On May 18, 11:34 am, Donna Camp <[email protected]> wrote:
> I started planning the transition of 1 of my 55 gal tanks from artificial
> plants to live plants. I have some tentative plans and I'd appreciate
> comments/suggestions. I want to make the change as easy on the fish as I
> can. The last 2 times I switched tanks to live plants it seemed to be hard
> on the fish as the water got so messy.
It does not have to be messy, if you avoid stirring up too many fines
and organics into the aquarium water. IME things tend to settle &
filter out within a few days, in any case.
> I want to have everything in the
> house and ready before I do this. Hubby is researching the lighting - he
> liked the one you had made MG. I'm aiming for 2 WPG, to use low light plants
> and not use CO2. A few months ago I put a couple of Java Ferns in small pots
> using good potting soil with aquarium gravel on top of it and plopped them
> in a tank. Those plants seem to be thriving in the tank with nothing special
> except plant food 1 shot a week.
>
Why not move some (all?) of your already-potted plants into the target
aquarium? That's what they did in the verrry old days (ref W.T.
Innes :o) .
> I plan to put the potting soil to a depth of 1 inch with a shallow covering
> of the gravel that's in the aquarium now. I thought I'd get the soil in a
> tub and water it down for a day or so with water that's been declorinated.
I've messed with composite substrates and my advice/ suggestions are:
- In 55gal perhaps mix 1 to 2 quarts clay soil into the bottom half of
the gravel.
- beneath or mixed into that bottom half, mix up to 1 quart of coarse
peat. By that I mean the stuff sold as peat plates for aquaria by e.g.
Hagen (R), Or you can try perhaps a pint of garden peat moss mixed in
there instead. Beware that I had horrible problems with garden peat
all decomposing at once after about 4 months, going uncontrollably
into suspension and making/ keeping the water very cloudy.
- a number of nitrogen-rich aquarium tabs in the substrate might help
start-up too, but don't use too much. Enough tabs as recommended for a
10gal aquarium should do it.
> On the big day I'll take the plastic plants out and get the water level in
> the tank down so it's half full. Then I'll get the potting soil in and cover
> it with the gravel, getting plants and driftwood in as I do this. Then
> refill the tank.
>
> The fish in that aquarium are all less than a year old. I'm worried about
> stressing their young gills. I was thinking that after I get the aquarium
> filled again I'd add the filters from 2 or 3 30 gal for a few hours to help
> clear it. I could run air stones in the 30 gals I borrow the filters from
> while their filters are in the 55 gal. *OR* I could move all of the fish
> into 2 10 gal tanks I use as Q tank, but, I think that might be even more
> stressful for them than staying in the tank during the change over.
>
Move the fish and plastic(?) plants from the 55gal into some big
plastic tubs during the 2-3 hours it'll take you to convert your
setup. Important: also keep your filter media in an open tub of tank
water, so it does not go aerobic. Some foam under the tubs can help
keep them warm if on a cold concrete floor.
Now do the conversion, i.e. new setup.Then mix some of the freshly
dechlorinated tap water from your new setup, into the plastic tubs to
equalize temperature and chemistry. Then net the fish, dump into the
newly-set up aquarium and top it up with your remaining old water from
the tubs.
* No need for Bio-Spira or the like*, because your filter media are
mature, and so is your gravel, plus you're adding *plants* :o) !!
I've played with substrates like this several times, but now prefer a
few handfuls of clay and peat under Eco-Complete substrate or ordinary
finer aquarium gravel. It all works.
BTW did Mister Gardener lend you Diana W's plant book?? Please
remember not to believe everything your read. That applies to the
Internet too :o) !!!
Your new aquarium plan of going fully-planted sounds like a good idea!
Congratulations!!
d.
