best plants with blood parrots and kirin parrots?

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allaboutfish1996

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 29, 2012
358
1
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memphis tn
what plants can i keep with these cichlids? i was hoping java fern, anubius,vals, and dwarf sagitaria. also what bulbs should i use? its a 120 gallon 24in tall with 2 T5HO 54watt bulbs. currently i have an actinic and a midday 6000K

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the anubias and java fern should work fine. id recommend you root them to driftwood or some porous rock. you can put them in the substrate they just wont do very well and you have to make sure the rhizome is exposed at all times. i dont know about the dwarf sag, it could work but id be a little skeptical. the vallisneria should work ok to i have all these plants except the sagiteria in my cichlid tank with jack dempsies and parrots and nobody seems to mind. the bulbs just check to make sure its meant for plants. i believe and correct me if im wrong here that anything from 5000k to 8000k is ok. and 108 watts of t5ho would be plenty for the plants. sometimes with large fish as many have told me its just a matter of trial and error for plants and large fish. keep in mind the spot where you plant the plants is also important. you want it to be away from the caves and the largely inhabited areas and bunched together out in the open zone. id also recommend some crypts, ludwigia, and floating plants like duckweed, hornwort, anacharis, etc. just be sure the plants below get enough light. also note some plants like duckweed and anacharis are illegal and invasive in some areas and they multiply like guppies ;]. i also think coating lava rock (or similarly shaped porous rocks) in weeping moss looks really cool. it gives it a layered sorta look.
hope this helps
 
thanks!! ill have salvinia and najas as floaters. would the current lights support these plants? i dont think both bulbs need to be plant bulbs

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thanks!! ill have salvinia and najas as floaters. would the current lights support these plants? i dont think both bulbs need to be plant bulbs

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Yeah those will definitely work with your setup. Id also like to recommend diy co2 for this setup. Completely not required but if u do it and it works out id even say you'd be in the high light plant category. Cuz co2 can actually be substituted for light. Litterally all you need is a bottle and lid with a hole for some airline tubing, glue and/or tape and a lil air stone. Some sugar (any kind brown, white etc) and a teaspoon of yeast. THATS IT!!!! Or there's kits online for like 20$ everything included.
I did my own diy co2 just now everything at my house and took like 15mins. Just waiting for glue to dry.
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Yeah those will definitely work with your setup. Id also like to recommend diy co2 for this setup. Completely not required but if u do it and it works out id even say you'd be in the high light plant category. Cuz co2 can actually be substituted for light. Litterally all you need is a bottle and lid with a hole for some airline tubing, glue and/or tape and a lil air stone. Some sugar (any kind brown, white etc) and a teaspoon of yeast. THATS IT!!!! Or there's kits online for like 20$ everything included.
I did my own diy co2 just now everything at my house and took like 15mins. Just waiting for glue to dry.
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i would need like 12 bottles.

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from what I can tell, you can keep most any plant with parrots
I've had everything from stems to swords to dwarf baby tears, and the parrot left everything alone (the other fish however...were not so kind lol)
only thing though with stems is that since parrots are so thick they tend to knock into them a lot, so make sure you got them down there deep and rooted well
 
My parrot rips up any plant that isnt tied down, I agree with earlier posting, that it all depends on a fish to fish basis..i have a 45gal affircan tank completely planted, and they dont fuss with any plants at all. But when i tell people at stores, they look at me like im crazy because africans are supposed to dig like crazy.
 
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