# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Guilt and Guidance.



## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

I have always kept plants - dry plants, and never worried about anything special. I have been able to grow beautiful roses, amazing cacti, even fruit trees, lemons, limes, figs, pommergranates, oranges, peaches, tomatoes.

I started venturing into water plants, and I have had success with a couple of them. But the more I read about underwater plants, the more I feel guilt for not doing anything special for my plant, and realize i need more and more guidance.

I read about substrates, soils, CO2, lighting, heaters, even different types of waters! I feel so lost! I feel like I am neglecting my plant...

Can anybody help me with the very basics, in plain english (another barrier is that English is not my native language), of what i need to have to properly take care of an "easy" plant, and which plant this is...

Also, will the CO2 or fertilizers or whatever the plants need affect my fish?


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

I have always kept plants - dry plants, and never worried about anything special. I have been able to grow beautiful roses, amazing cacti, even fruit trees, lemons, limes, figs, pommergranates, oranges, peaches, tomatoes.

I started venturing into water plants, and I have had success with a couple of them. But the more I read about underwater plants, the more I feel guilt for not doing anything special for my plant, and realize i need more and more guidance.

I read about substrates, soils, CO2, lighting, heaters, even different types of waters! I feel so lost! I feel like I am neglecting my plant...

Can anybody help me with the very basics, in plain english (another barrier is that English is not my native language), of what i need to have to properly take care of an "easy" plant, and which plant this is...

Also, will the CO2 or fertilizers or whatever the plants need affect my fish?


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

I'd suggest reading through www.rexgrigg.com. Rex can be a bit blunt at times, but he's got some very good guidance on most aspects of the planted environment.

As to plant recommendations, some of that will depend on what you are trying to achieve. Are you looking for a high-tech, high-light tank that can grow anything? Or a more basic, low-tech tank with a more limited plant selection? Based on what you've done with dry plants, I'm guessing you'll want to go high-tech. But, once you see the price (a starting estimate is $20-$25 per gallon for all the stuff needed), you might want to stay low-tech. You can really go most any route.

As to affecting your fish...there is always some risk. But, there are thousands of us out there doing it successfully. So long as you start slow and work up, you shouldn't see any problems.

Keep the questions a'comin!
Brian.


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

wow, you must live in a place with better climate than i do!! i couldn't grow half of those plants if i tried!

anyways, if you are just wanting to grow a few plants in your tank, you could just add a bit more light and a bit of fertilizer every now and then, if you want to have a huge tank full of plants, then do as bryan said and go all out with high tech muahahaha!!


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

I was able to grow all those plants when I lived in Mexico. *grin*
But I was successful in keeping roses and cacti alive in New Jersey and Miami.
I would like to stay low-budget low-tech limited selection for now... I am in the process of moving from beautiful SoCal to IL.
What type of fertilizer do you recommend? My plant seems to be doing really well without the special lighting for now, so I am not in a hurry about that one. But fertilizer? I am pretty sure it is not Miracle-Gro we're talking about, are we?
Are the light bulbs a special type or just any type of light? Are they found in different sizes? Are they found only in specialty stores?


One of these days I shall really try and post a picture of my low-budget 1 gallon tank with a betta fish and a plant.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

There are two types of nutrients, trace minerals and macro nutrients. Macros are what plants use in large amounts, trace minerals they use in small amounts. Both are just as important.

Macros include nitrogen phosphate and potassium, (N-P-K) Terrestrial plants use the same nutrients. Garden fertilizers are usually NPK. In the aquarium, nitrogen is provided by the fish in the form of nirate and ammonium. Plants need about 10ppm of nitrate in the water. Brighter light will spur faster growth and cause the nutrients to be used up faster. In this case you would need to add nitrate to the water if your fish population can not provide enough.

Trace minerals may be in your water already to some extent. Most fertilizers for aquariums are mostly trace minerals such as iron. What you add to the water depends on whats already in your water, just like what you fertilize your plants in an outdoor garden with depends on whats in your soil. This is the quick overview from me!


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

Though hard to quantify the amounts, but fish wastes are one plant food. You can feed your fish a bit more







.

A better option would be some of the Flouish products at your lfs (local fish store). Must like other plants, aquarium plants need N-P-K and micro nutrients. They want a different ratio then you would find in typical Miracle-Gro, but the concept is similar.

You might want to browse through the 'El Natural' (sp?) section of these boards, as you have lots of folks sticking with the lower tech, "more natural" (I guess) kind of tank/plant approaches.


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

Hmmm... I see.
I found out I have a 7watt bulb illuminating one plant (something Japonica, common name 'Kyoto'), and one fish, a betta, in a 1 gallon tank.

Is 7 watts enough? This is just a regular light bulb. Is a regular 7 watt bulb enough for this setting?


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

hmmm. that should be enough light i would think. the fishload is problbly ok also. i agree with bss, especially after hearing the small tank size, just a dab of flurish or flurish + iron once a week should do. 

you should also try some java moss, or some type of moss, they require very little to thrive. and it would help fill in some of the bottom space of the tank.


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

What I have in the bottom is just your regular sold-by-the-pound gravel. My kyoto is doing fine right there, but I am wondering if I should mix it with some sort of soil, if so what type of soil?


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

Have you read through rex griggs pages yet? i would guess not from some of your questions. Read them first, as they really do supply the answers to beginning questions. Seriously, its an easier place to start than waiting for people to reply. Writing stuff down as you understand it, in note for that you can use to remind yourself occasionally will help. I use a small notebook all the time. 
good luck. Sometimes its nice to have beginner questions around here, as there are ALWAYS more basics to learn! Keep them coming!

BEN


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

Thanks, Ben. I have read through SOME of the Rex Griggs pages, but not all of them. (Too short an attention span to sit glued through a whole website.)

I have definitely learned a bit through trial and error. I am scared about my little kyoto, but it seems to be surviving just fine.

As for my white ribbon, it ended up being not a completely underwater plant (pisses me off! They sold it as an aquarium plant; should have been sold as TERRARIUM or something with less water depth!) One of them died, but the other one is really thriving with just natural light, aquarium gravel and enough water to just cover the roots (or the gravel). It just grew two new leaves over this week! (*yay!*) And the leaves are strong and look very very healthy. It puts my roommate's earthplants to shame! HAH!

It gives me an idea to mix lucky bamboo and white ribbon for a cute, green, semi-underwater arrangement! But that's another story.

I worry about my fish and my kyoto, because they literally NEVER get natural sunshine. They stay in a server room in the office, and I keep them there, because I have noticed that people tend to forget they are stressed out and ready to kill the co-worker when they look at my betta happily swimming about, and hiding under the kyoto. It does wonders for everybody, and I think it is good to have around. The fact that I have a natural plant as opposed to a plastic decoration makes it all more attractive (there's a few other bettas in the company, but nobody really notices them) I would like to keep my fish and my plant in the office, and even though my kyoto is doing OK, I have this feeling it would be doing better with natural light. The tips of a couple of the leaves are turning yellow, and I don't know if that means excess of light or lack of nutrients or what! Any ideas?

I haven't found the flourish or flurish + iron, or the NPK combo specific for water plants (in an amount small enough that it is not ridiculous; only found like a 5lb bag for artifical pond plants!) So I smashed one grain of miracle-gro crystals, got about 1/3 of the little crystal, and sprinkled it in the water. I hope it does more good than damage!


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## Sockfish (Dec 6, 2004)

I have had a 5gal hex Eclipse set up in our work lounge for several years now. I houses a Betta and a batch of plastic plants. I'm on the verge of changing it to a simple planted set-up. 

I have a big order of Eco-complete that I got for my new 46 gal that I'm gonna dip into for the hex. Then just a few spare, low light plants. Maybe I'll post a "Before" and "After" photo set?!

Sultanita: Want me to send you a little batch of Eco-complete? How big is your betta tank--one gal? Be happy to!

Figs


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## Sultanita (Feb 24, 2005)

That would be awesome, figgy! thank you very much! My tank is 1 gal. Hopefully I get to post my poor little plant with my hyperactive betta soon. (need to figure out how to borrow a digicam from somebody)

I would be delighted to look at the before and after pictures!


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