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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 23, 2015 21:44:53 GMT -5
Hi! I'm preparing a fish tank, and I'm thinking of getting some Hemianthus to lay the bottom to create the carpet feel Anyone has the aquatic plants/ seeds to spare?
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Post by Dennis Z on Aug 23, 2015 22:10:06 GMT -5
I used to mess around with a lot of freshwater planted tanks in the past and just from my experience, I would say Hemianthus species (AKA dwarf baby tears) were quite difficult to grow into a carpet. They required intense lighting, C02 supplementation (though I did a DIY C02 diffuser which worked great) and a good substrate + fertilization. I can ask one of my friends if he still grows Hemianthus and I'll let you know if he has any available. Local fish stores should carry it as well, though it will be quite expensive for a small clump. If you want the carpet feel, can I recommend Sagittaria subulata? It's an easy grower and covers ground very fast.
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 23, 2015 22:37:07 GMT -5
OMG, thanks for the info, I didn't expect it to be hard to grow. I'm not planning on CO2 diffuser so seems like Hemianthus isn't for me!
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Post by vraev on Aug 24, 2015 13:44:07 GMT -5
Omg!! yes...HC cuba is a finicky plant to grow as a carpet. Not to mention, even when you get all the conditions down, the fertilization right... slight variation from the balance... excess photoperiod, excess light, excess nutrients can cause algal blooms which can totally ruin the tank. My short foray into aquariums showed me how freaking hard it is to actually maintain a nature aquarium... it requires constant work and the plants grow crazy fast under the optimal conditions.
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 24, 2015 15:22:57 GMT -5
Omg!! yes...HC cuba is a finicky plant to grow as a carpet. Not to mention, even when you get all the conditions down, the fertilization right... slight variation from the balance... excess photoperiod, excess light, excess nutrients can cause algal blooms which can totally ruin the tank. My short foray into aquariums showed me how freaking hard it is to actually maintain a nature aquarium... it requires constant work and the plants grow crazy fast under the optimal conditions. I'm so glad that I didn't order any plants! Thanks Vraev I guess I'm just gonna stick with white sand bottom xD
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Post by bonfield on Aug 24, 2015 17:18:46 GMT -5
U. graminifolia might be a good option. If you google it, there are some beautiful tanks just carpeted with it. (not my pic)
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 24, 2015 17:24:00 GMT -5
Wow, that's amazing. Do you think if the following Utris can be grown underwater? Utricularia Alphina Utricularia Bisquamata Utricularia Calycifida Utricularia Longifolia Utricularia Minutissima Utricularia Nephrophylla "white flower" Utricularia Pubescens "serra carcara" Utricularia Reniformis Utricularia Sandersonii Utricularia Subulata Utricularia Tridentata Otherwise I'll hunt for some graminifolia next time ordering CP
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Post by bonfield on Aug 24, 2015 17:33:24 GMT -5
A couple of those can be grown with high water levels, but none are aquatic. I have some U. graminifolia if that will save you some hunting, lol.
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 24, 2015 19:01:33 GMT -5
Nice! I'll buy it from you next time you have a sale
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Post by bonfield on Aug 24, 2015 19:59:05 GMT -5
Shouldn't be too long.
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Post by vraev on Aug 25, 2015 2:39:14 GMT -5
Omg!! yes...HC cuba is a finicky plant to grow as a carpet. Not to mention, even when you get all the conditions down, the fertilization right... slight variation from the balance... excess photoperiod, excess light, excess nutrients can cause algal blooms which can totally ruin the tank. My short foray into aquariums showed me how freaking hard it is to actually maintain a nature aquarium... it requires constant work and the plants grow crazy fast under the optimal conditions. I'm so glad that I didn't order any plants! Thanks Vraev I guess I'm just gonna stick with white sand bottom xD LOL! Look Willy...don't let us ward you off of aquatic plants. Given the proper conditions and care, they are truly very very rewarding and relaxing to look at. Here was my tank which I had temporarily in 2012. These nature aquarium setups require a lot of work early on. I would have to change water every single day in the first week or so. Then atleast every 3-4 days thereafter. I honestly didn't have it long enough to tweak the conditions correctly for it to stabilize long term...but you can see why it is such a delight to have. If I would make another tank, I would not hesitate to try this again. It is worth it for the beauty it offers. So try it...get some HC cuba if you can from Big Als or another store. Its only around $10 for a small cup. Try it out...experiment. I have even grown it emerged for a long amount of time. Try growing it and see how it goes. at the start: that is Riccia fluitans tied to some rock pieces that has become a carpet. Trust me it is super hard to have the water stay this clear for a prolonged period of time. This was taken right after a 50% water change. As I said...I still had sunlight from the side and the excess light led to algal blooms making the water greenish. And sometimes the fancy glass equipment (cheap knockoff from eBay) may not do a sufficient job for circulation, so you end up with the standard quality eheim inlet and outlet tubes Bottom line here is that you can have a lot of fun with this type of a tank. It is a rewarding experience to have a nice landscape like this in a tank. Way better than any barren tank with artificial plants. The fish also behave a lot nicer too and are more comfortable. Try out small...get a small tank and see if u can add in things slowly. Try a DIY CO2 setup... or try some anubias or ferns or willow moss/christmas moss which may not require CO2. You can do some wonderful things with cheap plants as well. To top it off, my cutest picture from my tank... Soo... cute...the fish was sleeping on the CO2 diffuser. haha! so awesome.
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 25, 2015 7:26:20 GMT -5
So nice! I will look into setting up something similar..! Are those Ottocinclus? I like them
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Post by vraev on Aug 31, 2015 3:34:43 GMT -5
So nice! I will look into setting up something similar..! Are those Ottocinclus? I like them Been busy so didn't see this until now.... but there are Oto cats...but not the focus of many of those pics. The focus is on my favourites... the siamese algae eaters. I love those fish...so cute. Definitely territorial though. So watch out. It got a bit tense when I put in 3...and then I went overboard and put in another 4. One jumped and I couldn't even find him anywhere on the carpet anymore. However, another jumped and luckily I turned on the light and found him before he almost died a few min later. They are super skittish and are amazing jumpers. It is recommended to have no more than 2 per 60cm tank. LOL!
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Post by WillyCKH on Aug 31, 2015 9:24:44 GMT -5
So nice! I will look into setting up something similar..! Are those Ottocinclus? I like them Been busy so didn't see this until now.... but there are Oto cats...but not the focus of many of those pics. The focus is on my favourites... the siamese algae eaters. I love those fish...so cute. Definitely territorial though. So watch out. It got a bit tense when I put in 3...and then I went overboard and put in another 4. One jumped and I couldn't even find him anywhere on the carpet anymore. However, another jumped and luckily I turned on the light and found him before he almost died a few min later. They are super skittish and are amazing jumpers. It is recommended to have no more than 2 per 60cm tank. LOL! They are really cute. I have one similar to yours, not sure if it's an ottocinclus or siamese algae eater though. I'm planning to get 2 ottocinclus in sept, so that shouldn't be too many for my tank
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Post by bcmosaic on Aug 31, 2015 11:48:54 GMT -5
Ottos are fine Willy. I prefer those to Siamese algae eaters. SAE eventually rely on you feeding them instreading of eating any algae. They get too agressive because like vraev said, they are territorial. Next time I see you I'll bring you a variety of Cryptocorynes, Anubias, narrow-leafed Java fern and water lettuce that babies (if you've got livebearers) like to hide in. No hi-tech needed for these plants - no CO2 and fert dosing. Easy. Can throw in some baby mollies (3) and 2 Rasboras Cheers
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