Science Project Help - Page 2 - New to Planted Aquariums

dawntwister · 10-11-2008, 11:49 AM

Through a long debate, at another forum, I have found that if the spectrum is not right for the plants you have you have to add ferts. Some plants like hornwort, java fern and mosses have low requirements, thus don't need ferts.

If you want a biotype tank it is cheaper to buy a plant package. Perhaps there is a dealer near you. Check out EBay. With the weather as it is now it is a good time to have plants shipped.

What is the objective of your experiment? Are you doing this for yourself, a class, or a business?

Another person whom is in to experiments is Homer_Simpson at this forum.

hoppycalif · 10-11-2008, 12:41 PM

One obvious pharmaceutical to test is KNO3, potassium nitrate, or KH2O4, mono potassium phosphate, which are plant fertilizers. You could do one tank with nothing added as a fertilizer, or with just one of the above chemicals added, and the other with both.

Another, easy chemical to use is sodium bicarbonate, which is Arm & Hammer baking soda. That provides carbonates in the water, measured as the carbonate hardness, or KH.

dawntwister · 10-11-2008, 01:15 PM

Magnesium sulfate, epson salts, is another item you could test. It raises the gh of water.
Also sodium chloride, aquarium salt.

hoppycalif · 10-11-2008, 02:19 PM

For a science project I think you should give up trying to make one or both of those tanks look aquascaped. They are just too small, with too little light for that to work out well. One question your project could test is what is the effect of brackish water on X plants. Another is, does high phosphate increase the amount of algae that grows in an aquarium.

mex2tx · 10-11-2008, 06:07 PM

It wasn't mentioned in the articles, or maybe i skipped over that part, but do the plants require a bubble stone for oxygen?

i already bought the plants and the substrate ,but i have to go to a mandatory family celebration and will buy the rest of the supplies right after the celebration...

oh and by the way hoppycalif i already said i'd buy more lighting, and by a freshwater environment
all i mean is plants,and stones...

and to dawntwister:
the objective of my experiment is noted in the first post, and I'm doing this by myself

Thanks for your support

hoppycalif · 10-11-2008, 08:13 PM

The plants don't need an air stone to get enough oxygen, but it does add a little more water circulation, so it isn't a bad idea to use one. Which plants and substrate did you get?

mex2tx · 10-12-2008, 08:01 AM

Thanks, and here are a 2 pictures:
Right after the assembly of the tank:

The Next Morning

And I was going to use fluorite, but the petsmart employee said they only had a 7kg bag for that brand so instead mentioned this: First Layer Pure Laterite

hoppycalif · 10-12-2008, 08:41 AM

Congratulations! You are off to a good start. Have you decided what substance you want to test the effects of?

mex2tx · 10-12-2008, 02:09 PM

thanks, that means a lot, and i put a lot of effort into the start of my first planted aquariums

Well, I'm going to try to look in common household medicines.

dawntwister · 10-12-2008, 07:49 PM

I'm doing a project in which i will test the effects of pharmaceuticals(medicine) on aquatic plants
So you are doing this to get a grade in a class?

Are you going to wait a few weeks to see if the plants grow well? Since you are dealing with a plant that is considered a weed I am uncertain if it will give you the results you want. True it didn't grow for me but my water is very soft. I only know of 1 other person whom had problem with this plant.