BEST PLANTED Aquarium Substrate EVER!!!

Eshnon

Ok, so I just a few weeks ago, I got my Eco-Complete substrate in the mail from Petco... I did not hesitate to put it in my 10 gallon tank.. and boy am I happy I didnt! My Amazon Sword has FIVE, yes FIVE new leaves!!! Also, the newly planted Anubias has been growing like crazy!! My little Anubias is growing another leaf, and it's only been 2 weeks! As for my other plants... At petco, I saw this strange grass for aquariums.. Letting my inner little kid run free, I of course bought it and put it in my tank. The time I had it, it slowly started to fade and disappear into my filter... Then I put this substrate in, and the plant has stop withering, and has bounced back to life.. Hopefully now it will grow. (I cant tell if it's growing really.. Im not gonna sit there and count out 50 blades of grass 1 day, then 51 the next.. that'd be silly.) As for my Narrow Leaf Java Fern.. Wow do I feel like an idiot owning it.. I have no idea what it wants, or needs. I have Low-Medium light in this tank, with good substrate but am unsure of if it will grow, or die.. or just plain survive. Currently it has many dark spots all over the leaves (maybe from handling it) and maybe this substrate will aid in it's recovery with some new, healthy leaves.

excal88

Great to hear that the substrate is working out for ya! One thing about the grass type plant; some of the "grass" plants they sell are actually non-aquatic, and will look nice and all for a month or two, but then rot. Just a heads up on that. Congrats on your ferns and anubis plants as well! I just joined the train of live plants *I told myself when I first got started that I wouldn't get live plants, and lo and behold I can't get enough of em!*

redchigh

grass-like plant is hairgrass probably..

As for the Java Fern, black spots are normal sometimes. Were you dosing flourish or nutes?

Eshnon

I was putting Flourish Tabs into the substrate to help with nutrients. And back at Excal. I know what you mean.. I didnt really know that you could get live plants for aquariums, and wasnt really interested until I saw that some plants flower. lol Since then I've been looking at all kinds of plants, and can't get enough. I just recently bought a Nymphaea Rubra. Not sure if I spelled it right, but it is a beautiful lily plant. It will definately be the main display in my 75g tank.

redchigh

Might want to dose some liquid flourish comprehensive as well... Your Java Fern won't get any nutrients from the substrate, and I doubt the Anubias will after the soluble minerals are used up.

Blaxicanlatino

i know at the petcos i go to, they try to pass Mondo Grass as an aquatic plant...

Byron

Not sure if you mean were used to use Flourish tabs or you still are, but with Eco-Complete you will not need them. The enriched nutrient substrate will suffice for quite a while. The Excal, is that Excel carbon supplement? I don't recommend using this, I can explain further if asked.

Flourish liquid is or may still be useful though, especially for non-substrate rooted plants. It somewhat depends upon what is in your water (minerals, with hard or medium hard water) and the fish load since nutrients also occur in fish foods and from organics.

The black spots on the JF could be lack of nitrogen, but also light; JF prefers semi-shade, not in direct light from overhead particularly if it is bright. Floating plants lessen it. Nymphaea lotus is a lovely plant, it is in our plant profiles too, just click on the shaded name; the "rubra" is the red form, there is also a green, same species as mentioned therein.

Byron.

Christople

same here... lol

eileen

Petco is bad if you get the aquatic plants in a cylinder. I bought one and when I came home looked it up and it is not even a aquatic plant. I ended up taking it back and getting credit for it. Mondo grass is not a aquatic plant or are some of them that you get at Petco. Some are Terarium plants that grow well in those 1/2 water. 1/2 land tanks that house tree frogs and such. Buyer beware. I read that those plants do ok for awhile underwater but died after a short time. You are better to buy extra plants from someone on this forum and just pay for shipping and whatever small fee they want for their excess plants. Better yet do a trade with someone. fish for plants or fish suppies, books, magazine that works for me.Trade plants with friends that you know that have tanks.

Christople

I honestly really like ADA. It made my pH where I have wanted it for ever. Here is the main reason I like it, I had to go to the coast for 4 days. I left the light off and came home to see unhealthy planted. with in a couple of days they all got better and my HC started growing.[carpeting] The parts that I took out of the pots aren't doing so great but the random piece floating around started to take root and now I will have a carpet soon. ADA