New plan for my 32g (Plants)
So as some of you know, I have been having issues with cyanobacteria for some time now. It's good news to me that the problem seems to be diminishing with the recent changes I have introduced lately but I guess I won't know for certain if it's worked for another few weeks, hopefully earlier than that.
This problem has however made me realize a few things that I did wrong with my tank when I originally set it up. A few of the mistakes I made have been rectified since but as you all know... caring for an aquarium is forever a work in progress. My goal, after the "problems" of the last few months, are to get my water parameters as stable as possible, with the proper nutrients and lighting, and aspire to cut down on the maintenance for the tank. Please do not read thins wrongly: I enjoy maintaining the tank tremendously... but I hate having to brush off algae from plants that have small leaves! This just takes forever!
Since my plants are pretty much all different strands of hygrophila and pretty much all have small leaves, I now aim to change them for plants that grow taller, and have bigger more robust leaves. My hygrophila is currently used for background cover but due to my water flow (see attached), all plants grow "crooked" (i.e., following the water flow) and it just looks funny and even downright stupid. So, since this is turning out to be a longer post than initially intended, let me get right down to it from here:
I want to remove all my current background plants (all hygrophila polysperma strands) and replace them all with other plants that have bigger leaves and therefore would be easier to "clean" and provide a nice thick background cover that will reach the surface instead of curving mid-tank towards the centered filter... I aim to keep the cryptocoryne wendtii I currently have as a mid-ground/foreground plant since it looks spread out enough to not look too thick.
What are your suggestions for good sturdy background plants that will keep with my requirements stated above in your opinion?
P.S. Sorry for the "novel" guys... it's Tuesday, 2nd day back at work, and I just don't feel like working... so you guys get the repercussions of my lack of motivation ;-)
So as some of you know, I have been having issues with cyanobacteria for some time now. It's good news to me that the problem seems to be diminishing with the recent changes I have introduced lately but I guess I won't know for certain if it's worked for another few weeks, hopefully earlier than that.
This problem has however made me realize a few things that I did wrong with my tank when I originally set it up. A few of the mistakes I made have been rectified since but as you all know... caring for an aquarium is forever a work in progress. My goal, after the "problems" of the last few months, are to get my water parameters as stable as possible, with the proper nutrients and lighting, and aspire to cut down on the maintenance for the tank. Please do not read thins wrongly: I enjoy maintaining the tank tremendously... but I hate having to brush off algae from plants that have small leaves! This just takes forever!
Since my plants are pretty much all different strands of hygrophila and pretty much all have small leaves, I now aim to change them for plants that grow taller, and have bigger more robust leaves. My hygrophila is currently used for background cover but due to my water flow (see attached), all plants grow "crooked" (i.e., following the water flow) and it just looks funny and even downright stupid. So, since this is turning out to be a longer post than initially intended, let me get right down to it from here:
I want to remove all my current background plants (all hygrophila polysperma strands) and replace them all with other plants that have bigger leaves and therefore would be easier to "clean" and provide a nice thick background cover that will reach the surface instead of curving mid-tank towards the centered filter... I aim to keep the cryptocoryne wendtii I currently have as a mid-ground/foreground plant since it looks spread out enough to not look too thick.
What are your suggestions for good sturdy background plants that will keep with my requirements stated above in your opinion?
P.S. Sorry for the "novel" guys... it's Tuesday, 2nd day back at work, and I just don't feel like working... so you guys get the repercussions of my lack of motivation ;-)