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Ok all you aquascapers, I need your opinions please


Kookie

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Hi.

I have recently aquired a 450L tank which i plan to aquascape.

I'd like to know what plants you all like from carpet plants to tall lush plants and everything in between. I will research all plants suggested to me. Also is there a recommended web site or shop that sells the more exotic plants?

I would also like to know what is best to put under the gravel for the plants? I'd prefer not to use clay.

If you have any other hints and suggestions for me to research please add them also.

Oh and this is for a FW tropical.

B

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Some of the plants I have taken a fancy to are:

Babytears

Hairgrass

Contortion and corkscrew

Capuroni (Aponogeton Capuronii)

Fenestralis (Aponogeton Fenestralis)

Cabomba green

Foxtail, red & green (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)

Rotata Wallichii

Echinodorus tenellus (pygmy chain sword)

If anyone can suggest better or different, I'm keen to know.

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Hi Kookie,

For a good planted base the usual recommendation is Dalton's Aquatic Mix under sand or gravel. You can get it at any hardware barn such as your local Mitre10 (saw 15L for $10 this weekend). As for plants, see what Chris Downs might have available or talk to your LFS about ordering some in for you if they don't have it in stock. Brooklands is decent for wholesaling aquatic plants but you won't be able to order directly.

Good luck.

Blue

P.S.- TradeMe is a good place to get plants, otherwise. I saw pygmy chain swords on there just the other day.

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If your after a Carpet plant you cant go wrong with some Glosso.

Shae

The reading I have done about this plant says "A difficult plant demanding a lot of light. Grows upwards if light is poor".

is this true?? cause I certainly like the effect it gives.

and if you have some to spare Shae I would be interested.

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Or you could get clippings off ppl in wellington, like alot of other ppl do.

I'd be happy to give you some Glosso to start off yourself kookie.

Shae

Thanks Shae, that's a really nice offer, and I would love to take some off your hands. PM me which days and times suit you.

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I highly recommend "The Good Shed" for all your schist needs. At $1/kg it's just about the cheapest you can get, and if you go the the Kaiwharawhara location (not too far down the road from Animates) they have a good enough selection to suit just about any need/size you may have. I've gone there for everything from tanks (caves and aquascape) to ponds (surround pavers). I'm pretty sure Billaney was the original person that told me about it, and Chris Downs reminded me when I was in need again. Happy to pass on the recommendation.

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Guilty your honour. You may find it is me selling E. tenellus on Trade me.

You will have some difficulty in growing all of those plants in the same tank and my advice would be to set it up for the sort of plants you mainly want and just try adding small amounts of others and see how you go. I have bought plants off John Peters (waterplantz) and found him very good to deal with. His plants are mainly grown emersed and are therefore easier to grow and cheap. I sell mainly plant that has been aquarium grown. Emersed plants generally need stong light to survive while converting to the submersed state (this is particularly so of red or brown plants)

My tanks are set up to grow Echinodorus sp. and any other plant that does well is welcome.

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You will have some difficulty in growing all of those plants in the same tank and my advice would be to set it up for the sort of plants you mainly want.

Hey alanmin, could you tell me what plants would be good together and which ones i should flag?

i appreciate your advice.

B

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What you need to do is decide what types of plant and fish you want:

soft acid water with low light, or strong light,heavy feeding through the roots and mediun pH and hardness, then you can decide what types of plant to try. In the end you can be as scientific as you like but if the plants like the conditions they will take off and if not they wont. I have a tank like the second described which has 6 types of Echinodorus (sword plants) doing well, 3 types of ludwigia, Rotala, sagittaria, 3 types of hygrophila, ambulia and 2 types of crypyocoryne. The plants would do better with CO2 but it is in a cabinet and is not very practical. I add other plants from time to time and if they do well they stay, if not they get relocated or chucked.

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Kookie, be careful if you are planning to get plants from the ynui pet store as she has a small problem with snails.

if you do get them from there, dose them with snail rid BEFORE you put them anywhere near your tank. :)

Yup I saw that when I was in there the other day. Small problem??

Snails are the one thing I don't want in my tanks lol.

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Hi Kookie,

For a good planted base the usual recommendation is Dalton's Aquatic Mix under sand or gravel. You can get it at any hardware barn such as your local Mitre10 (saw 15L for $10 this weekend). As for plants, see what Chris Downs might have available or talk to your LFS about ordering some in for you if they don't have it in stock. Brooklands is decent for wholesaling aquatic plants but you won't be able to order directly.

Good luck.

Blue

P.S.- TradeMe is a good place to get plants, otherwise. I saw pygmy chain swords on there just the other day.

Bunnings has a 15L bag for $7.48 brought one in the weekend.

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When i buy plants I routinly dose them in a solution of Aluminium Sulphate (AKA Hydranga Blue) which is about $7 a bag which is 500g i think.

About 2 table spoons in 10l of water and put it in a cupboard over night. Kills snails and algae. Plants survive fine, i wash in clean water twice before putting in the tank.

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Potassium Permanganate does the same trick, you can pick it up from a chemist for about $7. It is a powder so you mix in enough till it's only pink (not purple) and leave for 30mins, then rinse plants and add to tank. I have no snails in my 4 foot tank now after the overhaul and doing this to all plants.

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