together a plant list for you.-Chuck>

Aquarium Plant Retailers and E-tailers - 11/07/2005
Hello to both of you!!
<Both? Actually, there are about 30 on the Crew.... probably 15-25 of us regularly answering questions.... Or, if you meant both of the personalities of the one Crewmember answering your question, then I and I say Hi back. Sabrina and Sabrina with you, this evening.>
I discovered wetwebmedia.com recently when a colleague referred me to an article on your site regarding teeth trimming on pufferfish. It is a fantastic resource and I have shared the link with the members of my local fish club.
<Excellent, thank you for this!>
I've been in and out of the tropical fish hobby for about 40 years. I'm back in now (thanks to a relative) and have been keeping normal tropicals, as well as fish we collect from the local canals and lakes, which includes natives and non-natives. See http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/non-native.html for some state info on non-natives such as Oscars.
<Very nifty.>
I have some tetra schools, some angels, and a bunch of local stuff such as darters,
<Etheostoma, yes? I love these little guys....>
killies, and the like. Our canals have some interesting finds, and the club members know canals down south near the Everglades where there are huge numbers of tremendous Plecostomus and other exotic fellas. They're a very small club but the members have a huge institutional memory, know their fish, and know the local waters. They're at http://www.gcassf.org/.
<An immense value to one's knowledge, experience, and life-in-general to take part in such a group. You are very fortunate.>
I have always been a natural aquatic plant nut, and am trying to continue this with the few aquaria I have set up at home, as well as a small whiskey barrel pond outside (hey, I have to start somewhere!).... bigger projects to come. My problem is availability. Even here in plant nursery heaven, I cannot locate most of the plants I love that you guys write about like water sprite, Vallisneria and the others.
<What?? Really?? Most of the plants that come to most parts of the country come either out of or through Florida....!! Surely someone somewhere sells them in your area.... Might be worth making friends with an owner of a local store and see what he can bring in for you.>
<<If I recollect, there's also an aquatic plant nursery out in Ramona, California (east of sunny San Diego).  MH>>
These are the plants I used to raise when I was a kid in the hobby. Where are they now? 
<Uhh, aside from growing in my tanks and buckets?>
Local fish sources usually have hornwort, anacharis, swords and a few others plus some house plants masquerading as water plants.
<Wow, slim pickin's, eh?>
Is there a mail order source for the rest of them, as well as floating water plants for the small pond? Where do you guys get your plants from?
<Mm, I'm hesitant to recommend any specific mail-order retailers - not because any are better/worse than others, but because they all have their individual quirks that make them unique.... I and others have posted reviews on our forum ( http://www.wetwebfotos.com/talk ), for a starting point.... You might also take a look at our links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/general_links_pg.htm as there are a few e-tailers listed there in a couple different sections that you might take a look at.>
Keep up the great work, I am just starting to explore all the information on this site, it's really quite excellent.
<Thank you very kindly.... these words are appreciated.>
Sincerely, -Ed Spenser
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Freshwater Questions, stocking, use of live plants
Dear WWM Crew,
   The site is wonderful but sometimes there is too
much information that I can't pinpoint an answer I'm looking for. I've sent in a couple emails and Sabrina
has been great in helping me with my questions and I appreciate it very much.
   Anyways, I have a 10 gallon tank (20"L, 10"W, 12"H)
with a light hood with 2 15 watt bulbs (blue),
<These lights won't likely work for growing plants>
 a Whisper 30 power filter, bubble wall, 10+ small -
medium sized plastic plants, a fake log, and I recently changed my gravel from shallow creek pebbles
to black Tahitian moon sand (for my Cory cats). I am in
the process of stocking my tank. So far there are 4
Corydoras paleatus in my 10 gallon who have been there
for a couple of months. I plan on adding 3 Panda Cory
cats and a small school of Flame Tetras (or Von Rio tetras).
<Sounds good>
   I'm new to the whole sand substrate and was wondering if there are any shrimps or snails that stay
small, are compatible with the livestock I plan on keeping, and would help keep my sand bed clean.
<Should stay pretty clean with all the Corys>
I searched around the web, but have only found sand
cleaners for marine tanks.
I was also wondering if floating plants would be good
for the fish I am planning on keeping (Cory cats and flame tetras).
<Yes... some live plant material is a good idea for almost all freshwater systems>
There seems to be plenty of cover for them to feel safe but I think a live floating plant
would be a nice addition. Could you give me some suggestions?
Wayne
<Please read here re plants, selection: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html
Bob Fenner>

Low Lighting, Small Tank... Plants?  You Bet! - 08/20/2005
Hi, I have a question about lighting.  I have a standard 10g freshwater tank, with 5 head and tail light tetras.  I have just upgraded the hood from incandescent lighting to fluorescent, hoping to grow a few plants.  I purchased (on advice from the pet shop clerk) an 18000k 15w  55 Lux power-Glo bulb.  I also purchased a couple of plants: Dwarf hairgrass-which I now know needs very high lighting, Rotala indica
<Also does better with higher light than what you have, but may survive and even grow.>
My question is, will this light work for these (or any) freshwater plants?  
<These, maybe not - any?  Yes!  Most certainly!  I would look to Anubias, Microsorium pteropus/java fern, Vesicularia dubyana/java moss, Ceratopteris/watersprite, maybe Hygrophila polysperma....  Some of the Cryptocorynes will thrive in this, as well.>
Or should I exchange this for something better suited to freshwater (from reading I think I understand this to be better for marine?).  
<This will be okay for those lower-light plants.>
Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks,  Leah
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Planted Aquarium Remodel 7/30/05
Hello,
I have a 46 gallon tank that's been established for a couple of years.  I've been successful with my livestock (2 schools of tetra's, 3 loaches, 2 SAE's.  I've tried on several occasions to add plants to my aquarium, never with much success.
<Mmmm, I do so like such mysteries>
I've done much research, and I've decided to take the plunge and truly update my system so I can grow plants.  I now have a Aqualight 2X96 watt CF (6700K bulbs), timers, Milwaukee regulator, 10lb CO2 tank, and a Milwaukee pH controller to work with the regulator.  I'm now to the point of getting my hands wet.  I have normal LFS bought aquarium gravel.  I'd like to put a layer of Fluorite under my current gravel, but 1) I'm worried about the dust cloud that seems to accompany Fluorite,
<Yes... I would rinse it... BTW, this is the material I have in my tanks>
and 2) I don't want to ruin my the biological filtration I have in my substrate.  Might the dust from the Fluorite hurt the livestock?
<Yes, definitely>
As long as I leave filtration running (Emperor 400), will the biological filtration be OK?  
<Yes... likely so... I would vacuum the existing substrate... and mix in the pre-washed Fluorite>
I don't want to worry about cycling my tank again.  Also, on to plants.  I'm considering the following package from Aquabotanic.com. 6 assorted bunched stem plants, 3 Cryptocoryne pots, 10 dwarf sag, 2 small swords, 1 Red Rubin sword, 3 Anubias coffefolia, 2 Crinum onion, 4 Java fern, 10 corkscrew vals,2 Java moss.  Does this sound like too much?
<Mmm, no... but a real "mix" to be sure... plants of differing water chemistry and light preferences... the Crinum will grow quite large... and quickly... the Crypts and Java Fern... very, very slowly...>
I want to make sure to out compete the algae, but I don't want to be throwing away plants because I can't fit anymore.  Thank you for your help.  You're my last line of defense before I break out my checkbook again.  Thanks.
Jeremy
<I say "go for it" or whatever the current equivalent is... with some degree of near neutral pH, some bit of alkaline reserve, this mix should do well for you. Bob Fenner>

Hardy Aponogetons - 06/07/2005
I got some live aquarium plants called hardy Aponogeton bulbs from a pet store and I don't know much about them; could you tell me more about them?
<Aponogetons are pretty neat plants.  Some are very easy to grow, and others require a bit of attention; chances are, at least some of your bulbs will grow into nice plants, maybe all of them.  Here is an article about this genus of plants:  http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Plants/apons-randall.html .  If you go to http://www.google.com and do a search on the word "Aponogeton", you'll get tons of information.  My own personal favorite is Aponogeton ulvaceus, which is a very beautiful plant with broad, wavy leaves....>
Please Email me back with info.
<There is a wealth of information awaiting you on the web; read that article and do a Google search, and you'll soon know all you like.>
Thanks.
<You bet.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Lighting Question on My Planted Tank
I am looking for suggestions on tank plants. I have a 30H Freshwater tank. I have African Cichlids in it. The substrate is blue aquarium sand. I have the Current Satellite 24" 1X65 power compact fixture. The bulb is: "Satellite Singles come with SmartPaq Lamps (10,000K/460nm Actinics)." This thing is two strips one a 10k and an actinic. I chose the actinic because I wanted to bring out the colors in the fish. I am now looking for suggestions on plant life that will do well in the 10k/actinic environment.
< Stay away from stem plants and try Cryptocoryne, Amazon swords, and different types of Val and sag too.>
I also have a 150 that I am going to setup with 3 ft fixtures. I have the option of (1-96w 10K white/1-96w blue or 2-96watt 6500K whites only for planted tanks). I am wondering what combo I should do. I have a lot of blue fish and don't like the yellow effect in my tank. What do you suggest here??
< I would go with the 2-96 watt 6500K. The other set up will not provide enough of the right kind of light for your plants to survive or thrive. Here is a little tip I learned years ago. Go down to the LFS and check out the lighting on the saltwater fish. They usually pay more money for these fish and so give them the better lighting. These lights work great on African cichlid tanks.-Chuck> 

Plenty Of Plants? - 01/11/2005
How many plastic plants would you recommend for a 75 gallon tank, mix and match 11" and 7- 8 ".  Let me know, I don't want to purchase too much or too few.  
<Well Corey, it's mostly all about aesthetics and what pleases you....  This may also be somewhat dependant upon what fish you plan on having.  I, personally, like the look of a very densely planted tank.  That might end up being "too much" to someone who prefers a very sparse approach.  As long as the fish have enough cover to feel secure, then it's all a matter of what you like.  And keep in mind, if your fish are hiding, it's probably best to ADD plants or decor rather than remove - the more places a fish has to hide, the safer it will feel, and the more you'll see it!>
Which ones would you recommend, ex foxtail, red arrowhead, ruffled sword etc.  
<Again, this is mostly just a matter of your personal preference.  I, personally, prefer "natural" colored plants (mostly greens with just a few dark reds as accents).  A very large sword as a centerpiece might be nice.  I also like the look of a large group of Vallisneria.  Maybe add some Cabomba shaped plants for a different texture, and some dark green color.  It's really totally up to you.>
I have it established with fish, I just want to make it nice and attractive now.
<Just one little tip, you might try grouping several of the same type together for a nice effect - it will look more natural this way.  Taller plants toward the back and smaller toward the front is usually more pleasing to the eye.  It's really all about what you like, as long as the fish have enough cover to feel safe.
Thanks CG Corey
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

New tank ideas 4 Aug. 2004
Hi <Hi Luke, MacL here with you today>
I'm getting a 100 gallon tank soon. <Congratulations>  And I'm having a hard time deciding as to what to put in it. <Really its all a matter of taste.>  I was wondering if there are any books or web sites that have tank designs in them or any thing of that nature I already have picked up a book on fish and plants that I could put in its just the look that I haven't figured out. <I'd suggest you look at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html, and also do some research on terrariums and native fish aquariums sounds like that's where you might be heading.> Currently I have 3 tanks a 50 gallon hex,  20 gallon gold fish tank and a Lizard and crab tank.  I was thinking of putting the 100 gallon and the  lizard tank together, but I'm not sure as to how or if I even can.  I was thinking that the lizard part would be up top and the lizard could swim in the fish part. Hard to explain the picture I have in my head. <I think I understand, and I think you'll find the answers if you start where I sent you.  Its really all about what you have in mind and making it happen. Good luck Luke>
Thank you
Luke

Planting the Rift Lake Tank 
I have a 75 gal 20" tall tank and am keeping African Cichlids. Water parameters are PH=8.4 GH=15 KH=10. Lights are kept on for 12 hours/day. I have (2) 55w 6500k pcf's installed in the canopy and recently added a fixture for (2) 24" 20w T-8's or T-12's. My question is what type and color temp bulb would you suggest in the 24" tubes for good plant growth? 
<My personal preference is for 10,000K bulbs, all the way.... many folks prefer 7500K bulbs, though, for PC-lit plant tanks. Please do read up on this topic, as there are quite a few opinions, and no perfect "right way" - here is an excellent article to help you understand and decide what you want: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/lightingags.htm > 
I have tried Java Fern and Amazon Sword because they were recommended. Seems the Africans won't trash them quite as bad as some of the tastier types. 
<Mm, beside the fact that rift lake pH is simply too high to keep healthy Swordplants in, I'm pretty sure any Echinodorus would be a nice cichlid salad.... but they shouldn't eat java fern. Please check to be sure you haven't planted the rhizome (the thick base that the leaves and roots sprout from) of the java ferns; burying this will cause the plant to rot and die. Only plant the soft roots. Or, better yet, attach them to driftwood or porous rock. For some more hardy plants, look to the genus Anubias - these should be too tough for the cichlids to eat. Plant the same way as java fern. Java moss (completely unrelated to java fern) is particularly indestructible, and extremely versatile. Crinum (especially C. thaianum) plants would be a good option, if you want something tall and grass-blade like. There are other options, but these should get you off to a good start.> 
Haven't had very good luck getting them to grow, seem to be slowly withering away. As of yet I haven't tried any plant fertilizer. Any types you can recommend? 
<My preference is with the Seachem and Kent fertilizer lines; at this point, start with a simple liquid fertilizer containing iron while you decide exactly what plants you want, and learn their needs. Please check out this article to learn more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/majmicrnutrplts.htm > 
Thanks. 
<You bet! Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Plants, Fish, and Information for a New Beginner
Over the last few days I have been pouring over all of the info you have on this site, it's amazing, THANK YOU!! I have learned so much.
<And thank you for the kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying it!>
We live in the middle of nowhere and our only choice for fish supplies is Wal-Mart or the internet.
<Eek!>
So, as I'm sure you'll understand, I'm trying to figure all this out on my own.
<Yes, research will be your best friend!>
I do think I've come up with a plan that will work, but wanted to run it by you folks to see what you'd think of it first so I don't hurt my fish or waste time or money.
<We will help however we can.>
10g tank from Wal-Mart with the Tetra Whisper filter that came with it, a few plastic driftwood ornaments and a pretty coarse river rock gravel.
<Smaller gravel, pea-sized or less, is much easier to care for and keep clean, you might want to take this into consideration.>
We have a Fancy Goldfish  who is about 5" and a Koi who is about 2". (We were not aware of the size of the adult Koi and he will probably eventually be put into my brother's pond.)
<Ultimately, the fancy goldfish may have to go into the pond, as well; these also get potentially huge and worse, they are very, very messy fish and really foul up the water.  Goldfish really aren't a great choice for small tanks, unfortunately.>
The hood has the regular incandescent lights. I would like very much to give my fishies some real plants, as I've learned this is much more healthy for them and the tank in general.
<A wonderful plan!>
The tank has been set up for about 3 days and all is going well, as I'm monitoring everything I possibly can. Here is my plan...to add some Java Moss and Java Fern.
<Two of the best plants you could possibly choose.  These are nearly indestructible.>
I've learned that Goldfish will eat darn near any plant, which is ok with me, I just don't want to waste money on a beautiful plant and then see it get devoured in a week.
<Fortunately, these two that you've chosen will not be eaten by the goldfish.  Java fern leaves have a really nasty taste to them (I do not know from experience, just from reading - I'm not too keen on licking my aquarium plants, hehe) so the goldfish won't eat it, and the java moss (no relation to the java fern) is too tough for them to tear apart, though they will "suck" on it a bit, and get any food that has settled into it.  I would also recommend plant of the genus Anubias.  These thick-leaved plants will withstand anything the goldfish can dish out.>
I don't mind if they nibble on the plants, I know that would be good for them.
<You might want to get them some elodea/anacharis plants specifically *for* them to eat.  These are cheap, and very good for them to nibble, but they won't last terribly long - they're just too yummy!  The goldfish would love you for it.>
Would any other plants be very easy to care for and withstand the Goldfish grazing on them?
<Nearly any Anubias, as above.  Not a whole lot else will stand up to these herbivorous fish with perpetual munchies.>
Do I really need to add Fluorite substrate, or something like it to have these plants grow?
<Java moss, java fern, and Anubias will all do just fine without.  Be certain to only plant the soft roots of the java fern and the Anubias, not the thick rhizome, or the plants will rot and die.>
Will these plants grow with the regular incandescent lights, or should I replace one of them with a grow bulb?
<Mm, if you can go to a fluorescent "strip" light instead of the incandescent, that'd be a plus, but none of these plants (the "food" plant anacharis/elodea included) need anything terribly special.>
BTW, once the tank is cycled and the Koi begins to get too big he will probably be replaced by a small school of Danios or Guppies.
<I would do this soon, to be honest, and re-house the goldfish, as well.>
I would like a schooling fish that remains as small as possible, and know that both of these are ok with Java Moss & Java Fern.
<As are just about any other fish.  You might want to look into white cloud minnows, as well, as these are attractive and inexpensive, as well.>
Also, we have a 5g tank that is set up the same way with a 2 1/2" Kissing Gourami and a "Mixed Fruit" (?) Tetra who is currently around 1 1/2".
<Oh my....>
Poor Kisser ended up in there because he was tormenting the poor Goldie. He was extremely lonely, so the Tetra came to keep him company.
<I'd like to note here, tetras are schooling fish, and do best in small groups.  Also....  that kissing Gourami will ultimately grow to be one foot long, more or less.  He will also be a terror, as you have noticed with the goldfish.  Unless you want a *really* big tank, I'd strongly recommend trading him for some of the small schoolers that you like.>
They've only been together less than 24 hours and are best friends already, swimming side by side and playing chase. No "kiss fighting" going on from the bully.
<This is ultimately their way of trying to establish a "pecking order", since they don't have any of their own kinds to do so with.>
I would also like to add some plants for them and remove the plastic ones. Again, I was thinking Java Moss and Java Fern, but also adding some Water Sprite to float on the top. I've read that Gouramis love to nibble on this plant.
<They do, indeed!  It would also be a good choice for the goldfish.  I'm not sure how long the watersprite would last, as it would definitely be chewed upon, but it grows and reproduces like mad, as well.>
Ok, what do you think? Please don't slam me to hard if I'm doing something wrong!
<I hope I'm not slamming at all!  I'm glad you're researching the care of your fish, that's the biggest, hardest step - and the more you learn, the more fun you will have, even with bumps in the road like kissing gouramis and koi in too-small tanks.  Live and learn, and definitely research fish you like *before* you get them, now.  That's probably the toughest lesson of all to get down.>
I really am trying my best to give these fishies a healthy, happy life. Starting at Wal-Mart doesn't help a lot, I think their people try, but they are not a pet store.
<Well put.>
When you also factor in not having a ton of money to spend it can get tricky. I know we'll upgrade everything in the future, but this is what we are working with for now.
<And with knowledge, it will become great fun, and great tank(s).>
Thank you so very much for your help...for all of us Newbies!!! :)  -Heather
<And thank you again for the kind words.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Plant Descriptions
Dear Bob Fenner,
<Hey Justin, Gage here today.>
I had A look at your website.  I was trying to find physical descriptions of at least 20 plants.  Hopefully you could forward me a few descriptions of any plants.  As all part of A school project.  If you could that would be great!
<Check out http://www.tropica.com they have a lot of information on different aquatic plant species.> Thanks if possible!  Sincerely,  Justin Pitts

Plants for a New Tank
Hi, I am new to fishkeeping and would like some advice regarding a new fish tank that I intend to buy.  Some details:
1)Its a 10 gallon tank
2)I would like a moderately planted tank
3)the water is around 28C all year long
I was thinking of getting neon tetras as I like the way they school and their colour. I would appreciate it if you all could give me ideas on what to get to complement the fishes.
Plants: (would like some grass-like small plants in the foreground,
taller ones at the back). Found some that I liked, but I do not know if
they are compatible with each other, the fishes and lighting.
Foreground
1) java moss
<tolerant of extremely minimal light conditions as well as strong lighting>
2) micro sword
3) dwarf hairgrass
<Both need strong lighting>
4) anubias
<If your tank is strongly lit, Anubias must be shaded.>
Background
1) java fern
<Another low-lighter, can tolerate stronger lighting>
2) Amazon sword
<At least moderate lighting, for best results - but this will get far too large for a 10g.>
3) Cryptocorynes
<There are crypts out there for just about any tank.>
can they all be planted directly into substrate?
<Anubias, java moss, and java fern will attach to wood or rock.  If you choose to plant java fern or Anubias, only plant the soft roots - do NOT plant the thick green rhizome of the plant, or it will rot and die.>
I understand that neons prefer darker lighting and soft water, thus I would like plants that can suit them.
<I'd definitely recommend the Anubias, java moss, java fern and some of the Cryptocorynes (specifically C. affinis, lutea, and walkeri) if you want to stay a low lighting levels.>
2) type of substrate (preferably dark colour to emphasize the colour of the neons)
<Seachem makes a product called Fluorite - I use and recommend this product very happily.  Good Stuff.>
3) lighting (how much wattage will be suitable for the plants and neons)
<With the abovementioned low-light plants, a single normal output fluorescent tube would be just fine.  If you're really bent on having the dwarf hairgrass or microsword, I'd suggest at the absolute least two normal output tubes - perhaps even power compacts.  Good luck on your tank - I hope you have great fun with it!  -Sabrina>

Green With Something Other Than Envy (07/26/03)
Greetings O' Learned Ones!
<Hi! Ananda here tonight, thinking "O Learning Ones" might be more accurate...>
I have been diligently reading through your various articles on "bad" algae, yet I am still unsure how best to proceed.  My fiancée and I are having a discussion so we're turning to you as the final authority.  We have string algae and the ubiquitous green algae that discolors the water.
<Ugh. I've had both of those, too.>
We're relatively new to the aquarist group and we've been dealing with our first serious outbreak of algae.  We refuse to treat the symptoms, e.g., use chemicals, and want to try to get at  a more systemic solution.  Here's my data:
Tank:    Oceanic 37 gallon Show
Filtration: Currently an Emperor 280 and a brand new Fluval 304
<Sounds good...if you are using any bio-media in the Fluval, make sure to rinse it in old tank water every once in a while -- if the bio-media catches detritus, your Fluval just might end up contributing to your nitrate levels.>
Livestock: 7 Danios, 12 Neon Tetras, 4 Gouramis, 4 German Rams, 1 Gold Nugget Plecostomus, and 1 Dwarf Angelfish (the Angelfish was put into the tank yesterday).
<The only dwarf angels I know of are saltwater... what species is this?>
Plants: 2 Amazon Sword Plants, 1 Anubias, 4 Pygmy Chain Swords, 6 Rotala indica, and 6 Anubias frazeri.  
<Nice selection.>
The plants have a Coralife fluorescent lighting system, 28 inches and 65 watts.  Up until this past weekend, the light was running for 12 hours a day.  I have since cut it back to about 7 hours per day.
<Might help the algae problem....>
Here’s the latest chemistry: pH = 7.25, NO3 = 5.0, NO2 = < 0.3, PO4 = 1.5,
<There's your culprit! Your phosphates are WAY too high... check your source water (tap water?) for phosphates. Phosphates and nitrates are algae food. Also check what the phosphate levels are in the fish food you're using -- freshwater fish food often has fairly high phosphate levels. Any uneaten food turns into extra phosphates for your tank.>
KH = 7, GH = 13 The Nitrate and Phosphate testing equipment is from Red Sea and the rest is from Tetra.
<Your water is fairly hard, too... BTW, Phil says he's gotten some crazy readings from the Red Sea phosphate kits. I use the FasTest or SeaTest kits for "high range" phosphate testing, and the Seachem test kit for "low range" phosphate testing. Of the two, I'd suggest the FasTest/SeaTest for you right now.>
For the last week I have been using Kent Marine’s pH Minus to try and bring the pH below or around 7.0.  Interestingly, the pH is always lower in the morning than in the evening.
<That's normal. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen by day. At night, they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The increased carbon dioxide decreases the pH. So if you use any CO2 supplementation for your plants, that would help decrease the pH.>
I have a gravel substrate.  If I have left any pertinent facts out, please let me know.  I was thinking a couple of Platies might be in order for the string algae.
<What you really want for hair algae is a Florida flagfish or two. For the rest of the algae, get those phosphates down. My favorite thing for that is Seachem's Phosguard, as it can be left in the filter for a long while. Additionally, it won't fall out of the media container in the Emperor. You might also consider some algae-eating shrimp or a Siamese algae eater (the true SAE, not its impersonators... see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saes.htm for details). They aren't the most colorful fish, but they are always active and quite fun to watch. --Ananda>


Planted aquarium
I'm wondering, are there any plants that can take temperatures around 28-30C ? (Discus tank)<Do check this link out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html ,IanB>
Thank you, Luke

Re: new 72-gallon tank setup
Hi Ronni at wetwebmedia,
I guess this is all on a voluntary basis?  I myself is an application developer by trade...what about you?
<Yep, we’re all volunteers. For my living I manage the family furniture business.>
The link you put down is for the conversion site, not on how to get started with a planted tank...Yah, you have convinced me to stay away from any type of soil.  :)
<Doh! Try this one http://www.aquabotanic.com/begin.htm I did notice after I sent the last message that The Krib doesn’t sell plants but they have a ton of info there!>
I did visit www.aquabotanic.com and they do have a couple of "hard to kill plants" starter packages that I might be interested in.  I need plants that won't easily die on me.  What do you think about these 2 packages?
---------------------------------------------------------
The New Hard to Kill Package (20 plants - $48.99 US)
2  Java Fern
2 Anubias nana
3 Java Lace Fern
2 Cryptocoryne spiralis
1 Aponogeton olivaceus
1 Hornwort
2 Hygrophila
6 Dwarf Sag
1 Java moss
---------------------------------------------
Hard to Kill Package 2 (32 plants - $125.00 US)
2 extra large Anubias
3 Anubias nana
2 Anubias coffefolia
2 Anubias cogenesis or Frazer
3 Java fern
2 Java lace fern
3 African Bolbitis fern
3 portions Java moss
12 assorted small Cryptocorynes
-------------------------------------------------
Do you have any experience with any of those plants??  Are they really hardy kind of plants??  What about value for money??  Do you think I should go for package 1 or package 2?  I want to decorate my 72 gallon well with plants...do you think package 1 will be enough??  Or will package 2 be too much for my tank??
<I like heavily planted tank so would probably go for package two myself. I’ve tried many of those plants and have had good luck with them. The one thing I would do if it were me, order whichever package you like but ask them to leave out the Java Moss (or see if they’ll sub something else for it) or just throw it away when it gets there. Java moss grows really fast and can rapidly take over an entire tank. I spent hours trying to clean my plants of the stuff and ended up having to replace many of them because the moss had taken over so bad.>
I'm also reading about rinsing of the fluorite and I have been hearing allot of people complaining about it - the fluorite will turn your water cloudy...Is this true???  Any comments?
<Unfortunately, it’s very true so rinse it extremely well. It’s still probably going to turn your tank water a little murky but that will soon settle and not cause any problems.>
Thanks for your input/feedback. Paul
<You're welcome! Ronni>

Re: new 72-gallon tank setup
Hi Ronni,
<Good morning Paul!>
Thanks for replying to my email so quickly.  I didn't expect such a quick response.  By the way, how does the people wetwebmedia get to answer all those tons of questions from people all around the world??  You must get thousands of emails each day.
<You happened to send in your message when I was online answering my messages. :o) We don’t get thousands of messages daily but we do get quite a few. At last count we are averaging somewhere around 10,000 unique ISP hits a day but only a small portion of those people write in, many others stop by to look something up or read the daily FAQ’s. As it is it’s taking all of us to keep up but it’s a labor of love, I don’t think any of us would give up doing this.>
Today is overcast.  The temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius...don't know what the Fahrenheit temperature is
<That works out to about 50F. There’s great conversion site at http://hemsidor.torget.se/users/b/bohjohan/convert/conv_e.htm I use it all the time to convert sizes, weights, and temps.>
LUCKY YOU!!!!  How come I never get birthday gifts like that?? :))
<LOL! It took a lot of begging and pleading on my part.>
Hmmm....you make me wonder again if I should use just an inch of organic soil as my base.  Can I have a problem having too much nutrients in my substrate....using soil + fluorite??
<I was looking around this morning and AquaBotanic has a good article on getting started with a planted tank. After reading it (http://hemsidor.torget.se/users/b/bohjohan/convert/conv_e.htm) I would suggest staying away from the soil. Yes, too many nutrients can be a problem. At the very least they can cause huge algae problems and if they are too high they can cause problems for your fish as well.>
Okay, no peat moss for me then
<Good choice.>
I'll see if I can exchange one of the lights
<If not, you should be fine with these.>
WOW!!  No question about it....marine tank is the way to go
<I’m still an oddball though, especially here on WWM. I love my marine tanks and am glad I finally set them up but my FW tanks are still my favorites. It probably has something to do with expense and the hardiness of most FW fish.>
Ok, I'll try to send some pics when I get the tank all setup and I'll probably have to write to you again for other questions
<Feel free to write to us at any time.>
Here in Toronto, Canada, we don't really have a good supplier of aquatic plants.  Would you recommend that I order from the US??  Is it safe?  Is it guaranteed?  After transportation, will the plants be able to survive? Can you provide me of some reputable sites?
<I don’t know about shipping to Canada. I know it can be done but I’ve heard varying reports of charges from the border. Safety should be fine as long as you quarantine all new stock, even plants. And also see if you can get yourself some Lime-It, it’s a great cleansing product for live plants and many retailers carry it. If I were you I would order from the established sites, The Krib – www.thekrib.com – and Aqua Botanic - http://www.aquabotanic.com/ - are both very reputable. I have personally ordered from Aqua Botanic a couple of years ago and was very pleased with my plants.>
I would also like to setup my tank to have the back slightly higher than the front....What would you suggest using to keep the gravel slightly higher than the front of the tank???
<Really, if you just slope the gravel it should stay that way without being propped or held in place.>
Thanks. Paul
<Have a great day! Ronni>

Re: clown loaches and snails
Hi gang,
<Greetings!>
I have a planted tank with several medium (3") clown loaches...initially stocked to control snail stowaways on plants, which they do well.  In fact, not only have the loaches become one of my favorite fishes in all my tanks, I actually breed and raise Ramshorn snails just so I can give them a treat a few times a month!  =)
<I’m sure they love this, I do it myself with my clowns.>
My question:  I have a couple LARGE (2" or so) Gold Inca (not exactly sure of the species) snails in need of a home.  They've been housed in my quarantine tank for nearly a year, so I doubt introducing pathogens would pose a risk to the tank, however, would the clown loaches pose a risk to these big guys?
<Very possibly. I know I’ve seen clowns eat snails that were over an inch in size so I’d be afraid to try it even with snails as large as yours.>
Also... now that I have your attention, hehe.  What are some species of plants (if any) that would do OK in a moderately aerated tank?   I'm not looking to win any awards in these tanks, just to add some "live" decorations.
<A lot would depend on your lighting. Some of my favorites for moderately lit, moderately aerated tanks are Anacharis (this one is rumored to be touchy but I’ve always had good luck with it), Elodea, and Anubias.>
Thanks a bunch, and keep up the good work on WWM! Cheers, Michael
<Thank you and you’re welcome! Ronni>

Aquarium Plants 3/31/03
I have some Dwarf Sagittaria available to a good home.  Also a bit of  Sunset
Hygro (Hygrophila polysperma), some moneywort (Bacopa monnieri).
Have some Cryptocoryne Wendtii  but only for trade.
Bob Alston
918.494.4913
BobAlston9@Aol.com
<Okay to post your number, email address? Have you looked to posting your offer on our chatforum: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/
? Bob Fenner>

Re: Bubble wand- is it necessary?
Hi Ronni- thanks so much for quick response!!
<You’re very welcome!>
Two more questions, ok?
<Sure!!>
Since this is new planted tank for me, first time at it, can you think of any other plants I can add before I start with fish? Vallisneria Spiralis? Pennywort or maybe a Java Lace Fern? I want to add some height and more room for fish to swim through plants....
<Some of my favorites for adding height with easy to grow plants are Anacharis and Crinum “Onion” plants. The Anacharis is rumored to be a little tough but I’ve tried it in numerous different situations and it’s always grown wonderfully. It can easily reach heights of 2 feet. The Crinum is my absolute all time favorite FW plant. Mine have reached lengths of over 5 feet and swirl on the waters surface. They are pickier about light but will live in even poor lighting and grow very rapidly in high light. Anubias is another very hardy plant that can grow fairly tall. Java fern and Corkscrew Val would be good choices for you also, just be sure to stay away from java moss as it can rapidly spread and take over a tank.>
With water changes and plants--do I still 'dig' into the gravel? Seems harder now with the plants, especially since they are not established. Any tips on that?
<You should still vacuum the gravel but probably not as frequently. Just kind of work your way around the plants, being careful not to disturb the rooting process. These plants are all pretty tough though.>
Last, should I add fish first and then otos and shrimp? I am worried that since plants are not established there will not be much for them to munch on. I know I can give algae wafers but I read that if I do that too often, they get lazy and don't eat algae--any truth to that.
<I’ve never had this problem, I supplement all of mine with wafers and they still keep my tanks sparkling. But with the fish you have, it wouldn’t go hurt to go ahead and wait. You shouldn’t have any aggression problems even if you add these guys later.>
I liked the idea of barbs and rummy tetras- I think they are cuter. What about a five banded barb instead of cherry barb? I read they are less likely to 'fin nip'. Would they be a better choice than the cherry barbs?
<I don’t have any experience with the Banded Barbs but I have 3 Cherries in with my Tetras and have no problems with fin nipping. If you go with the Cherries, do try to get them when they’re young and this should help. The young ones are a bright red color, the older ones fade to a brown with stripes.>
Thanks SO VERY MUCH for quick response. I am off for fish store tomorrow and will let you know how it all works out. I'm glad I found your site- have gotten a ton of 'bad' advice so far and would like to keep the fish I have.... Best, Rosa
<Do keep me posted. It sounds like your tank is going to be similar to my 60 gallon. It’s a beautiful setup and never fails to get compliments. I’d also love to see some pictures of it once it’s completed. Ronni>

Baby Plants (Aponogetons)
Hello,  I found a bunch of baby Aponogeton plants in my 29 gal. tank and I am not sure what I did right to have
this happen.  I have Crispus and Undulatus in the same tank.  I do remember letting a flower grow out of the water
and it be seemed to have shells on it.
<Neat... sounds like these seeds germinated>
Then I stuck it back in the tank.  The filter system was very slow at that time...I am not using co2, just the old way of having the fish provide the co2.
<Still works>
As I am just starting back in live plants from a number of years of using plastic I started with the bulb plants as they always seem to grow fast and easily.
<Yes... Aponogetons are great for this>
In the 25 years or so that I have grown these plants, I never got babies.  The seedlings are about 1 inch or so and I did find other seed sprouting when I dug up the tank to get the worst of the algae out and plant more plants to try to get a better balance going.
<A great technique>
Any help will be appreciated.  I enjoy your site and welcome all the info.
<Mmmm, just keep "doing what you're doing"... these plants should grow their own bulbs... Do you pull them out, let them "rest" after a few months? Bob Fenner>
Thanks, Vicki  

Riccia Plants
Hello, My name is Alex, i live in N.Y and i searched a lot of websites about the Riccia fluitans Plant. It seems impossible to buy. I saw even in your website this plant is for sale. Please let me know how i should order and why everybody tells me it is impossible to find here because it is a tropical plant.
<Please contact the etailers of plants listed on the WetWebMedia.com Links Pages. Bob Fenner> Sincerely,
Alex

Re: Plant questions
Hi Bob!
Well, I called Arizona Aquatic Gardens on P-F's suggestion (many moons
ago in a brackish thread), and found out they've been wanting to do a
brackish "package" for a few years... sent the guy I talked to over to
your web site, and he was impressed.
For the 30g, here's the list he came up with after I told him which
plants I was interested in:
Background:
2 Hornwort
2 wisteria
6 Val. spiralis
8 Val. americana
2 Asian Ambulia
Midground:
2 Anacharis
10 Java ferns
6 Aponogeton crispus (I requested bulbs, since they're a lot cheaper)
<Very much>
Foreground:
20 dwarf Sagittaria
2 Stargrass
2 pennywort
Looking back over this list and comparing it with the various notes I
have, I'm thinking I'll make a few changes:
- take out the Stargrass and pennywort
<I would>
- add a couple of Ceratopteris
- maybe add some pygmy/narrow leaf chain swords
- decrease the Java ferns and increase the crispus (to cut the costs a
bit -- Java ferns are $3 each and crispus bulbs are 50c each!)
<Cheap>
Any further suggestions?
(BTW, he ixnayed the Mexican oak-leaf plant as being difficult to grow. )
(BTW 2: with all the info about puffers on the brackish plant FAQs page,
you might want to add a link from the freshwater puffers page! :-)
<Thanks for this... better do right now. Done. Bob Fenner>>
Thanks!!
--Ananda

Air Ferns
Hi,
I'm doing a science experiment on Sertularia argenta and preservatives. Do you have any information on Sertularia argenta?
Rob Moeller
<Sertularia argentea Linnaeus 1758? Air "Ferns" (actually tissue grade animals, hydrozoans) are almost unknown to me. Unfortunately they have been utilized (treated, colored) as "ornamental plants" for aquariums. Bob Fenner>

Re: Air Ferns
Thank you for your help. I think the class is Hydrozoa and the phylum is Cnidaria. I am looking for the order and family. I am leading toward the order being Hydrocorallina? 
<No, Order Hydroida or Thecata... depending on differing schema.>
Would you know the order and the family.
<Sertulariidae according to my references. Bob Fenner>
Thank you again.
Rob Moeller

Lilaeopsis sp mauritius
I have tried in vain to find a source in the US for Lilaeopsis sp mauritius. Any suggestions?
<I would posit the same question on The Aquarium Gardener's listserv, to the etailers listed on our Links Pages who deal in live plants>
It seems strange that most plants offered for sale require
low pH and soft water, and yet all waters west of the Mississippi are hard and 7+ pH.
Is there a San Diego area based aquarium plant farm as opposed to all the Florida firms with their super soft water?
<There was one... of good size... sort of like a local Tropica, Dennerle... wholesale only... now gone. Do know some folks who are major hobbyist growing types. Will ask them if they have this to go. Bob Fenner>
Regards,
Ron Whitefountain
Polson, Montana

Arizona Aquatic Gardens
Hi Bob,
PF here. I noticed this company wasn't on the links page. Being that
you're a proponent of planted FW setups, I thought you might want to
check them out.
<Thanks much Michael. Do know of these folks... just one of many, many oversights, "haven't gotten to yet" items.>
I ordered from them on several occasions and was very
happy with what I got. Even the little Corbicula fluminea (golden clams)
did well, I ordered a dozen only lost one in shipping and had 3
fatalities over the 5 months they were in my tank. I've heard from
others that sometimes they get only 1 or 2 alive out of that many.
<Yes, often none>
I also ordered the large SAE who did very well in my system, and all my
plants did very well also. I did have a hard time with the Amano shrimp,
but then I think they had problems with the water hardness, though
nothing else did.
http://www.azgardens.com
Hope all is well with you and yours,
Mike
<Will add two days hence. Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Hygrophila polysperma
Hi Rob,
I've been having problems with my Hygrophila polysperma recently.
I have 3 40watt tubes in my 170L tank and the h. polysperma is growing
well at the top near the light but lower down the leaves have small
black holes in them and seem a little thinner.
<Yes... a not uncommon situation with "Hygros" in aquarium use>
I've recently started fertilizing with Dupla plant and Duplaplant 24
in hopes to rectify this.
<A good choice in complete fertilizers>
What advice can you give me?
<Do check on the "age" of your fluorescents... they may be "too old" (phase shifted, lost luminosity), and read over our site (WetWebMedia) and links to "the Krib" re use of carbon dioxide and nitrates in planted aquariums. You have a deficiency syndrome going here... that is easily solved once identified. Bob Fenner>
Keith :)

Looking For Live Plants, the Best Ones For Use
Where can I get good freshwater plants for my aquarium, any good websites?
What are the best plants for a new aquarium?
<Please read through "Plant Index" on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com and the Links Page there... a section on "Plants" is there.
Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Steven Ho

Hello (offer of sale of aquatic plants, add link)
Do you grow or sell Cyrtosperma, Lagenandra as well as other aroids?
<The only aroids we have are Magnolias... no my friend, no live anything for sale.>
I collect
them and have been looking for a place that would sell them. THANKS
<Will post your Araceae offerings on our site, www.WetWebMedia.com just the same. Be chatting. Bob Fenner>
My aroid site
www.angelfire.com/ky2/bwilliams