obie trice Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 hi can anyone tell me what the best live plants would be for a discus tank which is about 28 degrees. everything i buy seems to last not that long then eventually die or go ugly and i have to biff it. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hi Steve! You have two problems with a discus tank. First is the high temps. That's easily checked for any of your plants on Tropica but many plants do well in higher temps than what they've listed. The other problem you have with a discus tank is the fact that the water has low nutrients due to frequent water changes. Do you fertilize your tank? I used Flourish for a while but now trying out a Red Sea product called Nova 24. These are liquid fertilizers that are added to the water directly to give the plants the food they need. Recommended plants for discus tanks - crypts, anubias, cabomba, swords (any type other than Borneo mainly come from the Amazon), Indian Ferns and Star Grass. That's just a small portion of the plants that survive easily up to 30 degrees. You'll have difficulty finding most in your LFS as they tend to stock plants that are suited for 90% of the tanks out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 having regular water change is good for the plant. i observe that i have plenty of bubble (with my CO2 pumping) after every water change. i suppose there are nutrient in the water. AUckland water that is. try all those blueandkim suggested. at the end of the day, no plant will survive if the owner do not put in affect to care for the plant. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 I have seen some stunning discus set-ups with masses of vallis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Dont throw the plants out!! Plants die back, especially if they are grown in 1 environment and are then dropped into another. If they start to look manky just cut them back a bit ( maybe alot??). I reackon 'odds on' they will grow back. Probably 80% of the plants i have bought from LFS die back but then they grow back as good as new... it just takes time, and is definatly frustrating cos your tank probably looks great then goes down hill Unfortunatly the LFS dont sell patience by the 5l bottle!! :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Good point, diverjohn. Many plants sold at the LFS are grown hydroponically so leaves die off and new "submerged" ones grow in when put underwater. Problem is, some of the plants sold at the LFS aren't even aquarium plants (like Borneo Swords) so you end up with sad plants either way. My recs are above and a lot of them can't even be grown emersed (out of water) so you won't have those probs. As for the water changes, they bring in new minerals but remove the nitrates. The more water changes you do (discus grow VERY well with 50% water changes daily) the less nitrates, therefore the low-nutrient term. Plantman, if your water has nitrates or nitrites in it I'd be worried Yup, plants pearl like crazy after a big water change but this is probably due to the water having 100% O2 Sat. after a change. Obie, you'll see what we mean by pearling and stuff when/if you come by, mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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