Small java fern in an empty tank..

[FreshyFresh]

Since we're talking plants I thought I'd share this... Bought these today, the first plants for our planted discus tank. Baby tears, the idea is to not see any substrate. Don't mind the goldfish, they are keeping the bacteria going for us.
View attachment 11510

FD, just out of curiosity, how would you keep the gravel/substrate clean if it was thickly covered? Heck I don't even have my 29 stocked yet and Im still puzzled as to how to vacuum the gravel without tearing the tank up.

I can see your *.jpg.. It just loads in another window, which then didn't let me back into my browser. Fun!!

Joel

 

[FishDad]

Parkedout, its supposed to cover the whole substrate. Were going to get some other ground covers as well incase some don't take. FF we were planning on getting a school of cory cats to do the scavanging. Also as far as fish waste goes it will ferilize the plants and pretty much be consumed. Even in my unplanted tanks the waste deteriorates into nothing rather quickly. I think it has to do with how much bb you have. Perhaps some of you guys who have been doing this longer can give some insight into that?

 

[FreshyFresh]

You need to have peaceful/calm fish to have a heavily planted tank though correct?

Cichlids = no plants?

 

[FishDad]

Yeah they will dig them up. Some people manage it though. Plants in my cichlid tank were a catastrophic failure. However my wife wants to do a planted discus tank, they won't disturb the plants.

 

[lauraf]

Parkedout, its supposed to cover the whole substrate. Were going to get some other ground covers as well incase some don't take. FF we were planning on getting a school of cory cats to do the scavanging. Also as far as fish waste goes it will ferilize the plants and pretty much be consumed. Even in my unplanted tanks the waste deteriorates into nothing rather quickly. I think it has to do with how much bb you have. Perhaps some of you guys who have been doing this longer can give some insight into that?

I have a pretty heavily planted tank. I use a thin hose - a piece of air line tubing - and hover it above my groundcover plants. It creates enough suction to lift out some debris, but not uproot the plants. And then I have tons and tons of Amano shrimp.

 

[OrangeCones]

Good Gosh, OC, trimming that much every week - how did you have time to do anything else? It does look like salad, I agree.

LOL Thyra! It only took about an hour per week to do water changes and plant trimmings on 8 tanks.

 

[Thyra]

You must have used a lawn mower and not been too selective to trim that much! Lol don't think I could have filled a 5 gal bucket weeding in the garden that quick.

 

[Parkedout]

Whoops wrong thread! Sorry