# [Wet Thumb Forum]-My tank



## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

Here is a photo of my progress so far. I aquired a massive watersprite and have pic of it for you all. Also a pic of my algae on my plant and rocks. I think it is hair but not positive.
I started adding fleet my NO3 is around 10 so I added PO4 to 1 using the fleet method. I also pick up some Flouish excel today and am going to try that. I am not injecting CO2 at the present time.


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

I like the arrangement. So long as the lighting isn't too high, you can likely survive without CO2. Hopefully, you can find a balance that will keep the algae in check.

Good luck,
Brian.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

You need allot more plants. Fast growing stem plants will help out immensely.

Hawk


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

OK what should I get that will survive cichlids, 2wpg, and now CO2. About how many more plants. I'm worried that I will be planting them to lose together. Or are aquatics plants different form regular plants. I like to spread them out, because I feel that if they are to close one will shade he other.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

Good plants for cichlid tanks are Anubias(many of which are indigenous of Africa), Java ferns, Aponogetan plants. All of these plants have tough leaves that can withstand the fish abuse. They are all also not as light intensive, but like you said, if you like'em spread out then they should be ok.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

Yeah SurWrathful is right. Anubias will take allot of abuse. I really like taking Java ferns and tying them to rock. then placing them to form caves. When it all grows in it looks like a big ball of ferns. The cichlids will love the caves. There are a number of different ferns and anubias that you can use. Depending on how aggressive your cichlids are you might try swords and crypts. 

Hawk


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

I have anubias, java ferns and cryps now. I was looking for a fast growing stem plants that wont get eaten like you suggested. Watersprite seems to be doing well. My Asian Ambulia has seen better days. It has new growth on it but the hair algae has seemed to kill the lower leaves. Also I left the metal band on it because it kept comming uprooted. Maybe it is planted to close together. Is leaving the metal band on a bad thing to do with stem plants. Its really tough in a cichlid tank because they like to dig some.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

Its going to hard to get plans to grow fast enough to use up that much NO3. You just don't have enough plants. The excel will help. It really doesn't matter what stem plant you get as you get some. I like Water Sprite and Ambulia for fast growing plants. Another good one is Cabomba is good too. when you get your plants ask if they have any extra plant weights. Most LFS save them from plants that didn't make it. use them to hold down two to three stems. If you get enough plants in there your fish can't destroy them all before them sprout a good roots. I wouldn't keep NO3 very high without allot of plants and CO2. I find that in my tanks without CO2 and 2w/gal the Anubias and ferns do very well. Get allot of them. I have a 15gal tank that is all Anubias, Ferns, and crypts. But the tanks is full of them. What I see is a problem with your tank is you have the correct NO3/PO4 but nothing to use it up. Believe me algae will.

Hawk


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

ok I'll have to get more plants. i unbanded the Hydro and Ambulia last night. The hydro stem was starting to turn yellow just below the band. I had a group of 4 and a group of 3 banded together. Now I just planted them seperate. The ambulia was banded together and has rooted well. I unbanded it and tried to spread it out a little. I think that I will get a couple more java ferns, anubias and some watersprite. The hair algae seems to be slowing down, or atleast not spreading.

So is it ok to use the metal bands around the stems?


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

> Originally posted by Bigstick:
> So is it ok to use the metal bands around the stems?


Yes...sometimes







. I've currently got a stand of Mayaca at the back of my tank. It grows quite quickly, and the bottom is hidden by plants in the front. So, I pick up the bunch, pull off the band and the bottom 1/3 of the plant, reattach the band and let it sink.

One trick with bands is getting them tight enough to hold to the plant, but not so tight that is crushes the stems. Practice helps here.

Also, there are some plants that don't like to be too tight, because it shades too much light at the bottom of the plants and causes leave loss.

So, IMO, it depends...
Brian.


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

I added about 5 more watersprite today, 4 more java fern,and some baccopa. My hair algae is starting to disappear. I started dosing with flourish excel last week as well. I have heard that overdosing of excel will kill off alage but I have only been dosing the required amount daily, so I think that I finally am getting my water under control thanks to all of you and your help.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

That's great to here. Just remember now that things are on the mend don't do any thing drastic. what I mean is if you change any think just do it one step at a time so you can all ways return to your base line. base line is the point that you tank is in balance with the lest amount of effort. I think of this point as my starting point for more advanced dosing and higher levels of CO2.

Hawk


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

Thats a great tip thanks alot


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

Tank is doing well. I have had good growth, so I though I add a little more ferts. I was only adding about half of the rec. dosage. of Kent Freshwater so I added another dose of 5ml and the next day had some algae, so i did a water change and all is better today. Just a little changes at a time is key I guess. 

Is there really a way to tell when you need more ferts?


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

Here is an updated pic. I'm going to add more plants sometime in the near future. What do you think so far. Has it improved?


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

You did just what you should have after seeing algae after increasing fert dosing. You can't just say what's the right amount to does. Every tank has to many variables that are unique to each tank. What you want is to build up a set routine of ferts and maintenance that has good steady plant growth without allot of effort. Then you can start tweaking out things like Fe or adjusting levels of NO3 to bring out the redness of some plant. But when making changes (one at a time) and something goes wrong you know your base line at which things work you can go back to. This works in a high tech as well as a low tech tank. Good job Bigstick!!

Hawk


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

All the plants are looking bigger, and soon the green will start to dominate the tank. Seeings how this is a Plant forum, that's what we like to see. Good progress!!


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

My tank was doing great, i had algae under control, but then my watersprite started to die off and now the that alage is starting to come back.

The watersprite grows very well then reached the top of the tank and then the stem starts to turn brown and then very srtingy. I have about 10-15 small watersprite floating at the top from the dead stems, when the roots get long enough I replant them. Is this normal of watersprite or is something wrong


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

Yes this is normal for watersprite. In the wild it grows as a floating plant. You can float the baby plants until they get a good roots and plant and also cut the brown stem from the main root. This will trigger new stems to start. Look at me plant data on my page ( MPIAquatics.com ) I have some info on watersprite.

Hawk


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