Question by : What spectrum of lighting do aquarium plant need to grow properly? as I am getting this fixture in the picture ( the 4 bulb one ) for my 2ft 16 gallon tank, I can choose the spectrum so please tell me which mixture of spectrums i should use. http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cheddar254/image001.pngthanks
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Answer by yablocksthetruth What matters is getting a full spectrum bulb. I only buy bulbs w/ a CRI greater than 91 & Kelvin spectrum between 5,000 & 5,500.
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Question by movietalk_info: Will E.M. Erythromycin kill my white snail and my four plants? One of my zebra danios highly-developed unfastened red sores and died in the tank. After I removed the dead fish, I went to PetSmart and they told me to use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals E.M. Erythromycin packets over a four day period to kill the bacteria. I am worried b/c three days before I purchased 4 grass plants and one snail. I only have two packets left then the treatment is complete. But I’m a nervous wreck b/c the tank is in it’s 4th week of cycling. The two Mickeys and six zebra danios have been together for three weeks now. Should I finish the treatment and see if it kills the snail? Or should I remove the snail and plants into a bucket of freshwater until the treatment is finished and I do a 100% water change – the instructions recommended a final 25% water change only. New fish owner, confused!I just want to add that both my orange Mickeys like to hang out near the water surface – I assume b/c the water quality is wretched due to lack of filter, all the medicine in the water? Also, the tap water in my area is so hard that I use bottling drinking water from the grocery store for water changes. I just changed 25% of the water last night when I added the 3rd dose of medicine. Although the instructions say to add a 4th dose tonight, should I do a 25% water change before I add the 4th dose anyway? API does not offer identical clear instructions on their Pro Series (10 powder packets) of Erythromycin. Or I’m an entire neurotic and should stick with being a plant owner and give up on fish, since all you have to do is remember to water plants every 3 days. Gah!
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Answer by FWF admin That is why it is always a good idea to have a quarantine tank. Do yourself a favor, go and get a cheap filter and a little rubbermaid(or similar) containter, total price will be about $ 20. Keep the filter linear on your main tank until you need to QT a fish, then you don’t have to worry astir damaging your current tank.And never ever change 100% of the water. Do several smaller water changes over a period of a few days to remove the medicine.
Question by novakc2006: What kind of lighting do you need to grow live plants in your aquarium? I begin to grow live plants in my aquarium and i desire to know what kind of lighting or illuminate you need for them. Is there a specific kind of illumine i necessitate to buy. I hope someone can help me out here.
Best answer:
Answer by Cookie Nookie If you can find it, Flora-Glo by Aqua Glo is superb.We use them in our store plant display.
Question by : My compact flourescent bulb gives off 60 watts of light am I medium lighting for aquarium plants? Can I have more plants cuz my plants are only “low lighting”5 gallons
Best answer:
Answer by Ianab The watts per gallon guidelines assume fluoro lighting as the old style incandescent lamps are pretty much useless for growing plants.Depending on the tank size, you are probably low light, 1 to 2 watts per gallon. For a 10gal that light will be OK for low light plants.Ian
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Question by T77: Why do I keep getting a yellowish-brown algae on my aquarium walls, plants and accessories? I’ve had aquariums for 30 years and always noticed the normal green algae from time to time. I’ve had a 75 g tank for the last 16 years. About 5 years ago I tried my hand at a salt water aquarium and during that year I noticed a xanthous-brown algae that would be on the tank walls etc. I thought this was due to it being a salt water aquarium. When I went back to freshwater I commencing noticing the brown algae returning. I thoroughly cleaned the tank on more than one occasion and it always returns. I think it also is the reason all of my plecostomuses die. What is it, how do you get rid of it and could that kill a plecostomus?
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Answer by TokZik . it could be a number of things, from the tank being in too much direct sunlight… possibly you could have too much bog wood in your tank.if you wash the inside glass of your tank and once a week clean one of the filter sponges “only one at a time” and do 10% water changes every other day … it will go away if it is any of the above.
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Question by Love2Answer: aquarium lighting for plants? I just got a new freshwater 29 gallon aquarium. I have plants and need sufficient lighting. The lighting fixture is a flourescent T-8 reflector, 8K and 17 watts???? That’s less than 1 watt/gallon.Am I missing something here or does that seem selfsame insufficient for plants? Can I leave the lighting on all the time or will the fish be upset if I do?
Best answer:
Answer by Peter you need 1 watt of power for 1 gallon of water, you need the light on for 12 hours & you need a timer so the fish know the day into night cycle.
Anybody who has seen a swollen-held planted aquarium knows how beautiful aquatic aquarium plants can be. They qualify a depth and richness that twist an unmistakable fish tank into a grand aquarium. However, many people are intimidated by live aquarium plants and wonder if they are worth the trouble. Do they provide any profit besides looking good?
First of all, adding dwelling aquatic plants doesn’t necessarily mean create a densely planted, rich waterscape. An aquarium can be enhanced just by adding one setting, or a few. Live plants can be mixed in with artificial plants, or the aquarium can go to the extreme of a so called “Dutch aquarium” in which the plants take center stage and the fish are secondary in the tank.
Beyond the aesthetics, why should one consider plants in the aquarium? Plants are living things that functioning an important purport in the ecosystem of the aquarium. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants take in CO2 and relinquish oxygen that is used by the fish. Nitrate can be bad for the fish when levels get too high, but the plants use the nitrate in the gravel as food. The plants provide shelter for smaller or start fish, and this extra sense of security is reflected in healthier fish. The planted also help keep algae growth in check by shade the tank somewhat. Certain fish species like to eat plants, too, so they can provide a dietary supplement to some fish
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Keeping live plants in the aquarium can be relatively easy if a few basics are kept in mind. This one may sound obvious, but it is important to remember that plants are living things. They have needs just like the fish in the aquarium do and if one keeps those needs in mind, then the plants will be no trouble to keep in the tank.
When picking plants out to put in the aquarium, do some research and find out what the preferred water conditions are for the plants, just as you would when choosing fish. Some plants thrive in higher pH conditions, some like soft water, others want high temps, etc. Most aquatic plants will live within a common range of water conditions, but just be aware that there may be some plants that will not be compatible with your desired setup.
The substrate in the tank is important for keeping aquatic plants. The gravel should be at least 3″ deep so that the roots can grow unrestrained and anchor the plant well. A natural colored quartz gravel mix with rocks 2mm to 4mm in size is a very good choice. For plants that require some additional soil, they can be put in pots that can then be planted into the gravel.
Lighting is a necessary component to a planted aquarium, but in most cases a basic fluorescent bulb or bulbs will do just fine. Some plants need higher intensity light and heavily planted tanks have greater needs, but that is beyond the scope of this article. Two important things need to be kept in mind regarding the lights and the hood. The first is that fluorescent bulbs lose significant intensity after about a year, so even though the bulbs are not burned out, they should be replaced every year. Another often overlooked task is cleaning the glass underside of the aquarium hood. It often gets covered with algae and residue from evaporation, so clean it every week to keep the light intensity in the tank from fading.
Periodically the plants should be trimmed to prevent overgrowth. Fast growing plants can reach the surface of the tank and start to grow horizontally, thus shading out everything below. Some basic small sharp scissors will work for the trimming. Any dead leaves or dead plants should be removed from the tank quickly as the decomposing plant material is not good for the water conditions.
The beauty of a well-planted tank and all of the potential benefits of aquatic aquarium plants make a convincing case for adding plants to any aquarium. Given the fact that their maintenance is no more demanding than any fish that are already in the tank, it is hard to come up with a reason not to try live plants in your tank.
Andrew Bartlett is an aquarium enthusiast with a particular interest in aquatic aquarium plants. He has been maintaining freshwater aquariums for over 30 years and shares more information at his website, www.thefreshwateraquariumguide.com.
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