Freshwater plants???
- Thread starter Jwoody
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The plant commonly sold as "White Ribbon" is not an aquatic plant. Dracaena sanderiana is a bog plant and can live a few months at the most submerged before it melts and decays.
A lot of ferns are non-aquatic, but several sold as ferns are (Java fern being a commonly sold true aquatic plant). Is it Trichomanes javanicum? If so, it is not aquatic. http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=281
Sadly, a lot of pet stores sell non-aquatic plants and put them in an aquarium. My own LFS sells regularly 'Mondo Grass' and 'Bamboo,' neither of which is aquatic.
Pics would be helpful to identify the plant and tell you how best to care for them.
Where are you going to put these three fish in a few months? They will grow way too large for a 20 gallon tank.
A lot of ferns are non-aquatic, but several sold as ferns are (Java fern being a commonly sold true aquatic plant). Is it Trichomanes javanicum? If so, it is not aquatic. http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=281
Sadly, a lot of pet stores sell non-aquatic plants and put them in an aquarium. My own LFS sells regularly 'Mondo Grass' and 'Bamboo,' neither of which is aquatic.
Pics would be helpful to identify the plant and tell you how best to care for them.
Where are you going to put these three fish in a few months? They will grow way too large for a 20 gallon tank.
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I think i will be gettin a bigger tank for them sometime in the near future(the fish are still very small though).
I can already tell, some of the leaves on the white ribbon are already starting to die off. but as far as the gravel goes, will that work for plants?? its just the plain small rocks that come in the bag at the store? Do you know of any good plants that you would recomend?? i have attached the pictures of the two types of plants that i have.
I can already tell, some of the leaves on the white ribbon are already starting to die off. but as far as the gravel goes, will that work for plants?? its just the plain small rocks that come in the bag at the store? Do you know of any good plants that you would recomend?? i have attached the pictures of the two types of plants that i have.
Attachments
Both of those plants are houseplants. Put them in a pot by a window, they will do just fine.
If you have 15 watts over a 20gallon high tank, you are very limited in the type of plants you could grow. You can use mosses, true aquatic ferns (java fern and African fern for example), and any anubias species. None of those plants need any type of substrate, as they grow attached to decorations (like rocks or driftwood).
A plant you can grow IN the substrate in low light would be any of the Cryptocoryne species. They are not fussy on the type of gravel. You can also use sand with them.
Check out this link: PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide
With it, you can search by lighting type (you have low light) and also see what to avoid when going plant shopping (they have a non-aquatic plant section).
Good luck!
If you have 15 watts over a 20gallon high tank, you are very limited in the type of plants you could grow. You can use mosses, true aquatic ferns (java fern and African fern for example), and any anubias species. None of those plants need any type of substrate, as they grow attached to decorations (like rocks or driftwood).
A plant you can grow IN the substrate in low light would be any of the Cryptocoryne species. They are not fussy on the type of gravel. You can also use sand with them.
Check out this link: PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide
With it, you can search by lighting type (you have low light) and also see what to avoid when going plant shopping (they have a non-aquatic plant section).
Good luck!
yes like orange said you need to get rid of all those sharks as soon as possible. the aggressiveness is going to start getting higher and both will grow fairly quick. in a year and a half i had a bala go from 3" to like 11". he was gigantic. and also like OC said, balas need to be in a school of MIN 3 but you really should have 5 or more and expect with 5 or more if you want them to be happy you will probably be looking at getting a 125 or larger. you are going to need a tank that is like 6' long and 2' deep so they can have plenty of swimming room. they can get destructive to the tank accessories and themselves if not housed in a proper tank.
i would get rid of them asap or take them back if its still within the time frame and switch for something else. its harder to get rid of the longer you put off. trust us weve all been there. also out of curiousity how long have you had your tank setup?
also the red tail can become quite aggressive once it reaches about an inch more. beware of aggressiveness and bullying all these things can stress and kill a fish. one may not let the other eat. bala's are generally peaceful until they reach about 6" plus so know that they will be like a doormat to the redtail and thats too much stress. could they be housed together in a bigger tank yes
i would get rid of them asap or take them back if its still within the time frame and switch for something else. its harder to get rid of the longer you put off. trust us weve all been there. also out of curiousity how long have you had your tank setup?
also the red tail can become quite aggressive once it reaches about an inch more. beware of aggressiveness and bullying all these things can stress and kill a fish. one may not let the other eat. bala's are generally peaceful until they reach about 6" plus so know that they will be like a doormat to the redtail and thats too much stress. could they be housed together in a bigger tank yes
I'm wondering this as well. I was thinking about putting down fertilized soil, like Ecosomplete or something, then putting down gravel and planting the roots in the gravel to give them some sort of anchor, then sand on top. I'd have snails (whichever type isn't harmful to plants) to mix it up and keep anaerobic bacteria from building up anywhere. Would this work, or are there ways I can grow plants in sand better?
Eco Complete is not a soil, it is an aquarium gravel formulated to help plants grow.
You can use it alone or cover it with something like sand or another gravel. Keep in mind that whenever you mix different types of substrate, it will get mixed together over time, especially with snails and fish that like to dig around.
You can use it alone or cover it with something like sand or another gravel. Keep in mind that whenever you mix different types of substrate, it will get mixed together over time, especially with snails and fish that like to dig around.