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Set up check - am I missing something?

F

freddiehill28

New Member
Joined
18 Jan 2021
Messages
5
Location
London
Hi all,

Just thought I would check my plants and my light and then get some feedback as required, hope that is okay. I have a reasonable amount of experience, but I would like a sanity check.

I am trying to keep this low-tech and easy to maintain.

Running a 25L cube aquarium, with an all pond solutions 5w nano light running for 9 hours per day.

Dosing 0.5ml of liquid CO2 daily, and then 1 pump of Tropica Specialised ferts once per week after a water change. Live in London so the water is very hard.

In terms of plants I have
  • Limnophila hertrophylla (doing fine)
  • Anubias Nana Petit (that have all but died off)
  • Dwarf hair grass (also not doing too well)
  • Java Fern (doing well)
  • Salvinia Auriculata (coving about 25% of the surface)
  • Heteranthera Zosterifolia (Seems to be a bit sparse in the tank, and not establishing well)
  • Hygrophila 53B (seems to be established well, but when I last had it it died off after a few months and I don't want that to happen again)
I think my main concern here is should I add more light? Also, how can I tell what my plants are lacking by looking at them?

If I wasn't to change anything, are there any plants I could add to the current set up that would work? I am looking at rotala rotundifolia to maybe add some more "bulk" at the back of the tank, do you think this would work? Should I just keep experimenting with what does work and carry on with what I am doing?

Thanks for any help you can provide to this newbee.

Freddie
 
Sorry for the ramble, feel free to move this thread if it is in the wrong place, but I couldn't find a forum for whole tank help.
 
The hair grass is a plant that really needs co2 (pressurised) to really thrive, I have tried it in a few low tech tanks without much success. For a carpeting plant, monte carlo is likely to fair better.

The hertrophylla (this can grow leggy in low light), java fern and anubias will all do well in the low light, I can't comment on the others as i have no experience with them, but likely a light/co2 issue.
 
Plant health looks pretty good to me, im not an expert but im sure some of them will be along shortly to correct me if they see anything amiss.

@dw1305 has developed a method called the Duckweed Index where you can use a floating plant to gauge the nutrient levels of your tank. Im sure you will be able to find a more indepth introduction to it if you search the forum here.

If you arent getting a lot of algae and youre generally happy with your tank I would be careful changing too much 🙂
If you want to try something its usually advised to change only one thing at a time, and then give it 3-4 weeks before deciding how it has worked out.

I think in low tech some plants will just do better than others, and some wont like it at all. So a little experimentation or googling for how others have done with the same plant low tech might be in order.

Your tank looks good to me and a very gorgeous betta :thumbup:
 
Nick potts said:
For a carpeting plant, monte carlo is likely to fair better.

The hertrophylla (this can grow leggy in low light)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestions here. Might throw in another light if I feel they don't grow well. It is only £12 a light!
Hufsa said:
@dw1305 has developed a method called the Duckweed Index where you can use a floating plant to gauge the nutrient levels of your tank. Im sure you will be able to find a more indepth introduction to it if you search the forum here.

If you arent getting a lot of algae and youre generally happy with your tank I would be careful changing too much 🙂
If you want to try something its usually advised to change only one thing at a time, and then give it 3-4 weeks before deciding how it has worked out.
Click to expand...
This sounds interesting, I will have to take a look and give it a go! I haven't had duckweed before and never imagined there could be an index about it 🙂

Good point about waiting a few weeks. I think I will give it another month, maybe add another plant and then gauge again. Take lots of photos and set up a journal I think.
 
Hi all,
Hufsa said:
Plant health looks pretty good to me
Click to expand...
Yes, looks OK to me as well and I'd be pretty happy with that.
Hufsa said:
a method called the Duckweed Index where you can use a floating plant to gauge the nutrient levels of your tank.
Click to expand...
freddiehill28 said:
I haven't had duckweed before and never imagined there could be an index about it
Click to expand...
Hufsa said:
you can use amazon frogbit instead, the method originally used duckweed hence the name, but Frogbit is more tolerant of acidic water and more easily controllable.
Click to expand...
Simple enough, basically you just use the growth and <"leaf colour of a floating plant"> to indicate when to add nutrients.

Because a floating plant isn't limited by light, or CO2, any problems with growth are likely to be related to fertiliser levels. Have a read through @jameson_uk threads <"Duckweed index says"> and <"Donation - Frogbit"> and the <"Scientific background to the Leaf Colour Chart">.
freddiehill28 said:
I am looking at rotala rotundifolia to maybe add some more "bulk" at the back of the tank, do you think this would work?
Click to expand...
Because you live in London, you could potentially have problems with <"Rotala rotundifolia and iron (Fe) availability">. Have a look at @Zeus. <"iron chelators post">.

cheers Darrel
 
From the little experience I have I would also be careful about adding more light. I had a similar tank a few months ago with an AquaEL Leddy (10w if I'm not mistaken) which I thought was a bit too much at times. I agree that some crypts will look nice (the smaller types of crypts). I actually found Hydrocotyle Tripartita to grow well in these situations - it won't be compact, but I found it to grow with out much fuss. If you wish you could place some between the two rocks and it should grow all over the place from there (provided you continue with ferts). I had some rotundifolia in there too, but the growth was very leggy so the growth will look different from what one sees online. Overall looking nice!
 
kschyff said:
I actually found Hydrocotyle Tripartita to grow well in these situations - it won't be compact, but I found it to grow with out much fuss.
Click to expand...
I’ve got a very similar set up (20 l cube, no CO2, quite hard water) nd my Hydrocotyle leucocephala grows like a (very attractive) weed - if you don’t mind its little hairy roots.
 
Oh, and my crypts and bucephalandra do well, albeit very slowly - unlike my frogbit which takes over and grows incredibly long roots: I’m swapping my floater to salvinia
 
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