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Floating plant care, stop my brown thumbs.

EnderUK

EnderUK

Member
Joined
26 Jan 2014
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1,028
The short version: Me and floating plants don't want to get along so I need some tips.

The long version:
I have a 125l tank with a closed hood. I started with some water lettuce which I got with an ebay bundle, I don't think they liked the condensation that built up in the closed tank, they melted pretty quickly. I have since cut some slots in the panels for the canister filter inlet and out lets as well as slot for an auto feeder (yes I know it don't use it now).

I then went on to salvinia natans, this actually went okay they did cover the whole of the tank at one point. I then did a massive cull to about 1/4 of the tank, I can't remember exactly what I changed on the setup, lowered the water and stopped the air stone I think which caused the salvinia to be forced underwater causing a massive melt.

I did my massive rescape and went with frogbit, this didn't last long, I couldn't get my old spray bar setup right so wasn't forcing the frogbit below the surface.

I then got a new spray bar and positioned it just under the water line forcing the water to the front of the tank as suggested by UKAPs members to get the nice surface ripple. I also dropped with water line about 2.5" from the lights.

I got a massive amount of red root floater and chucked it in. This seemed to bunch up but once again slowly I had less and less as the floaters at the edge of the clump was forced under water. Belatedly I tried corralling the floaters with air line hose, but I think the melt was complete.

Now I just seem to kill floating plants with the high surface current or during the 50% wc associated with EI. I do try taking them out when doing the water change. Also I've swapped out the t5ho with some t5no so now lower light.

I would like to give frogbit one more try with the corral, is there any tips for keeping floating plants alive with a high tech tank, am I just chasing a dream? If you do have them do you keep them in during the water change or do you take them out and put them in a tube, this is were I seemed to do damage to the root structure.

Thanks
 
Hello there,

I ques you have Juwel tank? I have the same and my frogbit spreading like a weed also selling them on ebay. However I had the same problem as you had. Is the melting starting with yellowing the leaf? If so you might want to try dose more NO3 I had the same problem and then guys on this forum told me to dose more N and the my frogbit recovered.
I do not know if you have the same problem but...

Yes I do take them out very gently to spear bucket with aquarium water.

Also if you want I can sent you some no problem and you can give it another go 🙂

Vaz
 
It's the Fluval Roma 125 modded to take t5 so bacially is the Juwel 😀.

The major problems is the high surface current as you can see in these pictures.

20140315ripple1_zps10b25a15.jpg

20140315ripple2_zps5a6482ff.jpg


Vazkez said:
Also if you want I can sent you some no problem and you can give it another go
Click to expand...

That would be good, I'll pm when I figure out why I'm killing it 😀
 
I had a Fluval roma 90, and only tried water lettuce, I purchased about 6 baby water lettuce, they just looked drowned out, the leafs would rot etc, and I think it was because the condensation the tank produces.
I upgraded to a Fluval roma 200, and not sure why, maybe the less surface movement gave them a chance. They were multiplying daily, and each week I had to throw jugs away, and sell them on eBay.
Here is picture:

http://oi59.tinypic.com/v5vdah.jpg
http://oi59.tinypic.com/28chg9h.jpg

When I did my water change they would go up my arm, on my hands, they just got in the way lol. Also when I put new water in they would sink and get trapped in some plants, and ahh was so much hassle. I finally took the plunge and chucked away loads, apart from about 7 pieces, big mistake. They never grown again. There in there now all half dead, they don't look great and I now have higher surface agitation also. I think the more you have the more protection the ones in the middle can get, and they will then produce more, so I think its just about getting them started then others can protect the inner ones if that makes sense. Also I once put a bit cotton across my Fluval Roma surface, so they would stop floating around all the tank.

I did this with the black hook things that are inside the tank, one either side. It worked a treat and kept them at the far end of the tank, but it does shade the plants below. Good luck.

My surface movement was higher than yours when I had lots from what I can see in the picture.
 
Hello again,

Hmmm It might be the flow at the end (I think I saw a video on YouTube about one guy who reduce the flow and then his floating plants start grow like a weed), however I run two filters in my tank (one external with spray bar) and no problem.

I think you could try Jafooli advice and tide them up to one corner.

Btw Jaffoli did you manage to grow any plants under it as I might to do it as well as I like them on one place. Probably where my tiger lotus has his leafs on surface.

Thank you.
 
Another issue I've heard can be condensation dripping onto the leaves acting as lenses to your lights and burning the leaves.

My frogbit is happier with better ferts and liquid carbon. Oh and removing the blind cave tetra that were munching the roots
 
Hey Vazkez, When my tank was covered in them, the tank was not as bright obviously, but plants below did fine. It was kind of a dark jungle scape. But all my plants did fine, but yet my tank is mostly crypts, hygrophila's and echinodorus, stauro repens so all easy demanding plants. I use to fill a 1 litre jug up with them and still have loads left nearly each week, they would all grow on top of each other and sink the ones below lol, but when I finned them out a bit the light seemed to penetrate through the gaps and all the tank was well lit again, so I guess its down to how much you cover the surface, as light from one end still reaches the other side if that makes sense, just the light is not directly above the plants below.
 
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