Planted tank is it this tough?

Kolkata Aquarium ClubFishkeeping Simplified

Planted tankIs it that tough?

Proper understanding of mother nature can help you create a rainforest stream on your table-top.


WHAT EXACTLY DO AQUATIC PLANTS NEED?

same basic requirements as plants you see around.

1.Most important is light2.A substrate for anchoring roots and fertile enough to

support monster feeders if you have3.Next is CO2 (present in water but not sufficient to support

luxuriant growth as such)4.Nutrients in the water column5.Optimum temperature6.Suitable water parameters should not be ignored

( hardness, pH,etc)

If you have these things right, nothing can stop you from creating a greenery in your artificial cube.


LIGHT- How much and what kind?

l This one one of the FAQs. now consider normal sunlight. normally the photosynthetic spectrum consists of mostly 6000-7000 K. Thus we get an idea that 6500 K tubes or bulbs can do good. Some even use 8000 K ones which are costly and hard to come by but they do great in penetrating to the bottom.

l Now watts per gallon rule is almost getting obsolete but still with good spectrum of lighting we generally use not less than 2 wpg. in case of LEDs its way less.

l Photoperiod- should be 8 to 10 hrs maximum.


Choice of lights:

PLL: this is suitable for beginners as its handy, high output and low cost. Tubes: T8- they are good no doubt but their penetration is lower than newer T5s. T5HO- these are the preffered ones mostly and they do come with integrated

fixtures.they are suitable for wide variety of plants. MH- they are very costly and generate too much of heat. Thus not recommended

generally in our climate. LEDs- the new generation of planted tank owners around the world are being drawn

into LEDs. the main benefits are:1. long life2. low power consumption3. output maintained for a long time.4. efficiency is maximum5. dimming feature in addition to above for mimicking sunrise and sunset.

Some suggestions regarding lights: in case of tubes try to replace the tubes after 6 months because the output decreases considerably reducing efficiency in photosynthesis


THIS IS EXACTLY THE LIGHTING I USE

It provides complete spectrum.


Filtration -why do you need?

A mechanical filtration should be there at least to make the water clear so that light rays are not lost while travelling to the bottom.

On the other hand biological filtration in a planted tank is intense as the beneficial bacts usually occupy each and every corner of the tank.

However more stable conditions could be achieved by using canisters and sumps however this can be ignored if the tank is carefully maintained.

The flow rate should be optimum and care to be taken to avoid dead spots in water circulation. this involves equal distribution of nutrients.


SUBSTRATEyou can make it by yourself but make sure you know exactly how to do it.Some DIY options include:1. Garden soil and compost mix2. Laterite and soilrite 3. Laterite alone with peat

All of these are topped with 2 mm or any other kind of gravel to avoid copen contact with water column. In addition vermicompost has to be processed for 6 months to a year before using otherwise dont be surprised to see methane and H2S volcanoes in your tank.

commercial grade options4. 1. ADA aquasoil 5. 2. Contro soil6. 3. Caribsea eco complete7. 4. Seachem fluorite8. 5. Fondo vivo9. 6. Sera floredpot10. 7. JBL florabase

the thing with commercial grade substrates is that most of them are loaded with too much nutrients and a lot of water changes are needed initially to remove the leached nitrates and phosphates.


This is the substrate I have been using in all my tanksNote the layering


Carbon dioxide --- how important is it?

l This forms the limiting factor of photosynthesis. you may order plants online but dont be surprised to see emersed specimens in 99.9% cases.

l And transformation to submerged growth could be made fast and without much decay only when you have this carbon dioxide in ample ppm in water column.

l 25-30 ppm is a good level of carbon dioxide. l And as for us life getting faster we need faster growth of plants too. so

try to get a setup minimum.l There are options regarding whether you want to DIY it or pessurize it

but my opinion after using DIY for 3 yrs is that a pressurized setup is more economical in the long run.

l AND 100 times more efficient and reliable too.

REMEMBER THAT NATURAL WATER BODIES HAVE HUNDRED FOLD CO2 LEVEL THAT ALLOWS DEMANDING PLANTS TO THRIVE THERE LIKE WEEDS.


DOSING There are two kinds of nutrients- l Macros include NPKl Micros which include magnesium, iron, zinc,molybdenum,etc

Now it varies from tank to tank and the plants you havel For low tech man use pmDD. there is less demand for nutrients as light and

CO2 are deficient.l For a high -tech tank i personally prefer EI method. it does yield good results.I generally use lab grade salts and micromix available commercially .

Calculator is available at www.petalphile.com

Examples of micro mixes:l Plantex CSM Bl Rexoline CXK IIl Microsol Bl DoAqua Be Greenetc


A simple nutrient deficiency chartPhoto courtesy: www.plantedtank.net


ALGAE- A nuisance yet a necessity

many of us cry out about algae bloom but have we ever wondered that some of them could be useful in the tanks cycle.1. Diatoms are an indication that nitrogen cycle has kicked up.2. Hair algae is always present no matter how good a planted tank you

have.some manage to get it out of control by letting their tank CO2 fluctuate.3. A small amout of cyano bacts indicate that there is imbalance in the tank as far

nitrogen cycle is concerned.4. Algae should be present in small amounts to keep your critters and algae-

eaters alive.THERE CANNOT BE ANY PLANTED TANK WITHOUT ALGAE.THEY ARE THE FIRST TO COLONIZE AN ECOSYSTEM.ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL.

water qualityit should be soft but our municipal and ground water isn't. Thus its good if we can arrange it but for years guys in our town have produced lush greenery using local water.


Any guess why on earth is this tank so stunning?This is what I mean by balance. You have weeds,mosses, stems, algae and all are in control. They are in a dynamic equilibrium.Photo courtesy: our chief guest at the nandan meet


Heres a chronology of events taking place while setting up a planted tank

day 1- Lay the substrate. Introduce the hardscape. Try to make the substrate moist before planting. Fill the tank with plants and then add water as drip to avoid disturbance of substrate. You can also place a plate but make sure the water moving out of the plate is slow enough not to move substrate. Introduce the filter and CO2 pipeline after filling with water. Setup and stabilize the flow rate.

day 2 to a week- Regular 50 % water changes. The growth of diatoms indiacate the nitrogen cycle has started. Now introduce algae-eaters

week 2- Reduce the frequency of water changes to once in 2 days or once in every 3 days. Start potassium supplementation.

1 month onwards- Now your frequency of water change should be once a week and switch over to full macro and micro dosing as per nutrient calculator. Do normal and regular maintenace for a tank.

This is a huge topic and varies from person to person. But i have given exactly what i do. Others may follow differently and will get even complicated when high profile products are used.


This is a pic during proceedings on day 1The tank is as ugly as hell. Don’t worry it will be heaven in a months time.


After filling it upDo you know whats the error? photo courtesy:aquabieblogspot.inLack of plantsSo don’t make the same mistake in your case.


WHY SO MANY FAIL WITH PLANT GROWING?l Maybe they think about fishes more rather than plants. A planted tank by defn.

is one whether the main focus is on plants and not on animals. Adding super glowing fishes in an AGA competition tanks will not fetch you extra marks anyways.

l Maybe the concept of a plant as a living being is not clear. their requirements are not met.

l Thinking more about scape and decor rather than the real thing to produce the greenery.

l Laziness (skipping dosing,water changes)

l Faulty equipment(regulators and filters )

l Lack of patience

l Lack of knowledge


good and easy plants for beginners:

1. Crypts come in top of the list2. Aponogeton crispus(though ugly looking needs little to thrive)3. Rotala indica4. Pygmy chain swords5. Nymphae species(lilies)6. Ambulia7. Myriophyllum8. Java ferns , anubius and mosses are easy but cost prohibitive.and many more to add to the list.


Just to show you some crypts –nothing specialSurprisingly I started from just one.


suggestion for those making their first ever planted tanks.

1. Learn to grow weeds first.2. Forget about scaping. it requires thorough understanding. its not just putting

wood and rocks with ferns and anubius protruding out from here and there. in my experience i have met only 2 or 3 persons who can really feel what a layout actually is. Very few in India are blessed with that. Anything odd will surely shower mixed response which may irritate you. And without fat plant growth its not a planted tank anymore.

3. Once you grow weeds try at demanding ones.4. Your first tank should be a collectoritis. you will have an idea of which plants suit

your setup and which do not. It will let you develop experience more than that. 5. Remember everything that you do should be forever. no rescape now and then.


A special thanks to:The entire KAC team for helping me out Just a year ago I knew nothing . My knowledge was absolutely zero. I too was deceived in galiff while buying moss and I am proud to say that.Now I can grow weeds atleast if not eriocolons and toninas.

…………………..RM

And the war with algae rages on………………………….

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Planted tank is it this tough?