I am trying to convert a cichlids tank to planted tank and have been doing research. I am thinking of low tech set up and low light plant such as java fern and Anubis. I know fluorite gravel will be best but don't want to dump the existing dolomite gravel. My existing pH is around 7.6. Is it acceptable? I will need fertile stick. Is house plant stick acceptable or do I need aquatics type?
Question on substrate & fertilizer I will
- Thread starter tiger15
- Start date
If you are just growing anubias + java fern you dont really need any ferts or special soil at all, the fish poop etc in the water will take care of that for you...
Also, im not sure i would use a normal house plant fertilizer stick in a fish tank, since if i had to guess, it would probably dissolve a lot faster compared to ones used for aquariums, and may contain different doses of the actual ferts causing more harm than good...
Also, im not sure i would use a normal house plant fertilizer stick in a fish tank, since if i had to guess, it would probably dissolve a lot faster compared to ones used for aquariums, and may contain different doses of the actual ferts causing more harm than good...
Anubias and Java Ferns don't really need much fertilizing, the PH of 7.6 really shouldn't affect them much, as my normal water PH is right around there as well. I would NOT use house hold plant fertilizer as 60%-70% use urea as the nitrate source, I would just get a bottle of SeaChem Flourish Comprehensive and dose the tank once a week...
If you decide to add more plants to the tank down the road I would invest in a planted substrate like Flourite, and then up the amount of flourish you're dosing to the tank.
For plants like Anubias and Java Ferns they do best when attached to something like driftwood, if you bury them then they'll die off so worries about "fert sticks", if you get root feeding plants down the road that need to be buried in the substrate then I would with aquatic root tabs that you bury in the substrate for the root feeding plants.
If you decide to add more plants to the tank down the road I would invest in a planted substrate like Flourite, and then up the amount of flourish you're dosing to the tank.
For plants like Anubias and Java Ferns they do best when attached to something like driftwood, if you bury them then they'll die off so worries about "fert sticks", if you get root feeding plants down the road that need to be buried in the substrate then I would with aquatic root tabs that you bury in the substrate for the root feeding plants.