Planted and Dovii Fry and many questions

[vinod_uthaiah]

Guys , though have been into fishes for a long time , decided to do a simple planted tank.
Tank Dimensions are 27" * 14 *12 "
Nothing fancy , but i have some Anubias Barteri and small bunch of Java Moss.
I have a substrateless tank , so for the Anubias tied them to a drift wood and the Java Moss on a rock.
My questions....
1) This will be a non-CO2 tank...is this feasible
2) I dont intend to add any ferts into it...will the plants make it.
3) For lighting , can I use simple LED light bulbs x2
4) With all this in the fray , i intend to use this tank for a Dovii Fry grow out...is it safe in terms of health if I add fertilizers , how will the fry fare
5) Anything else do I need to do or stop from doing
Expert advices and thoughts please
Thanks in advance

 

[Barleysoda]

Many types of LED lights. Some will be too much light without co2 and some barely enough. Usually without co2 you want to error on less light or you will have algae issues. Probably don't need ferts if you are feeding and raising fry and low light no co2. I use alot of Finnex led lights and some of them have very high PAR ratings which require co2 and ferts if you want to keep the algae in check. I have a 55 with two low PAR led fixtures with fry grow out and Anubias tied to drift wood as well as a large Amazon Sword. No ferts or co2. I still deal with a little black beard algae. I used to do hi-tech plant aquariums but daily plant trimming got real old fast. I decided I like fish better than gardening

 

[Barleysoda]

Also...you don't want to add liquid ferts to a low PAR low Tech tank that has fish and food already in it. Unless of course you want to see what several different types of algae strains look like.

 

[Wailua Boy]

I've grown Java Moss and Anubias in fry tanks with no ferts and still produced Java Moss carpet over a period of time, your plants should do fine. For lighting, I've used cheap LEDS a couple hours a night but mostly natural light

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Guys , though have been into fishes for a long time , decided to do a simple planted tank.
Tank Dimensions are 27" * 14 *12 "
Nothing fancy , but i have some Anubias Barteri and small bunch of Java Moss.
I have a substrateless tank , so for the Anubias tied them to a drift wood and the Java Moss on a rock.
My questions....
1) This will be a non-CO2 tank...is this feasible
2) I dont intend to add any ferts into it...will the plants make it.
3) For lighting , can I use simple LED light bulbs x2
4) With all this in the fray , i intend to use this tank for a Dovii Fry grow out...is it safe in terms of health if I add fertilizers , how will the fry fare
5) Anything else do I need to do or stop from doing
Expert advices and thoughts please
Thanks in advance

1. Yes, I have both plants mentioned with no co2 and they both do very well, I'd almost say they thrive.
2. I don't add any ferts and mine do well, I have low (fish) stock levels (1 CT betta and 1 USD catfish) and they produce enough waste for the plants not to die.
3. I'm not sure, I'm not that hard into planted yet.
4. Idk. Let's wait for the experts with that one.
5. Again, idk. Just remember, its better to ask a silly question than make a silly mistake. Good luck!

 

[Frank Castle]

All I want to add that Jags and other smaller Parachromis uproot plants and destroy tank interiors and totally rearrange everything the way THEY want it.

If Jags and smaller Parachromis do that regularly, what do you think their bigger, badder Brothers are gonna do????

 

[vinod_uthaiah]

All I want to add that Jags and other smaller Parachromis uproot plants and destroy tank interiors and totally rearrange everything the way THEY want it.

If Jags and smaller Parachromis do that regularly, what do you think their bigger, badder Brothers are gonna do????

That is really something for me to ponder over...for now my tank is cycling and the Dovii Fries are with parents...will give it a shot and let you guys know how big the damage is....thanks for the insight !!

 

[Frank Castle]

That is really something for me to ponder over...for now my tank is cycling and the Dovii Fries are with parents...will give it a shot and let you guys know how big the damage is....thanks for the insight !!

lol don't spend too much $$$ on plants haha they'll be wrecking them in no time......you might want to stick to semi-aquatic plants like Pothos, Philodendron, Ivy, Arrowheads, stuff like that

 

[vinod_uthaiah]

lol don't spend too much $$$ on plants haha they'll be wrecking them in no time......you might want to stick to semi-aquatic plants like Pothos, Philodendron, Ivy, Arrowheads, stuff like that

ok...not going to invest more....any idea if I add fertilizers ( very minimal) any damage to the Fry or fishes in the tank ?

 

[Adhlc]

ok...not going to invest more....any idea if I add fertilizers ( very minimal) any damage to the Fry or fishes in the tank ?

Honestly, those plants shouldn't require you to dose much - if at all. Regular water changes will replenish micronutrients while fish waste and food can help provide Nitrogen and Phosphorous.

Anubias and Java moss are very hardy plants. Though as the babies mature, it's entirely possible that they may nip at or destroy them completely. That's something you'll just have to risk when keeping plants with cichlids. You can also try Java Fern as most fish won't touch that stuff due to the taste.

Also, in my experience, keeping fish well fed will oftentimes keep them from looking elsewhere for food (plants). Though that's not to say they won't just rip leaves off for fun anyways.