From butcher to gardener: my journey towards a greener path

[fizzer]

Hi everyone,

My tank's been up and running for three years now, and I've been on a steep learning curve. I've bought loads of plants, but most have been a disaster - I was just chucking them in the gravel and expecting a miracle. I didn't know what I was doing, and it showed - the nitrates went through the roof and the plants turned into mush. I learned the hard way that buying ornaments to hide the mess isn't the answer - it's expensive and doesn't solve the problem.

I've recently beaten back a BBA outbreak, and I'm taking advantage of the break to replant. In the past, I've had some success with Water Wisteria and Moneywort - they were a bit spindly at first, but they perked up when I upgraded my lights. I've replaced the single LED strip on my Love Fish 64 panorama with an Interpet three-strip LED - I wish I had more technical info on it, but the box doesn't give much away. If anyone's used this setup, I'd love to know if it's any good for growing plants.

My substrate's Tetra Complete Substrate, but I think I've spread it too thinly - I'm planning to replace it in July. I'd love to get a CO2 setup, but funds have been tight - I've just found out that Fluval do a mini setup for under £100. Is it worth the money, or am I wasting my cash?

I'm in the process of switching filters - I've got a Fluval U2 seeding a new Fluval U3. The media sizes were different, so it was easier to run both for a bit rather than trying to cram the smaller stuff into the bigger filter. My tank's got a mix of fish and inverts - two Harlequin Rasborras, two Lioney Gourami, three bronze Cory, seven Zorchno shrimp, a pair of Bamboo shrimp, and six RCS. I'm not planning to change the stock until I get the planting and environment sorted.

Any advice would be brilliant - thanks in advance.

[techy]

I've been around planted tanks for ages, since joining this forum back in 2012. One thing I've learned is that most plant failures boil down to insufficient lighting. Those LED strips or bars might look and sound impressive, but trust me, they're not providing the kind of light plants need. The harder the plant, the more light it requires - and those cheap LED kits just won't cut it.

If you're willing to share, I'd love to know what kind of plants you're looking to grow. Throw some images and names my way and I'll do my best to offer some guidance. Every plant has its own unique needs, so it's essential to understand what you're working with.

Regarding CO2, I know it can be pricey, but if you're on a tight budget, I'd recommend exploring yeast CO2 production. Assuming you're in the UK, you can pick up tins of yeast from Tesco. Mix it with water and sugar in a 2L bottle, add an air pipe and air stone, and you've got a CO2 system for around £2 that'll last about a week. Just be aware that it's not the most controllable method, so you'll want to make sure you've got some solid LED or T5 lighting in place before adding CO2 to the tank. We can dive deeper into the details if you'd like.

Lastly, don't underestimate the importance of a good substrate. I know it sounds crazy to spend £40 on what looks like dirt, but a high-quality plant-based substrate can make all the difference in your tank's plant life.

[shakinStevens]

I recall having similar issues in the past. I wouldn't say CO2 is the solution here, as your tank likely already has around 400ppm. Instead, you could try using an air pump and air stone to improve aeration. I found that repositioning my filter output to create a small waterfall - about 1/2 inch - really helped to introduce more oxygen into the water.

Since upgrading your lighting, have you noticed any improvements in your plants? Or have you tried growing new ones? If you could share a link or a picture of the lamp you're using, that'd be great. It'd give us a better understanding of your setup. Also, could you share your current water parameters - nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and pH levels? Please include the actual numbers from your tests.

If your water is quite soft, a good complete fertilizer might be just what your plants need. They might be lacking in trace nutrients. I'd recommend either Brightwell Aquatics Florimulti or Seachem Flourish Complete. I've had good results with Seachem, and it's designed to provide a balanced mix of nutrients, excluding nitrogen and phosphates, which are usually present in fish waste.

I've used Seachem Flourish Complete with my shrimp, and I've seen normal behavior and even reproduction. However, please note that both of these fertilizers contain copper, which is essential for plant growth but can be toxic to shrimp at high levels. Fortunately, the amounts in these products are safe for shrimp.

[fizzer]

I'm still in the process of gathering my water parameters, so I'll have to post those later. In the meantime, I wanted to follow up on the lighting discussion. The LED strip I purchased is the Interpet three-strip LED, which is apparently 7.20 watts. However, I didn't get to see its full performance since I was dealing with the BBA issue and had to prune back and remove a lot of the plants.

I've been using tap water from the River Dee basin, which has a pH of 7.75 and a general hardness of around 12. For fertilizers, I've been adding 5ml of King British Aquatic Plant Food every week during water changes. I realize now that this is not sufficient for proper plant nutrition, and I need to make some changes.

Regarding fertilizers that contain copper, I'm a bit hesitant to use them since I lost some shrimp last summer due to pesticide exposure from plants I purchased from Pets At Home. However, if you've had success with Seachem and it doesn't affect shrimp, I might consider giving it a try.

I do have an Eheim air pump and stone, which I'm thinking of putting back in the tank to improve oxygen circulation. My Fluval U3 is currently on spray bar mode, but I think the air pump and stone might provide a more gentle flow. The Rasboras love surfing on the filter's top nozzle setting, but it can be a bit intense.

As for the lighting, I'm considering upgrading to a new hood with T5s. I'm not the most skilled at DIY, so I'll have to do some research to see if anyone has successfully adapted a tank like mine. My tank is essentially the Interpet one rebranded by Pets At Home.

[fizzer]

To be honest, I'm now seriously considering getting a new tank - the Fluval Roma 90. The reason for this is that upgrading my current tank's lighting to something more substantial would require buying conventional lights and, well, let's just say I'm not exactly a DIY whiz.

I've noticed that the Fluval 90 comes with T8 lights as standard. From what I've gathered on the forum, many people tend to upgrade from T8 to T5. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is, but I suppose it's something I should consider. There's a lot to think about, and as the new tank will set me back at least £179, I'm not going to rush into anything.

[eaglebay]

T5 lighting is generally more intense than T8 lighting, which in turn is more intense than T12 - it's a bit counterintuitive that the smaller diameter bulbs produce more light than the larger ones.

If you want to get a better understanding of the differences between these bulbs, this link gives a good rundown, although it's not specifically about fish tanks: https://www.hoveyelectric.com/hovey-... ... Bingo-Game.

Some folks also swear by T5HO (high output) for planted tanks - as the name suggests, it gives off a more concentrated light than standard T5.