Planting during startup

[Livtrasir]

It is usually recommended to plant heavily from the start and also a lot of plants are advised to be used only in stable water conditions. So I was wondering what approach is the most sensible in a brand new uncycled tank?
Do you plant everything you want in the tank immediately or do you have some step by step order in which you introduce different types of plants?

I'm planning a new tank after some years away from the hobby and having some trouble discerning what constitutes a 'delicate' plant, all I know is that I want to use a lot of cryptocorynes and they are genereally considered both easy and 'requires stable water conditions' so I'm unsure of what I'm going to do with that information.

 

[_Maq_]

Do you plant everything you want in the tank immediately or do you have some step by step order in which you introduce different types of plants?

There's no simple answer to this question, I think. It depends on variables which you did not mention. Yet you'll stay on the safe side if you introduce easy rapidly growing stem plants first. Plus some floating plants. The rest can be added later.
In a freshly established tank, crypts are often a source of disappointment.

 

[AlecF]

That approach I'd suggest is think of the species that can help shape the ecology, the tough simple plants, and then add the more sensitive one laters. That makes a lot off sense. In the end the water itself needs some living matter to interact with. Our ecologies form this way, with pioneer species, and then more vulnerable followers, wildflowers etc. I started with limnophillia and remember it was encouraging how well it did. It's the same with fish, there are species to start with, and species you can introduce when you and the tank are ready.

 

[G H Nelson]

It is usually recommended to plant heavily from the start and also a lot of plants are advised to be used only in stable water conditions. So I was wondering what approach is the most sensible in a brand new uncycled tank?
Do you plant everything you want in the tank immediately or do you have some step by step order in which you introduce different types of plants?

I'm planning a new tank after some years away from the hobby and having some trouble discerning what constitutes a 'delicate' plant, all I know is that I want to use a lot of cryptocorynes and they are genereally considered both easy and 'requires stable water conditions' so I'm unsure of what I'm going to do with that information.

Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!

The subject of using fast-growing stem plants as part of a filtering aid has cropped up a few times recently. This idea has been around for a long time so not new, it has benefits especially for a new set - up. I try and cover at least 50% of the water surface minimum. 1. Improves water...

www.ukaps.org

 

[MrClockOff]

There's no simple answer to this question, I think. It depends on variables which you did not mention. Yet you'll stay on the safe side if you introduce easy rapidly growing stem plants first. Plus some floating plants. The rest can be added later.
In a freshly established tank, crypts are often a source of disappointment.

In my case +1 to Staurogyne repens. Melted 3 times in first 2 months.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS @Livtrasir.

wondering what approach is the most sensible in a brand new uncycled tank?

Have a look at <"Seasoned Tank Time">.

<"Ammonia based cycling"> isn't really relevant to planted tanks, it is the plants (and <"their associated microbes">) that provide the biofiltration. Basically when your plants are in active growth, and their biomass is increasing, the tank is fish-safe.

Have a look at <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">

Yet you'll stay on the safe side if you introduce easy rapidly growing stem plants first. Plus some floating plants. The rest can be added later.

can help shape the ecology, the tough simple plants, and then add the more sensitive one laters

In my case +1 to Staurogyne repens. Melted 3 times in first 2 months

In a freshly established tank, crypts are often a source of disappointment.

That one really, <"I like floating plants"> because they have access to atmospheric gases and their photosynthetic surfaces (leaves) don't get covered with algae. Any quick growing plant will help, and @GHNelson 's <"floating stems really work">.

Have a look at plants from the <"plant details - Tropica Aquarium Plants">.

cheers Darrel

 

[PARAGUAY]

Crypts can be a bit of an enigma, but often they will recover after any melt .Many discard them only to find a lovely root system ready to refresh the plant

 

[Mat H]

Crypts can be a bit of an enigma, but often they will recover after any melt .Many discard them only to find a lovely root system ready to refresh the plant

I've always found them to be largely bulletproof, in fact in my old low tech tank they took over completely.

The crypt's here were moved from my old low tech into this new high tech and they didn't bat an eyelid - no sign of melt at all.

 

[erwin123]

I've always found them to be largely bulletproof, in fact in my old low tech tank they took over completely.

The crypt's here were moved from my old low tech into this new high tech and they didn't bat an eyelid - no sign of melt at all.

One thing in the Crypts' favour in your situation is that the water you use for your old and new tanks are likely to be the same (same source, equally mature). Hence less likely to melt.

If Livtrasir is starting a new tank and basically water from the tap, he might not have the same luck as you with Crypts. Not to mention that many Crypts are sold in emersed form so there is some time needed for conversion, whereas 'easy' stem plants start growing like weeds from the get go.

One more thing to mention is that 'tissue culture' (C. Flamingo is often sold TC) Crypts are considered delicate....

 

[Mat H]

One thing in the Crypts' favour in your situation is that the water you use for your old and new tanks are likely to be the same (same source, equally mature). Hence less likely to melt.

If Livtrasir is starting a new tank and basically water from the tap, he might not have the same luck as you with Crypts. Not to mention that many Crypts are sold in emersed form so there is some time needed for conversion, whereas 'easy' stem plants start growing like weeds from the get go.

One more thing to mention is that 'tissue culture' (C. Flamingo is often sold TC) Crypts are considered delicate....

Yes I probably should have been a little clearer in my bulletproof reference to really be 'when established and already transitioned to immersed'.

My old tanks were however both rock hard unadulterated London water but are both are now cut half and half with RO or rain water as well as the addition of CO2/higher lights, though the high tech nature may have offset the transition somewhat and it did of course help that I was moving already immersed plants - which I probably should have highlighted.

Indeed my Crypt Flamingo (tissue culture) transitioning was/is slower but getting there, and whilst not to the same extent, my Nurii Rose took a while to settle too though a little patience has seen it explode in the last couple of weeks.

I believe Crypts are one of those plants that will initially put all effort into laying down roots (and Crypts have mightily impressive root systems) even if to the detriment of the leaf system, so patience is pretty key especially if they're being 'dramatic'.

Finally, I have also always pinched the roots and stripped back older leaves when moving Crypts, and similar plants, between tanks but still always leave a reasonable root system.

 

[Livtrasir]

Guess I'll be starting out with a bunch of egeria densa and whatever other fast stems that happens to be cheap

I'm going to avoid tissue cultures anyway, early this year I helped stock up a relative's aquarium with some new plants and 8 months in everything from a tc-cup is barely growing and just slowly dying of one by one while the potted plants are all doing great.

 

[_Maq_]

I'm going to avoid tissue cultures anyway, early this year I helped stock up a relative's aquarium with some new plants and 8 months in everything from a tc-cup is barely growing and just slowly dying of one by one while the potted plants are all doing great.

I agree that TC plants are sometimes problematic in the beginning, but if you're seriously in aquatic plants you often can't avoid them. Some species are available only in the form of tissue culture. If you face difficulties with all of them, perhaps you could provide more details about your tank.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Do a dark start for a few weeks and then plant your crypts. You don’t need to worry about liquid rock London water. They naturally grow in water high in carbonates.

You don’t necessarily need to worry about CO2 either, they can utilise carbonates as a source of carbon. But CO2 will definitely be appreciated.

Either way, chances are they’ll melt and loose leaves, but will grow back again to suit your particular parameters. They have a diverse leaf morphology and plastic response to their environment.

They may sulk for a while but be patient. Once their roots become established there’s usually no stopping them 😉

 

[Mat H]

Do a dark start for a few weeks and then plant your crypts. You don’t need to worry about liquid rock London water. They naturally grow in water high in carbonates.

You don’t necessarily need to worry about CO2 either, they can utilise carbonates as a source of carbon. But CO2 will definitely be appreciated.

Either way, chances are they’ll melt and loose leaves, but will grow back again to suit your particular parameters. They have a diverse leaf morphology and plastic response to their environment.

They may sulk for a while but be patient. Once their roots become established there’s usually no stopping them 😉

I can concur, as mentioned the Crypts pretty much took over the last low tech iteration of my main tank which had been largely neglected - hard London water, less than ideal T8 fluorescent, no CO2 and the Crypts flourished (albeit their colouring is better under the higher light on my high tech).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Guess I'll be starting out with a bunch of egeria densa and whatever other fast stems that happens to be cheap

I'd strongly recommend some floating plants. It doesn't really matter which one, but my "go to plant" is Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart"">.

The advantages of a floating plant are:

• Access to atmospheric gases, including 420 ppm CO2 <"Global Monitoring Laboratory - Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases">.
• First dibs on the light, and <"adaptation to intense PAR">.
• Aerial leaves that won't become cloaked in algae.

cheers Darrel