Fish: Re: [tropical fish club] Plant question

Thanks, Dawn, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank. It is at 78 degrees.
PH is 8
Nitrates are about 25 -30 after a PWC today.
Nitrites are zero
Ammonia is high but we have talked about this being
a false positive on the Ammonia. I think the tank has cycled
as the fish are doing fine and I know there is bacteria in the tank.
I added Dr. Tim's One and Only a couple weeks ago.
The tank is 10 weeks old.
I have a hood with LED lighting.
The guy I got the plant from said it was perfect lighting for
that plant.

Yes, I was impulsive when I got this plant. I wanted to try
to see it I could grow live plants in the tank. I should have done
more research.

And yes, this is a messy plant. I took pictures of it and hope to
have them in my album very soon.

I would love some advice on how to switch over from plastic to
live plants. I think the fish would like it too. Would love some plants
that are not messy! I am about ready to throw this one out! More
trouble than it is worth! LOL!

I have 4 neon tetras, 2 platys, 2 guppies, 2 Cory cats and 3 small angel
fish.
Yes, I added a few new fish to the tank last week. All fish are fine.
Did a 10% PWC today.

Thanks,
Connie

-------Original Message-------

From: Dawn Moneyhan
Date: 11/4/2012 11:08:49 AM
To: tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [tropical fish club] Plant question

Connie, can you post a clear photo of the new plant please? There are many
different species of plants that have needle-like leaves on them and just
because it was left to float in the store tank doesn't really mean much...
especially if the guy didn't know what species it was.
IF this is hornwort it needs plenty of nutrient level and plenty of light to
do well. It sounds as if you have the nutrient level, but you haven't
mentioned what kind of light you're using over your tank? Water temp also
matters with hornwort. It does better in warmer water (76 - 82) Hornwort
tends to drop its leaves when it's moved to a new environment unless it is
acclimated properly and slowly, and even then some dropping of leaves is to
be expected. It's a messy plant. You'll want to remove all of the loose
plant debris from the tank, especially anything that collects at the filter
intake. Not only will this slow down the water flow from your filter (and
make the motor work harder than it should) but as that debris sits in there
it begins to break down which will quickly contribute to raised ammonia
levels within the tank.

There is no reason why you can't grow healthy live plants in a gravel
substrate, I've been doing it for 20 yrs. While there are a few select
plants that grow better in a specialized plant substrate, the majority of
aquatic plants should do just fine in standard gravel as long as their other
needs are met (nutrients, light, temp).

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it to you yet, but it's not a healthy
habit to buy something that you don't know what it is, bring it home, and
then quick scramble to figure out what to do with it. Plants, like fish,
have their specific needs that must be met in order for them to survive and
thrive. Knowing ahead of time if you can meet those needs not only saves
you money but a lot of mess in situations where you don't have the proper
environment for something to do well.

If you could briefly tell me what size tank this is, what light you're
running over it, water temp, and what kind of fish you have in your tank, I
may be able to suggest some plants for you that will do well in your created
environment.

Dawn

Dawn Moneyhan
Aquatics Specialist/Nutritionist
To learn more about me go to
http://www.helium.com/users/449334

--- On Sun, 11/4/12, Connie Watson <clw51@cox.net> wrote:

From: Connie Watson <clw51@cox.net>
Subject: [tropical fish club] Plant question
To: "Tropical Fish Club" <tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Sunday, November 4, 2012, 11:22 AM

OK, I got a floating plant for the tank.

The dealer guy runs his own store and had a tank full

of different plants. Looked healthy enough....

So I asked about a hearty floating plant.

He pulled one out and didn't say the name of it.

I bought it and it is in the tank after inspection from

me and some pruning off brown areas.

Best I can guess from looking on line is it is

some varitey of hornwort.

My question is does this type plant leave its tiny

"needles" of leaves floating all around the tank?

This plants leaves come off the main plant very easily.

Just me moving the plant gently with one finger makes

a "mess" in the tank. They are starting to "clog" the filter

uptake, however, not too badly yet. But it looks terrible in

my humble opinion.

Is this a passing phase of a new plant in the tank? It hasn't

helped the ammonia levels at all. The Nitrites remain at

zero and the Nitrates at around 30.

Do I need more plants? Was this a bad choice for a floating plant?

I am just so new to live plants I just don't know a thing about how to

have them in a tank.

I don't think I have the proper substrate for "growing" plants in the tank.

All I have is the gravel.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Connie

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