If this is a biotope tank, what are plants ( if any) that are native to Lake Tan?
You could do floating plants.
You could do floating plants.
Plants for Lake Tang. tank
I am setting up a Lake Tanganyikan biotope.
The water will be hard with pH 8 approx.
The substrate will be 1-1.5inch coral sand.
Light will be two T-5's over a 67 gallon tank.
As i will be keeping Tropheus which graze on algae
all day long , i want algae outbreaks.
To break the monotony of rocks in the tank, i want to add some green.
I don't expect the plants to flourish, i just do not want them to die.
I will not be adding any CO2 or ferts as these fish need high O2 levels
and low nitrates.
I read Vals and Anubias spp. do best.
Any comments?
LAKA
The water will be hard with pH 8 approx.
The substrate will be 1-1.5inch coral sand.
Light will be two T-5's over a 67 gallon tank.
As i will be keeping Tropheus which graze on algae
all day long , i want algae outbreaks.
To break the monotony of rocks in the tank, i want to add some green.
I don't expect the plants to flourish, i just do not want them to die.
I will not be adding any CO2 or ferts as these fish need high O2 levels
and low nitrates.
I read Vals and Anubias spp. do best.
Any comments?
LAKA
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
So the question you need to ask yourself is whether you want a true biotope or a hard water tank with some plants. Along with the vals and Anubias, you can also go with C. wendtii, and hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum). I don't think any of the above would fit the biotope you're wanting to build, but are hardy hard water plants.
I think that lower light would save you from algae troubles since the plants you are going to use are not so depended on high light.You could also not use any plants at all of course
MOST of the types of algae that will come a'knockin are not the types that your tropheus want to "graze" on, and they'll be ignored. If you don't mind doing your share of cleaning for the other types, then this is a good idea, as they do love to have some snacks between meals. However, most of their diet will still have to be fed via pellet/flake, so if there isn't any algae it won't hurt anything, and it'll keep algae off of the plants you intend to grow, as most of the plants that'll grow in these water conditions are pretty slow growers, they'll be susceptible to algae moreso than others.
my $.02
P.S. for the water conditions, good plants for your tank have been listed above, and as has been stated they don't NEED this much light, but if you provide it, they'll certainly grow well for you.
one specific plant as Vals go I would recommend is Dark Red Jungle Val. It grows pretty tall and thick, nice color, and I grew it in my Mbuna tank and they seemed to hate the taste of the stuff. Mowed down everything else, but always left this alone.
my $.02
P.S. for the water conditions, good plants for your tank have been listed above, and as has been stated they don't NEED this much light, but if you provide it, they'll certainly grow well for you.
one specific plant as Vals go I would recommend is Dark Red Jungle Val. It grows pretty tall and thick, nice color, and I grew it in my Mbuna tank and they seemed to hate the taste of the stuff. Mowed down everything else, but always left this alone.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Maybe "biotope" is too harsh a word. I am not that fanatical.
I have seen some nice Rift tank set ups and i think a bit of green is a pleasant break from
a tank full of rocks. I will go for Vals, anubias and hornwort as i have all these in my established tank.
PS. Interesting point> If i transfer the above plants from my current high tec CO2 and Ferts planted tank that has pH 5.8-6.8 depending on CO2 cycle and kh, GH <2, will the plants be "shocked"?
How will they cope with such a large transition in water chemistry??
LAKA
Maybe "biotope" is too harsh a word. I am not that fanatical.
I have seen some nice Rift tank set ups and i think a bit of green is a pleasant break from
a tank full of rocks. I will go for Vals, anubias and hornwort as i have all these in my established tank.
PS. Interesting point> If i transfer the above plants from my current high tec CO2 and Ferts planted tank that has pH 5.8-6.8 depending on CO2 cycle and kh, GH <2, will the plants be "shocked"?
How will they cope with such a large transition in water chemistry??
LAKA
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Aquatic Plant Forum
A forum community dedicated to aquatic plant owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about collections, displays, tanks, styles, troubleshooting, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
FernKing
43 Replies
johnwesley0
25 Replies
PlentyCoup
24 Replies
Recommended Communities
