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New to the planted tank...

Suzanah

Seedling
Joined
16 Dec 2013
Messages
8
This is my first time trying so here goes.

I'm new to the planted tank and I've tried to add easy low care, lower light plants. There's rotala rotundifolia, java fern, some link of anubias and marimo moss balls along with a fairly large piece of driftwood. I haven't added fish yet. It was set up a few days ago and everything seems to be doing pretty good except the anubias. I'm using API Leaf Zone Plant as a fert. The tank is sitting at about 78 F right now. Is this normal for anubias to do this? Does it take them a little while to settle in like crypts do?

This is the vid I have:
 
Hi Suzannah, nice tank. I'd try a couple of changes if you want some real growth from your plants. using an air driven filter will drive off any co2 in the tank which your plants need. You can add co2 yourself using some of the pressurised kits available or a product like liquid easycarbo. There is some good reading in the 'articles section of the UKAPS page. Enjoy :)
 
Hiya. The anubias on the left and I think right isnt the same as most anubias. It can only stay submerged for so long it needs its leaves out of water that's whay you have been struggling with those. Its not a deficiency or lack of co2 etc.

Api leaf zone I believe also doesn't contain all the necessary nutrients needed by plants but other than the anubias it all looks very healthy

To an extent air driven filters can drive off co2 but this isnt a co2 injected tank and it will actually bring in atmospheric co2.
 
Ah. So that would explain the problem then. There's not much I can do about that the way things are (has sad). This could very well be the issue as I don't know the specific type of Anubias. The rest are doing great. :) I did my research the best that I could (and talked to other planted tank people) to chose plants that generally aren't picky and don't necessarily need fertilizer or CO2 injections. If they were the Anubias Nana Then they probably would have been fine.

Thanks Alistair.

I'm thinking about fertilizers and am wondering about a good one that won't harm shrimp or invertebrates (future thinking).

It's being set up as a betta home. I'm also going to add 2 oto cats and a couple ghost shrimp that should make a more complete ecosystem.
 
As to fertilizers this is the other one I have easy access to. I've heard it's quite good: sera florena. If it's better (as it seems) then I'll definitely switch. Also I plan on adding some ghost shrimp. I've seen a lot about copper being bad for shrimp and was wondering if it would be all right.
 
anubias are flowering plants, they don't produce these on long stems that emerge from the water. This suggests that many or most anubias would spend a period of time out of the water in order for pollination to occur. I guess, in their habbitat, rivers wax and wane with the seasons. Some anubias sp are undoubtedly better equipped to spending longer periods submerged.
 
As to fertilizers this is the other one I have easy access to. I've heard it's quite good: sera florena. If it's better (as it seems) then I'll definitely switch. Also I plan on adding some ghost shrimp. I've seen a lot about copper being bad for shrimp and was wondering if it would be all right.

Its anubias hastifolia you have which csn only survive completely submerged for so long before it rots away like it appears to be doing. It prefers just its roits under water.
Any other anubias is fine underwater all year round.

As for the sera plant food, again unfortunately this doesnt contain nitrates or phosphates either which plants need.
The sponsors sell all in one complete ferts of their own which will last you a long long time and are far cheaper than buying branded almost water based products.

Try fluid sensor online or aquarium plant food for their own all in one and if not using co2 just dose half or a 3rd the recommended dose :)
 
Alright. Thanks for getting back to me about the anubias. I've moved the anubias this morning (I'm glad I did now) to my nano tanks where the leaves can hang out. I hope they perk up there. It's easy enough to cut the fert dose down and, hey, saving the $$ is always handy. I'll look into the fertilizer you've recommended. Is is all right to ask for a link or links to where I can get some of the fertilizer as I'm not completely sure what I'm looking for. It would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have breeding tanks with the same type of air driven filters, no co2 addition, but I have used pond soil substrate under fine gravel in some tanks, in others a clay based substrate on its own ( like ADA, TMC, Colombo etc). You dont actually need to add co2 to grow plants, but you do have to be patient. I also have tanks with anubias in and just plane gravel. The anubias rhizomes should never been buried, but they can sit on top or with the roots covered. The plants all grow, just very slow progression.
 
Thank you very much. And I think the anubias is looking a little better on a couple of the leaves since I've moved it. These two ferts are much better in price compared to what I have now. Now all I have to find out is if they can ship here to Canada.
 
Thank you very much. And I think the anubias is looking a little better on a couple of the leaves since I've moved it. These two ferts are much better in price compared to what I have now. Now all I have to find out is if they can ship here to Canada.
There should be plenty of options closer to home. Maybe look at tom barr's website for info.
 
I'll do that and see what I can come up with. Thanks again.
 
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