Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tank Plant Advice => Topic started by: Paddyc on July 02, 2016, 09:55:12 PM
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Just a quick review on this cracking little addition to my community tank
My water paramaters (Central Scotland)
Calcium (mgCa/l) = 11.35
Magnesium (mgMg/l) = 1.28
Hardness as mg/l (CaCO3) = 33.56
Clark degrees = 2.35
French degrees = 3.36
German degrees = 1.88
Hardness level = Soft
The plants were approximately the same height as my wee yellow/pink castle and they have more than doubled in height in just over a month! The ones in the middle of the tank have grown better than the ones planted nearer the edges of the tank... It might be a circulation problem but I'm not bothered since they are all growing at some rate, just not as quickly as others...
(http://i.imgur.com/zMzqVpb.jpg)
A side view looking across the width of my tank, the fish love swimming in among the foliage. The harlequins continuously try to lay eggs under the leaves but they are always followed by hungry neons and cherry barbs...
(http://i.imgur.com/Gqn19QH.jpg)
I'd highly recommend this plant for beginners and experienced fishkeepers alike... A very hardy plant that I have grown easily with no added CO2 or fertilisers. Just an airstone that runs when the lights are on for ten hours daily (No direct sunlight into the room either).
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The tank is looking really good Paddy. 8)
I'm glad I've started to go over to live plants in my tanks as my fish also seem to like swimming through the plants, rather than around like they had to with the artificial ones. Even the axolotls are enjoying the plants in their tank, and spend more time sitting in the plants than in their hides. ;D
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Lookin' good. H. polysperma is a good nitrate muncher, too.
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When it gets too tall, cut the tops off near a leaf joint, strip the bottom couple of leaves off the cutting and replant it or you can grow them on in your quarantine tank until you have a nice clump of them to add back to the tank.
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The plants in the centre are probably growing faster because the light is brighter there, in most tanks at least the lights don't cover the whole length.
If they grow too tall, you can just cut them of, perhaps one by one, near the bottom, they will regrow and generally branch from where you cut them. It is about the easiest plant there is. It will also grow attached to wood etc, or just floating around.