greying_mantis
New Member
Within the last week I have re-planted my tank. I have realised the substrate is not deep enough for the rooted plants to be happy, and I’m having issues with some of the plants being knocked out of the substrate by the synodontis. I have ordered a second batch of plants and I want to add more substrate without taking the tank apart.
My questions are about keeping the first batch of plants healthy while I add new substrate.
1. If I (gently) add the substrate straight on top, will partially burying the stems and some leaves of the older plants harm them? Will they just grow up through it or will I cause them to rot/fail? I assume they will be OK but my experience is with garden plants who often take very unkindly to being planted too deep. The plants in question are vallis, crypts, hygro and swords. I’ll adjust the plants a little to keep most leaves above the substrate but do I need to do more than this?
2. if burying the plants deeper is a no-go, can I remove them and re-plant? This might sound like an obvious “yes” but my concern is that these plants are very new and not yet established. I worry that pulling them up and replanting them is more trauma on top of shipping and planting so recently. Will doing this cause them shock? I expect it will put them back a bit so I’m just trying to stop them failing entirely. The sword and crypts came with roots, the vallis was already rooted in the tank but did get re-planted and the hygro were stem cuttings.
Which approach would you take?
A secret third question is about choosing a new substrate. My current stuff is a rough black gravely substance. Almost the texture and colour of coal. Oddly light for the particle size. I no longer remember what it is, just that it was made by a familiar aquatics brand and designed for planted tanks. I’ve had it for 15 years. I want to add sand but I suspect that over time it’ll migrate down below the black stuff. Short of totally re-doing the tank, is there anything to be done? Even with a mesh layer, presumably the sand would work its way through the screen? Do I say “F-it” and get a smooth gravel? I am hoping to get a reedfish in the future so I would like a substrate they would enjoy.
I am trying to avoid tearing the tank down because it is tall and I am small. I need a ladder to do anything with it. I am disabled and energy limited. Big tank events are exhausting so I’m trying to reduce the physical effort as much as possible. And I don’t want to have to chase my elderly synodontis around more than necessary. I am hoping I can gently add the substrate around the inhabitants (including the plants).
My questions are about keeping the first batch of plants healthy while I add new substrate.
1. If I (gently) add the substrate straight on top, will partially burying the stems and some leaves of the older plants harm them? Will they just grow up through it or will I cause them to rot/fail? I assume they will be OK but my experience is with garden plants who often take very unkindly to being planted too deep. The plants in question are vallis, crypts, hygro and swords. I’ll adjust the plants a little to keep most leaves above the substrate but do I need to do more than this?
2. if burying the plants deeper is a no-go, can I remove them and re-plant? This might sound like an obvious “yes” but my concern is that these plants are very new and not yet established. I worry that pulling them up and replanting them is more trauma on top of shipping and planting so recently. Will doing this cause them shock? I expect it will put them back a bit so I’m just trying to stop them failing entirely. The sword and crypts came with roots, the vallis was already rooted in the tank but did get re-planted and the hygro were stem cuttings.
Which approach would you take?
A secret third question is about choosing a new substrate. My current stuff is a rough black gravely substance. Almost the texture and colour of coal. Oddly light for the particle size. I no longer remember what it is, just that it was made by a familiar aquatics brand and designed for planted tanks. I’ve had it for 15 years. I want to add sand but I suspect that over time it’ll migrate down below the black stuff. Short of totally re-doing the tank, is there anything to be done? Even with a mesh layer, presumably the sand would work its way through the screen? Do I say “F-it” and get a smooth gravel? I am hoping to get a reedfish in the future so I would like a substrate they would enjoy.
I am trying to avoid tearing the tank down because it is tall and I am small. I need a ladder to do anything with it. I am disabled and energy limited. Big tank events are exhausting so I’m trying to reduce the physical effort as much as possible. And I don’t want to have to chase my elderly synodontis around more than necessary. I am hoping I can gently add the substrate around the inhabitants (including the plants).
