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Wanting to Add Live Plants

710 views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  thekoimaiden 
#1 ·
Hello All!

I am wanting to add some live plants to my tanks and have seen the great sticky with recommendations of which kinds to use, but I am still wondering a few things about live plants.

1. Do they need a fertilizer additive or does that just depend on the kind of plant?

2. How long can they generally stay alive?

3. Any special procedures for when I do water changes?

4. What is YOUR favorite plant, and why, and where can I find it?

Thanks!!
 
#2 ·
Yay! Another converter to the live plant guild! :-D

1. There are some plants that don't need ferts, but all plants will benefit from them. I use them even in tanks where the plants don't need them just to get better growth. In a heavily planted tank, they are highly recommended, but if you just have a few plants in the tank, you won't need them.

2. A loong time. My oldest plant is around 5 years old, but I'm sure some other members have plants older than that. There are some plants that will have a shorter life span, but for the most part plants will stay alive a loooong time.

3. I guess it depends on what kind of tank you have. I have cycle tanks and never do 100% water changes, so I don't really worry about the plants and changes. I just leave them in there and do my 40% changes as normal. The one thing I do worry about with water changes is when to dose ferts. Because the water conditioner I use will bind up some of the nutrients in the fert, I wait 48 hours after a water change to dose my ferts.

4. My favorite plant? I've got a few. I love the broad leaves and simplicity of anubias. I love the way they look rooted to driftwood. Marimo balls are also really neat. Water sprite is becoming another favorite. Their delicate leaves across the surface are a beautiful sight and the roots that hang down make excellent hiding spots for bettas. Marimo and anubias are easily found at Petsmart. While I haven't seen water sprite at my Petsmart, it seems like some stores might carry them.
 
#3 ·
1. All plants benefit from having ferts and will grow faster if conditions are right

2.Most plants will just keep growing if conditions are good, and stem plants you can just cut and plant the trimming, so one stem plant will become two, then 4 and so one, so a very long time

3.Don't shove the gravel vac, right down where the plants is and be gentle while doing it.

4. Ludwigia, it gets redish in good lights with iron which colors up the tank, wisteria, it is just a beast plant and can be found at almost every place that sells plants ( The leaves grow in different forms though) and of course anubias because the just keep growing, they can literally found every where.

You should have plant specific bulbs or most plants will just die, get a florescent light bulb that has a color temperature or kelvin rating around 6500k. They make them in all sizes and shapes, it can be a long tube or even just a screw in bulb like a normal looking light bulb.
 
#4 ·
What about bamboo? Or banana plants, onion plants, or java moss. Those all sit on top of the substrate so I'm not sure they need extra nutrients. Just be careful of snails! My tank is infested with them and they're going to starve my Mystery Snail. :-( I wish I could rent a clown loach. ;-) Wouldn't that be cool? Anyway, here is a site with some interesting plants and advice about snails http://www.plantedaquariumscentral.com/Information_on_Snail_Dip.html
 
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