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Post by pincho on Feb 29, 2012 8:46:26 GMT 11
This may sound like a dumb question Can i use home brand soil / fertiliser from bunnings in my cichlid tank to introduce plants? Want to start a planted setup and im unsure whats the easiest way to go. The last thing i want to do is harm my fish with chemicals.
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Post by bardus71 on Feb 29, 2012 11:06:12 GMT 11
Hey Picho, a few things to consider here, I have not had cichlids before so I dont have personal experience, but here is a thread and links that may help IF plants are suitable for your cichlids: newcastleaquariumsoc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=aquaticplants&action=display&thread=1462Alot of the plants mentioned are tied onto wood & not suitable for planting in the substrate. If you click the links I posted , you will see some crypts suggested. You could get away with simply using gravel & inseting fertiliser tabs underneth them, they appreciate deeper substrate for their roots. Alot of other stems & groundcovers will grow in gravel as well & draw their nutrients out of the water column & then from the mulm accumulated when you dont vaccuum the gravel! (Thats right, no vaccuuming!) I have 2 DIY substrates in my 4" tanks. 1 has 50/50 budget potting mix & Naked Farmers brand Soil Activator from Bunnings. It is 1" deep with 1" gravel or sand capping. This is in the style of a Natural Planted Tank/Walstad/El Natural style & needs to be heavily planted. It is also very messy when the soil gets disturbed, so not sure of its suitability for cichlids, but great for a community tank. Here is a link for more info on El Natural: www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/26458-what-el-natural-step-step.htmlThe other one has a mix of Bunnings Propogating Sand as a base, a thin layer of blood & bone, a sprinkling of marble chips & capped with sand. It is less imperative to plant out thickly, but once again, if the substrate gets disturbed, the blood & bone may enter the water column & you will get an algal bloom or something nasty like that. Great again for a community tank, not sure about cichlids. Here is a link for this substrate: www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/30650-Cheap-Sand-based-CO2-Generating-SubWould love to hear from other people here as well. Hope that helps.
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Post by pincho on Feb 29, 2012 11:22:12 GMT 11
great advice thanks.
the only plants that have caught my attention to be compatable with africans are anubius java fern blue stricta.
top coat will most likely be a deep marble chip.
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Post by Admin on Feb 29, 2012 11:31:00 GMT 11
anubius cant be planted as the ryyzome will rot
Blue stricta is not a true aquatic so wont last long
the ferns need to be mounted and not planted.
None of the plants on yr list neep ferts to live and thrive they will pick up what they need from the water column.
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Post by Admin on Feb 29, 2012 11:35:03 GMT 11
I have plenty of rotala growing emersed if its any good to anyone. I was going to bin it but if its of use to anyone let me know and ill leave it alone till someone or several people want it. there is about 2x2.5' square of it so around 500 or more stems.
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Post by joller on Feb 29, 2012 20:03:54 GMT 11
i grow blue stricta submersed, even in low light, it grows way faster than anubias and java fern and will become really well rooted in any substrate, when a new shoot forms on the stem snap it off and stick it in the soil, they'll go great guns with no fertiliser
i grow blue stricta, anubias and java fern with no ferts or organic substrates, and i wouldn't recommend organic substrates for cichlids
i'm growing out some dwarf cichlids in a tank that use bardus' mix of 50/50 potting/activator soil mix and they're doing great but once they start digging they'll have to come out
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