Simple planting...

[Moloch]

Basically all i want to do is cover my manzanita wood with anubias. right now I have a fairly healthy bunch of it tied near the top (pictured) hoping that it latches on and starts to spread. I'm running the lowest of the low-tech when it comes to planted tanks (i.e. nothing). I have a single 40watt t8 aqua-glo bulb (1215 lumens, box says it peaks in photosynthetic areas of the spectrum fwiw). No CO2 & (currently) no ferts.

I can't afford to upgrade the lighting, but I've also read that anubias does just fine in low-light conditions, it might just be real slow to grow. Considering the low-light, I'm thinking that a co2 injection would be a waste, but what about simple fertilizer? I saw seachem's Flourish at petsmart, would getting a bottle of this and following its recommended dosage help at all?

From what I've read, anubias is my best bet as far as a plant fitting my system. I tried anacharis out of petsmarts live-plants setup but it was all brown, my convict juvie ate all the leaves & it just ended up floating around my tank dead, so I threw it away. I think the look of anubias is fine, and I think it'll serve its purpose well. Basically I want to give my new leopard ctenopoma an appropriate hunting ground

So...for attaching anubias to driftwood and hoping it spreads and does well I have:
a 40watt t8, no co2, willing to get something like seachem flourish for ferts. Is this reasonable? How long can I expect it to take for the bunch that I have tied on right now to attach? Can I expect it spread on its own? I'm thinking of going and picking up a few more bunches & tying them on at various other places to speed up the process. Should I just leave it at this single bunch and see how it does in the setup? Is there a better plant to use?

I haven't tested my PH since I moved from my apartment back to my parents so I'll have to get my test kit out for that. I do a weekly 30-40% WC, nitrites & ammonia stay at 0 or just above before a wc, nitrates stay under control. Not sure about water hardness I don't have a test for that right now.

 

[jcardona1]

Anubias are really really easy to grow. I like to tell people you could put them in a toilet, close the lid, and they'll still grow. But with that said, I would consider adding another T8 bulb, even if it's a cheap fixture from Lowes or Home Depot. Ive bought a dual T8 48" fixture from Lowes for $12, can't get any cheaper than that!

I would suggest adding Fluorish Excel, it's a source of carbon. Easy and cheap to add. Anubias are slow growers, so don't expect to see any fast-paced action. In low light conditions, you may see a new leaf every 1-2 weeks.

It may take some tie for it to attach itself, so just use some green or brown sewing thread so it doesn't stand out too much. Other than that, that's it!

 

[Moloch]

Cool, forgot the pics, the water isn't cloudy I promise

I'll probably pick up some flourish and another bunch or two of anubias next time I'm at petsmart. The problem with adding a second bulb is that the tank came with a hood/light combo, so there's only space for one bulb to shine through. I'm on a pretty strict budget right now so I don't really have the room to go out and buy two glass hoods & a new fixture for it. Maybe in a couple months I can look into that.

Thats definitely what I've heard about anubias from everywhere though...its why I went with it I'll probably end up attaching bunches at the end of every branch and a spot or two in the middle just to try & quicken it up. I just tied it on with fishing line so its not really noticeable at all in the mean time.

btw I saw the thread on your previously planted tank a few days ago. Not sure how long ago that happened but MAN I was sorry to see that, you had a beautiful setup. Still love what with you did with the hardscape though. I like the way you have the tank sitting in that room in general, makes me want a rimless (although I want a rimless SW setup instead)