First, this is my first real tank... Just started a new 28 gallon freshwater planted tank. Used Eco-complete substrate after googling and trying to find the best substrate option online. My light is a Coralife 24 inch, 65 watt, 6700K flourescent on a 12 hour diurnal cycle.
I was trying to attach pics or post them but can't figure out how, but I have got 3 things to start from a shop that I thought seemed very informative. I have some Java Fern stuck into some crevices on a piece of wood (some african wood at the store). That guy seems to be doing ok, other than brown on the leaves when I got it, the guy said to clip some leaves to promote new growth, I plucked a few but not all, I didn't want it sitting there leave-less.
The 2nd one is doing great, I am not sure exactly what its called it has several leaves going up its stem with green on top, and red on bottom.
The 3rd plant I got on first day is one I am worried about, I think it is a type of plant that is bunched at bottom all growing from same stalk.
Day 1 it had a small 2 inch shoot that seemed to balloon into 4 inches the next day, it has a big mature stalk from the first day that has stayed a nice bright green. It also has one baby shoot growing up that is about an inch big now and starting to unfurl its leaves. But the other 3 stalks or so are yellowish brown now. And one stalk that broke off, I tried to plant right back down into the substrate is curling over and dying (I am not sure if it can regrow roots or not?). It kind of looks like this but not red stem, green: http://www.plantgeek.net/plant-222.htm
I got a Moneywort from a big box store today, we will see how that does.
And some stuff from the good store I go to called Micro Sword, looks like little clumps of bright grass, I have in both my foreground corners.
So, the tank status is day 4 or so. My ammonia levels are high as I am trying to get my cycle going. My water ph is in the upper 7s almost 8, it is still the same as when it came out of tap almost which it was that high then. The water is pretty hard coming out of tap in the 150 mg/l range (not sure how this translates to degrees). So, I think my plants have plenty of minerals. My filter is giving a nice current over the top of my water surface, so I am not sure if I am losing too much CO2. Temp is stable at 78.
I guess I have some questions. Do I just wait on this plant? The strong stalks seem to be doing fine and growing, but half of it seems to be dying?
Am I going to need a CO2 system?
Am I going to need additional liquid fertilizer or solid pellets for my plants?
On that plantgeek.net link how high can I go on plants? medium? or medium-high? light needed ones?
TIA,
Jason
I was trying to attach pics or post them but can't figure out how, but I have got 3 things to start from a shop that I thought seemed very informative. I have some Java Fern stuck into some crevices on a piece of wood (some african wood at the store). That guy seems to be doing ok, other than brown on the leaves when I got it, the guy said to clip some leaves to promote new growth, I plucked a few but not all, I didn't want it sitting there leave-less.
The 2nd one is doing great, I am not sure exactly what its called it has several leaves going up its stem with green on top, and red on bottom.
The 3rd plant I got on first day is one I am worried about, I think it is a type of plant that is bunched at bottom all growing from same stalk.
Day 1 it had a small 2 inch shoot that seemed to balloon into 4 inches the next day, it has a big mature stalk from the first day that has stayed a nice bright green. It also has one baby shoot growing up that is about an inch big now and starting to unfurl its leaves. But the other 3 stalks or so are yellowish brown now. And one stalk that broke off, I tried to plant right back down into the substrate is curling over and dying (I am not sure if it can regrow roots or not?). It kind of looks like this but not red stem, green: http://www.plantgeek.net/plant-222.htm
I got a Moneywort from a big box store today, we will see how that does.
And some stuff from the good store I go to called Micro Sword, looks like little clumps of bright grass, I have in both my foreground corners.
So, the tank status is day 4 or so. My ammonia levels are high as I am trying to get my cycle going. My water ph is in the upper 7s almost 8, it is still the same as when it came out of tap almost which it was that high then. The water is pretty hard coming out of tap in the 150 mg/l range (not sure how this translates to degrees). So, I think my plants have plenty of minerals. My filter is giving a nice current over the top of my water surface, so I am not sure if I am losing too much CO2. Temp is stable at 78.
I guess I have some questions. Do I just wait on this plant? The strong stalks seem to be doing fine and growing, but half of it seems to be dying?
Am I going to need a CO2 system?
Am I going to need additional liquid fertilizer or solid pellets for my plants?
On that plantgeek.net link how high can I go on plants? medium? or medium-high? light needed ones?
TIA,
Jason