Re: Do these suggestions sound good?
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 9:08 am
Anubias aren't floating plants, they need to be tied or glued to a rock or something. That plant substrate you're using won't do much for Anubias or Java Fern.
You should think about the lighting schedule for your tank. I've found that stress from the lights coming on when the room is dark can be a real issue for the fish. They don't have eyelids, so going from complete dark to bright light is a shock.
Try opening the curtains or turning on the room light at least 30 minutes before turning on the tank light. This helps reduce the stress on the fish. At night, turn on the room light before turning off the tank light, and wait a bit before turning off the room light. This lets the fish settle down.
It's a good idea to keep the lights on at the same time every day. If you can, use a timer. If your light unit is programmable, start with a low setting and increase the brightness over time. Do the opposite in the evening and gradually reduce the light.
If you don't have live plants, you only need the light on for a few hours in the evening. But if you do have live plants, you can have the lights on for 8-16 hours a day. Just make sure the fish and plants get 8 hours of darkness to rest.
I've found that most aquarium plants like a bit of light, so if you only have the light on for a couple of hours a day, they'll struggle. If the light doesn't have enough wattage, they'll struggle too. Try having the tank lights on for 10-12 hours a day. If you get lots of green algae, reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor it.
Some plants will close their leaves when they've had enough light. When you see this happening, wait an hour and then turn off the lights. Plant lights should have equal amounts of red and blue light, and a bit less green light.
It's also worth noting that lots of plants sold as aquarium plants are actually marsh plants. They do well when their roots are in water and the rest of the plant is above water. Some marsh plants will do well underwater too.
Hair grass and Anubias aren't true aquatic plants. Some common marsh plants include Zorchzon sword plants, Cryptocorynes, and Hygrophila. True aquatic plants include Ambulia, Cabomba, and Hornwort.
If you add an iron-based aquarium plant fertilizer, it will help most aquarium plants do well. Iron-based fertilizers have other nutrients too, but iron is the main ingredient. Liquid iron-based fertilizers tend to be better than the tablet forms.
Finally, there's no point adding carbon dioxide (CO2) until you have the lights and nutrients worked out. Even then, you don't need CO2 unless the tank is completely full of plants and only has a few small fish in it. There's always a source of CO2 in the tank from the fish, bacteria, and air mixing with the water.
You should think about the lighting schedule for your tank. I've found that stress from the lights coming on when the room is dark can be a real issue for the fish. They don't have eyelids, so going from complete dark to bright light is a shock.
Try opening the curtains or turning on the room light at least 30 minutes before turning on the tank light. This helps reduce the stress on the fish. At night, turn on the room light before turning off the tank light, and wait a bit before turning off the room light. This lets the fish settle down.
It's a good idea to keep the lights on at the same time every day. If you can, use a timer. If your light unit is programmable, start with a low setting and increase the brightness over time. Do the opposite in the evening and gradually reduce the light.
If you don't have live plants, you only need the light on for a few hours in the evening. But if you do have live plants, you can have the lights on for 8-16 hours a day. Just make sure the fish and plants get 8 hours of darkness to rest.
I've found that most aquarium plants like a bit of light, so if you only have the light on for a couple of hours a day, they'll struggle. If the light doesn't have enough wattage, they'll struggle too. Try having the tank lights on for 10-12 hours a day. If you get lots of green algae, reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor it.
Some plants will close their leaves when they've had enough light. When you see this happening, wait an hour and then turn off the lights. Plant lights should have equal amounts of red and blue light, and a bit less green light.
It's also worth noting that lots of plants sold as aquarium plants are actually marsh plants. They do well when their roots are in water and the rest of the plant is above water. Some marsh plants will do well underwater too.
Hair grass and Anubias aren't true aquatic plants. Some common marsh plants include Zorchzon sword plants, Cryptocorynes, and Hygrophila. True aquatic plants include Ambulia, Cabomba, and Hornwort.
If you add an iron-based aquarium plant fertilizer, it will help most aquarium plants do well. Iron-based fertilizers have other nutrients too, but iron is the main ingredient. Liquid iron-based fertilizers tend to be better than the tablet forms.
Finally, there's no point adding carbon dioxide (CO2) until you have the lights and nutrients worked out. Even then, you don't need CO2 unless the tank is completely full of plants and only has a few small fish in it. There's always a source of CO2 in the tank from the fish, bacteria, and air mixing with the water.