# PLATED TANK- what should i do/ need?



## sipres87 (Nov 14, 2010)

i want 2 add plants 2 my tank, an not sure what 2 use 2 keep them healty an lush.

-i have a 80gal, discus set up. so i will use plants compadible with low PH, soft water an high temp.

- i was thinking of useing the fertalizer tabs that u set in the substrait. an getting some plant substrait (fertaizer?) an mix it in with my exzisting substrait. wich is very small pebbles. almost like sand..

any ideas????


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Root fertilizer tabs are a great idea. I have used them in regular aquarium gravel and grown some great plants from them.

Don't use any other fertilizers unless you're going to have high-power lights and CO2, otherwise the fertilizers will become food for algae, not the plants.

If you're going to add substrate to the tank, do so VERY CAREFULLY. Rinse it thoroughly before adding or your tank will become one giant mud puddle. Use a 2L soda bottle with the bottom cut off, fill it with the washed substrate (holding the bottle upside down with the spout capped), submerge the 2L full of substrate in the tank, then uncap the spout and let the substrate empty into the tank. Pile it all in one small mountain somewhere in the tank, then smooth it out with your hands.

Welcome to the planted world! 

-Edit: Most plants prefer medium to high GH and KH, but pH really doesn't affect plants (to the extent of my knowledge), nor does temperature. The only thing varying these parameters will do is slow the growth of your plants.


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## sipres87 (Nov 14, 2010)

so my kh gh range in the 2 to 5 range. is that considerd to low?


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I've read on here that the eco-complete substrate doesn't need washing. The best tip for adding it I saw was to take a 2-liter and cut the bottom out, turn it upside down and use it as a funnel to gently drop new substrate in a pile in the bottom, then to mix it in how you want. I've not used it or tried that method, but it is what I would try if I decided to add new substrate to my existing.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

2 to 5 degrees is a little on the low side, but just barely. My tank maintains a steady 8-9 degrees, and my plants are happy as clams. KH and GH, from my understanding, are measurements of the mineral content in the water, and plants like minerals.

What are the GH and KH of the water straight out of your sink?


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## knownothingfishowner (Feb 22, 2010)

I tried doing it "lush" the first time around and failed miserably. 

My recommendation? Start small - java moss tied to lava rock, java fern tied to small driftwood...maybe some hornwort. Those things can easily survive fluctuating PH, temperatures and water parameters. 

Get those good and growing nicely, then head to lush territory. 

Another thing you can do - after purchasing the plants - soak them in a bucket of roughly 90% water and 10% potassium perma for about 10 or 15 mins - to kill off any undesirables that may have hitched a ride. 

****Many sellers keep their plants with fish where their own fish may be very healthy, but expose it to your rig and the fish may get nuked****



Potassium Perma Solution: "Jungles Clear Water" 
Petco, Petsmart and just about every mom and pop store carries it.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I haven't heard any mention of lighting in this thread. Do you have enough lighting for your plants? You need about 2 watts/gallon flourescent light to keep a low-light, low-tech tank. This being a discus tank, I should also ask if the tank is a tall tank? If it is your lighting needs may be even higher, since depth can affect the amount of light reaching the floor of the aquarium. I haven't got anything deeper than about 16" I think, so someone else may need to weigh in on that. Lastly, for lighting you should have bulbs in the 6-10000K color range for good photosynthesis. The substrate and the lighting are where it starts. If you are wanting to go high tech, with CO2 and heavy fertilization you will need even more lighting, but it quickly becomes a juggling act to keep up with or you get algae, from my understanding (never done high tech).


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

sipres87 said:


> so my kh gh range in the 2 to 5 range. is that considerd to low?


Not for disc's. ;o)


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## sipres87 (Nov 14, 2010)

yeah so iam wanting to keep it low key, with just the basics of what i need to keep the plants happy an growing nicely. my local buddy has my lighting taken care of...
- from this an other input from a nother forum site, i think iam going to use the tables u put under the substrait for plants. an of course the recomended lighting.

i dont think i need 2 mix in plant fertalizer/ plant substrait(whatever its called) with my exzisting substrait. if iam useing the tablest.

-ALSO- whats the easyest way to bring my KH an GH up just a little bit?????


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Is this tank already set up?

I think the majority of your more difficult plants to grow will prefer your alkalinity. Some will melt in higher values.


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## sipres87 (Nov 14, 2010)

so what do u think the kh an gh should be for a planted discus aquarium????


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

For a discus tank, I would leave it alone. Most plants will do well with your parameters. Depending on your lighting and all I would leave out any plants with red to them. They just had shop lights over them and sand substrate.

These tanks had a kh and gh of 3 and 4 ph 6.2


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