Monthly Archives: May 2011

FUNCTIONAL FISH FOR A SMALL, LOW-LIGHT AQUARIUM

  By robert | May 12, 2011 - 3:03 pm | Fish and Invertebrates
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FUNCTIONAL FISH FOR A SMALL, LOW-LIGHT AQUARIUM

A fishy tale 

By Bruce Lucas

INTRODUCTION

A friend of mine who worked at a pet store talked about these fish called “oscars” that ate goldfish. They sounded cool. I told him I had to get some of these just so I could feed them goldfish. He told me to come in and buy a tank and he would give me a “discount” on the rest of the equipment. A five-finger discount that is. Yes, we were in high school.

So there I was with my first pet fish–3 juvenile oscars in a 10 gallon aquarium. Rather than tell a horror story which involves my complete ignorance of the nitrogen cycle and their eventual move to a 55 gallon aquarium which still was not big enough, I will tell a happier, more peaceful story.

The apartment complex I now live in allows a maximum aquarium size of 20 gallons. This does not give much room to work with if you desire a variety of fish. I wanted lots of fish swimming around, but did not want the fish to suffer in pollution. Been there, done that. The (now) obvious answer to the dilemma is a well-planted aquarium. I read about all the high-tech gadgetry available, but the capital cost turned me away. So I was pretty much stuck with a small, low-light, and relatively low-tech planted aquarium.

Here is a summary of my constraints:
· Small aquarium size: 20 gal (24″ L ´ 12″ W ´ 18″ H)
· High fish count: crowded aquarium with 15 to 20 fish
· Low light: normal output fluorescent light supplied at 20 W/ft2 or 2 W/gal (40 W total)
· Low carbon supplementation: Seachem Flourish Excel dosed at 0.1 mL/gal/day (2 mL/day)

INITIAL SETUP

The first plants introduced were amazon swords (Echinodorus bleheri), java fern (Microsorum pteropus), and java moss (Vesicularia dubyana). These all showed satisfactory growth under the 40 W of normal fluorescent light. Do not ask about my attempts to grow plants in the old oscar tank.

Regarding lighting, “they” fooled me in the beginning though. I bought specialty aquarium tubes: Coralife Nutri Grow Plant Lamp and Coralife 50/50 Fluorescent Lamp. Sure, my plants grew well, but I could have achieved the same results with $5 GE Plant & Aquarium or GE Sunshine tubes instead. Lesson learned. Stay away from the overpriced $10-20 tubes. Any benefits they may provide are not worth the extra money.

The only good thing about the Coralife 50/50 tube was how amazing it made my neon tetras look. I started with a dozen neon tetras. They were 5 for $2, plus every now and then you get a free one from the local fish store. I suppose it was the actinic blue that made them so eye-catching in my tank. The neon tetras pretty much glowed.

Along with the neons, I bought corydoras catfish. They stay small and keep to the bottom of the tank except when getting air from the surface. Their size was their big selling point for me. I did not want another fast-growing catfish like the blue channel catfish I used to have. The blue channel catfish was with the oscars of course.


Corydoras julii

I decided on 3 leopard corydoras (Corydora julii) and 3 panda corydoras (C. panda). It turned out that what were sold as leopard corydoras were really three line corydoras (C. trilineatus). Two of the panda corydoras died and were replaced with 2 peppered corydoras (C. paleatus). The pandas are well-known to be delicate, while the peppered have a reputation for being extremely hardy.

Now I had a dozen fish swimming in the middle and top sections of the tank along with a half-dozen fish swimming along the bottom of the tank. Everything was fine now, right? Wrong.

BIG PROBLEM

A new dilemma presents itself. The high number of well-fed fish is a considerable source of waste, particularly nitrates. There are low-light plants (e.g. Hygrophila polysperma) that will grow at a steady pace which require regular pruning, but they will not be big enough sinks for all of the nitrates. Algae-free will not be a suitable term used to describe this aquarium. There simply is not enough light and carbon available for the plants to utilize all of the nitrates and other waste products. Floating plants may be able to get around the carbon and light shortages, but they would shade the tank, which I do not want.

PRACTICAL SOLUTION

After a case of ich decimated the neon tetras there was an opportunity to create and enforce a new policy on selecting fish. I decided to simply stock the tank with fish that serve a functional purpose in the aquarium. For the most part, this means having a variety of algae eaters. This makes sense anyway since there is not a single fish (at least not well-known and readily available) that eats every type of freshwater algae, stays small, and does not harm plants. If there was, then I am sure its common name would be Holy Grail.

There are other functions that may be met by aquarium fish including snail eater, water quality indicator, and scavenger.

The chosen algae eaters were otos (Otocinclus sp.), a bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.), rosey barbs (Barbus conchonius), and cherry barbs (Puntius titteya). A yo-yo loach (Botia lohachata) got the job for snail eater. The rummy nose tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri) serves as a water quality indicator. The surviving corydoras get to stay since they will scavenge.

Here is a brief overview of the fish I chose and specifically what they are good for. You can find additional details elsewhere.

Otos
I keep 6 otos in my aquarium. I started with only 2 to get rid of brown algae on the glass and some plants. They will also consume soft, green algae. I added more to keep the green algae in check. Six is probably the minimum number you want to have, even in a small tank like mine. Younger ones seem to be more active during the day whereas older ones are shyer. Even the shy ones eat their share of algae. You just do not see them do it. Their fat, round bellies are evidence of that.

Bristlenose Pleco
I recently added a bristlenose pleco to consume more algae in bulk. Think of it like a super-size oto. Its big mouth will clear wide paths of algae compared to the smaller mouths of the otos. It may have trouble eating algae from the tip of long, slender leaves due to its size. The otos can take care of the tips. A clown pleco is an alternative to the bristlenose pleco, but it is debated whether a clown consumes as much algae as a bristlenose. Both maintain a small size suitable for a small aquarium.

Rosy Barbs
My 3 rosey barbs were brought in to take care of hair/beard algae that threatened to take over the tank. They seem to be constantly hungry, which is just fine with me. It does not take them long to eat away at the tough to remove algae until it is out of sight. Siamese algae eaters are a more well-known alternative for eating these types of algae, but they are not as readily available as rosey barbs. They can be aggressive towards each other at times, but I have not noticed any inflicted damage. If the tank was bigger, then I would get at least a couple more.

Cherry Barbs
I tried 3 cherry barbs before the rosey barbs to attack the hair/beard algae. Maybe they ate some and maybe they did not. I do know that they were not up to the challenge of keeping it in check. They also nip at java moss, but the java moss grows way faster than it can be eaten. I suppose it was the same way with the case of hair/beard algae in my tank. They are smaller and more colorful than the rosey barbs though. Keep a mix of males and females (e.g. 1 female with 2 males) if you want the males to maintain their bright red color. They are tougher than neons too.

Rummy Nose Tetra
I once saw an article about discus, which recommended keeping rummy nose tetras with the discus. The reason is that the rummy nose’s bright red nose will fade in poor water quality. So I added a rummy nose tetra to clue me in to any disastrous problems. After I know for sure that I will not make any significant changes to my tank and no problems arise for some time, I will probably remove the rummy nose.

Yo-Yo Loach
Whenever you add plants, you run the risk of adding snails too. The yo-yo loach is a snail-eating machine. Without supplemental food tablets, it will continue to eat all snails in sight. They also keep a small size with a slender shape. When you hate pond snails in your tank, it is quite a sight to see empty snail shells littering the substrate. My loach is a bully at feeding time. Perhaps a month or so after I finish experimenting with new plants in my aquarium, I will try to catch the yo-yo loach and put it elsewhere. Try.

Corydora sp.
The different corydoras in the tank will all scavenge the bottom of the tank in search of food. They are not left solely to scavenge. They are fed 6 nights a week. In case any flakes or micropellets fed to the barbs and rummy nose find their way to the bottom of the tank, the corydoras will surely take care of them.

MAINTENANCE
Here is the maintenance breakdown for my aquarium:

Daily
· Dose 2 mL of Flourish Excel in the morning.
· Feed the barbs and rummy nose once in the morning.
· Feed the corydoras once at night.

Weekly
· Change 1/3 of the water to reduce nitrates from 20 ppm to 10 ppm.
· Prune the stem plants and toss out handfuls of java moss as needed.
· Throw in a slice of blanched cucumber, which lasts two days.
· Dose KCl (20 ppm K) and MgSO4×7H2O (5 ppm Mg) (twice a week)

Bimonthly
· Break 2 houseplant fertilizer sticks into 3 pieces each and distribute them throughout the tank under the sword and stem plants.

CONCLUSION
It is possible to have a small tank which is: (1) low-tech so it is relatively inexpensive to setup; (2) have a variety of plants, some of which grow fast and some which do not; (3) have several varieties of fish each bringing its own color and charm; and most importantly, (4) keep algae in control so you can spend more of your time observing your fish than cleaning up their home. I do not scrape algae off the glass or the plants. There is always some kind of algae present in the tank, especially on my slower-growing plants, Cryptocoryne wendtii and Anubias barteri var nana, but I leave the fish to take care of it for me. Since algae are not a concern anymore, I am free to increase the variety of low-light plants including the slower-growing species which might otherwise suffocate under a blanket of algae.

What is a C02 Drop Checker?

  By robert | May 11, 2011 - 4:25 pm | Aquarium Plants
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by Bill Timmer

A C02 drop checker or indicator measures the amount of C02 in the aquarium

What is needed to use a drop checker:

  • glass drop checker
  • suction cup
  • Bromothymol Blue (pH drops)
  • standard reference soltuion

Directions:

Fill the compartment with reference liquid about halfway, if it is a bulb type. Then put about 3 pH drops in, or however many it takes to get the perfect opacity of blue, not too clear, not too dark. Suction the drop checker to the inside wall of the tank, under water. Keep it right side up, so no tank water gets in the bulb. Wait a few hours and compare the color to your target color.

A reference solution comes in different dKH. The most common is 4dKH. If you are using 4dKH, this is how you determine your CO2 levels:

 

Blue – not enough CO2

Green – 30ppm CO2 (target level)

Yellow – too much CO2, dangerous for inhabitants

 

Some science behind it

A drop checker is basically a pH test, but not for your tank water. It measures the pH of your drop checker solution, which indicates CO2 levels. How it works is there is an enclosed air chamber trapped between the tank water and the drop checker liquid. The CO2 in your tank will flow freely into the trapped air, and then intothe drop checker compartment. It will do this until the water in the tank and the water in the drop checker reach equilibrium. This means that there is equal concentrations of CO2 in both chambers of liquid. CO2 is the only variable effecting the pH in the drop checker, therefore pH in the drop checker is directly related to CO2 levels in both the tank.

Effect of CO2 and KH on pH:

The more CO2 dissolved in water, the lower the pH will be.

The lower your hardness, the lower your pH will be

There are several other miscellaneous parameters that could effect pH.

A reference solution is a solution that has an exact hardness degree that is known. In addition, there are no other unknown water parameters that could affect the pH reading.

Every water parameter is constant, an known, except the CO2 level. The amount of CO2 is the only thing that is affecting the pH. Therefore, the pH reading in the drop checker solution correlates to an exact amount of CO2 .

For example, in a 4dKH reference solution of water and baking soda, a pH level of ~6.6 indicates 30ppm of CO2. A 6.6 pH with Bromothymol Blue turns this solution green, and therefore when the drop checker is green, you have 30ppm of CO2. In conclusion, a drop checker test is just a pH test, in water that has no other variables beside CO2.

 

Why use Laterite in the Aquarium?

  By robert | May 11, 2011 - 2:09 am | Aquarium Plants
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by Robert Paul Hudson

What is laterite?

Laterite is a red, porous soil formed by decaying rocks weathered by tropical heat and centuries of heavy rain. This process leeches the soil of all minerals and silicas and absorbs high amounts of  aluminum and iron hydroxides. Laterites that are poor in iron hydroxides and rich in aluminum hydroxides are called bauxites. This commonly occurs in areas of high humidity and extreme heat. On land not many plants can grow in this type of soil, but in tropical Asia laterite run-off is found in waterways, providing iron to aquatic plants. The term laterite and clay are often confused. They are not one and the same.  Clays typically are high in silicates and may contain other minerals besides iron.

Where does it come from?

Laterite deposits are found in tropical jungles around the world. Laterite aquarium and pond products are processed with laterite mined and exported from Sri Lanka.

Why is laterite used in the aquarium?

The German company Dupla was the first commercial company to market laterite for aquarium use during the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s clay gravels were introduced.  Laterite has never been used as a stand alone substrate, but is a substrate additive used with aquarium gravel or sand.

Dupla marketed it to be supplimented with their own “root activator” and root fertilizer tablets.  The laterite was a safe way to provide a source of iron as well as a medium with good cation exchange capacity. CEC is the ability to attract positive ions: which simply means it attracts nutrients and holds them like a sponge. Tests have shown that laterite has a significantly higher iron content and CEC capacity.

Dupla is no longer in business, and Aquarium Pharmacuticals First Layer Pure Laterite is the most common laterite product still available. The old Dupla product had a powder consistencey.  The AP product is more chunky.

How to use laterite in the aquarium

Using it is simple. Simply mix the box contents with an inch layer of gravel, and then top with 2″ to 3″ of straight gravel. I also add a thin layer of sphagnum peat before adding the top layer of gravel. The peat provides an organic acid that helps to break down the oxidized iron to a form more easily used by plants and adds additional CEC.   Only a very small amount should be used, because too much decaying organic material in the substrate can cause all sorts of problems.

Just remember laterite should always be buried, not used as astand alone substrate.

If you plan on having fancy terracing, and sloping substrates, then plan the layout ahead of time and use the laterite accordingly. It is important to keep it well covered in the substrate to prevent it from entering the water. If your substrate foreground will be sloped so low that it is less than an inch deep, do not put laterite in the foreground. If back areas are deeper than 4 or 5 inches, then layer the laterite in the middle of the substrate.

Any type of undergravel filter is not advisable with a laterite and peat substrate for reasons that should be obvious! The UGF will dump the laterite and peat into the water creating an unbelievable mess!

Laterite is primarily beneficial for deep-rooted plants and heavy root feeders, such as Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne species. Most stem plants and ferns will take the majority of their nutrients from the water. Laterite by itself only provides iron. Macro nutrients, (nitrogern-phosphate-potassium) and other trace mineralswill still need to be provided.

Clay gravels such as Seachems Flourite and Ecocomplete also provide mainly iron but can be used as a stand alone substrate. Laterite is an additive to be used with your choice of gravel or sand. Laterite gives you more asthetic choices. Laterite basically lasts forever in the aquarium.

The Minimalistic Aquascape

  By robert | May 10, 2011 - 3:28 am | Aquascaping Art
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by Robert Paul Hudson

Click on photos to see a larger view

By keeping the aquascape simple with a small number of plant species, you can create an elegant,  picturesque and natural looking scene. There is beauty in simplicity. Many people call this a minimalistic aquascape.

A minimalistic aquascape to me is like shouting without yelling. It is the stoic, strong oak tree that is an island in a grassy pasture. The golden dessert sand dunes against the back drop of a red summer’s dawn sky. Nature is full of countless examples of the sheer awe in simplicity. It is no surprise then that some people have been successful at turning this into an art form in the aquarium.

Minimalistic art forms in the aquarium

Different forms of aquascaping can incorporate this concept. The nature-scene style takes a snap shot representation of a recognizable scene from nature such as a mountain meadow, a dark forest, a dry stream- bed,  and make it appear as a believable  true underwater landscape. The Iwagumi style of aquascaping takes principals of the Iwagumi Japanese landscape and gardening philosophy and applies it to the aquarium. The arrangement of rocks is the key to the design along with a small number of plant species arranged  in a simple but elegant form around the stones.  A biotope representation that is meant to represent an actual enviorment , has a small number of plant species strategically placed to be artful as well as true to form.

Create your own form and flow

You do not have to be an artist to create your own minimalistic style. James Portway created his with little effort. Only two plants are used: Hemianthus callitrichoides and Dwarf Hairgrass, (Eleocharis). Hemianthus callitrichoides , (HC) is small leafed plant that hugs the substrate creating a pillowy carpet.  The same effect may be created using Glossostigma, a clover like carpet plant.

Wood, rocks, and other objects often referred to as the ‘hardscape”, play an important role in the minimalistic aquascape. The hardscape and negative space become the key element of the whole visual impact of the aquascape.  What would James Portway’s aquascape be like without the rocks?  Hardscape objects may be dominate in the aquascape or play a submissive role providing obscure detail and subtlety. It all depends on the big picture and how everything ties together.

Creating a field with a rock or wood formation is an easy aquascape for a beginner and very picturesque , as is wood covered in plants as earlier discussed. Anubias, ferns and moss are hardy, resilient and grow naturally on wood. With just those three plants one can create a compelling scene ripped from the pages of a nature magazine. The only limitation is your own imagination, not the number of plant species.

If you want to try something more like a traditional garden than a grassy field or wood piles, a minimalistic approach can be done by grouping a small number of plant species. What makes it interesting is how the plants are grouped and how the groups interact. Take a look at the photo by Norbert Sabat. Just a small number of plant species consisting of stem plants and moss is used to create a stunning design. To look at it, it appears simple and yet the contrast and depth of field and how the plants are trimmed is all very precise. Only a person with  artistic awareness can pull that off.

People are drawn into looking at something that appears simple but at the same time very finely detailed. It is soothing, relaxing, but engaging. It may stir memories or recognizable images that has a strong personal connection for the observer.

A minimalistic approach to aquarium gardening is a way for someone to explore and experiment with their artistic nature, but for the plant enthusiast who’s zest for plants is like a child in a candy store, minimalisim is impossible!

Plants discussed here

Anubias nana

Anubias barteri

Anubias coffefolia

Microsorum (Java Fern)

Vesicularia dubyana, (Java moss)

Bolbitis heudelotii

Cryptocoryne wendtii, lucens, lutea, beckettii

Hemianthus callitrichoides

Eleocharis

Glossostigma

The Estimated Index-Aquarium plant fertilization

  By robert | May 9, 2011 - 6:33 pm | Aquarium Plants
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by Tom Barr

I was responding to someone about dosing recently and came up with a clearer (I hope!) way to explain this idea and method. It’s long but I try to cover most of the bases. 

The Problem

 #1 - Dosing

This can be very tricky when dealing with many variables. Often the suggestion is “buy a test kit” and test to see what your nutrient levels are. This works well for CO2 (but folks should double-check to be sure before proceeding) and GH but the other nutrients like NO3, K, PO4, Fe as a proxy for the traces are more problematic. Chuck Gadd’s dosing calculator works well for the chemistry challenged.

#2 – Testing

This is huge issue for most folks. Test kits cost as much as a filter, or much more in some cases. Some folks can afford nice Lamott/Hach kits, most cannot nor wish to invest $300 in this. Cheaper kits are not offered for K. NO3 kits are very problematic and color reading scales are difficult to assess with cheaper kits. Some folks are color blind. Many folks don’t ever want to test or feel there’s no need to test. I fell into that group for many years. I did as well as I do today but I am much more consistent now and I also know why it works! Iron (Fe) tests have been a very contentious issue for me for about 3 years now. I believe I have a relatively simple methodology to sidestep much of the drudgery, especially with testing iron and NO3.

 Color reading scales are difficult to assess.

 At issue here is maintenance of nutrient levels. The focus will be on four groups, nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4), potassium (K) and the trace elements represented by iron (Fe) in a mixture with the other trace elements. Perhaps a better question is how close to a good range of nutrients do we have to be in to have excellent plant growth and no algae?

Using an “estimative index” the accuracy can be as follows:

(+ or -) 5ppm of CO2 is fine in a 20-30ppm range.

(+ or -) 1ppm or so of NO3 is pretty reasonable.

(+ or -) 2ppm of K+ is pretty reasonable.

(+ or -) 0.2ppm of PO4 is pretty reasonable(?).

(+ or -) 0.1ppm of Fe is reasonable(?).

CO2 range 20-30ppm

NO3 range 5-10ppm

K+ range 20-30ppm

PO4 range 0.4-1.0ppm

Fe .5ppm or higher(?)

PO4 and Fe are two nutrients that are difficult to assess without first assessing the other nutrients. If the NO3, K, and CO2 are in good shape, you can add a fair amount of these within a wide range. I have added up to almost 2ppm of PO4 consistently week after week. The plant’s response is incredible. Adding traces has been a focus for me lately. Many have stuck with the old standby of a residual of 0.1ppm of iron. Well what does this residual tell us? Does it tell us what is available to the plants? Is this enough? Does higher dose when the other nutrients (NO3 and PO4) are present cause algae?

 I can tell from my own experiences that high levels of traces (Fe) have in no way contributed to any algae presence. I made sure and double-checked the other nutrients before drawing a conclusion. There is some chance that a few species of higher algae can do a little better when this is higher but the exact causes have not been replicated. It does not seem to be due directly to high trace levels in and of themselves with the test I have done thus far. I’ve gone around and around and have used Sera, Kent, TMG, Flourish and now recently the PMDD’s “Plantex” at 2 tablespoons in 500ml of DI water to see how far I can push things.

At some point the plants will not take up any more traces. The same can be said for PO4. Adding more simply will not improve plant growth any further. This is where the top end of a range should be. No need to waste expensive trace nutrients. Folks that have had issues with algae may want to try adding the PO4 and then adding more traces in conjunction. Claus Christensen of Tropica had mentioned that many folks in the sfbaaps group had too low trace levels and that they needed to add more. Most folks did and were very pleased with the outcome. I had been dumping in a load of traces all along since my reference sometime ago had been Karl Schoeler’s .7ppm recommendation and I felt like a little more might help if the tank was doing well, as many recommendations seemed to be middle of the road. Although I had tested numerous times and tried to look for some correlation with the test kits for uptake, I became less focused on the testing aspect and came up with what I think is a better method for the traces. I still contend that most folks underdose the traces a great deal.

  The Estimative Part

 Simply adda set amount of traces to a known volume of water. If the tank has fewer plants or low light, this can/may be reduce in frequency but not dosage. A similar pattern can be done for the other nutrients. In this manner you essentially are making a “reference solution” each time you dose and you assume a certain amount of uptake the other one or two times prior to making a large water change at week’s end. If you have low plant density or have low light (2 Watts or less NO FL’s) you can get by on once a week.

By knowing what the tap water is comprised of and giving the water company a call to find out what the PO4, NO3, K, and Fe levels are, you can replace the water with water changes and use plain old chemistry or Chuck’s calculator to figure out what you need for your nutrient levels without a test kit. Even if you are off a little that’s okay (see +’s and -’s on the previous page). The water utility will have some variation but if you are close to the middle ranges it should still come out fairly close.

So, imagine a tank where you don’t test except for CO2 (pH and KH), and that only once in a while. Everything grows well. No guessing.

Basically you are making a crude standard reference solution every week and topping off the plant uptake. Even if you are off a tad it’s not going to cause problems because plants/algae are adapted to a range, not one specific level. You can extend this method to include all the other nutrients like traces and PO4, even KH and GH. At the end of the week, you remove the nutrients and re-set it all over again. So for at least a few days every week the tank is “perfect.” You can try whatever you feel is “perfect” for plant growth and experiment.

Good-sized weekly water changes are an excellent way to do this and avoid build-up and any **dosing** errors or **testing** errors. Test kits ( good ones) are not cheap and many people are too lazy to use them. :-)

Corydoras Pulcher

  By robert | May 9, 2011 - 4:37 am | Fish and Invertebrates
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by Robert Paul Hudson

This photo is of my all time favorite Corydoras- pulcher.  This is from about ten years ago when I ran across this fish in a store.  I was immediately drawn to its size, markings, and high top fin. Its really unlike any other Corydoras, and this fish had real character! 

The creme stripe on the dorsal fin rteally stands out when the fin is erect, and can get tall enough that the tip curls toward the back creating an impressive look not seen in other Corys. He wasn’t shy either and even in a heavily planted aquarium he spent quite a bit of time out in the open.

This specie is from Brazil.  They are tolerant of a wide range of water parameters and will eat any food that falls to the bottom or if hungry enough they will take food from the water surface as well.

Females are a bit bigger and wider than the males, but otherwise look identical. Finding a breeding pair is difficult.  Corydoras as a whole are very socialble fish and like to be in groups. They are not the least bit agressive or territorial with any other fish specie or each other.

Corydoras pulcher do not show up in stores to often. If you see one, grab it!

Updated: Hygrophila pinnatifida

  By robert | May 4, 2011 - 1:43 am | Aquarium Plants
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by Robert Paul Hudson


photo by Oliver Knott

This plant is now available from commercial growers in the USA! Great news as it will be more readily available now and at a much more competitive price. Florida Aquatic Nurseries is now offering the plant in limited supply and is available from any FAN dealer or store. http://www.azgardens.com is currently selling the plant for ten dollars, PER BUNCH of 4 or 5 stems. Hobbyists have been selling it for 10 dollars or more PER STEM!!! Good news for most of us, bad news for hobbyists selling the plant! www.aquariumplants.com does not have it on their web site, but should be able to get it if you request it from them. Other Ebay/aquabid stores that sell FAN plants…who knows. These guys are usually pretty slow at picking up new plants.

 

Hygrophila pinnatifida was announced at the end of 2010 by Tropica Plants of Denmark, and has been making its way around Europe and other parts of the world ever since. It is starting to hit the USA  by hobbyists trading amoung themselves.  It may start to be imported into the USA within the next year or so.

Hygrophila pinnatifida is native to India. The leaves are a brown/green on the top side with a distinctive burgundy red underneath. Stems produce side shoots that may be propagated  and the tops may be trimmed to promote more compact growth.  Red coloring becomes more intense under strong light and elevated C02 .  Growth is slow to moderate, making the plant easy to manage in the aquarium.

It is the combination of the leaf shape and color  that gives this stem plant such a distinctive and unique look and has aquascapers so excited.  Some people have described the leaves as looking “fern like”.

Hygrophila pinnatifida is found in shallow waters such as this stream:

The Hygrophila genus is no stranger to the aquarium hobby. There are several varieties that have become very popular and have become favorites for beginners. While this specie is not as much of a prolific grower as other Hygrophilas, it is relatively easy to grow and as Hygrophila pinnatifida becomes more widely commercially available it is bound to become a high demand plant.

How would you use this plant?  A little color? Some interesting texture?

Hygrophila pinnatifida

This aquascape was thrown together for a trade show by German aquascaper Oliver Knott.

If you are outside the USA, you can probably find this plant fairly easily grown in pots like this:

Here in the USA, the only way you will find it at the present time is on Ebay, or for sale on some hobby forum web sites. It will not be cheap though.  Hobby collectors apparently want to make as much money as they can!  You will see it selling for anywhere from ten to twenty dollars PER STEM.  When it finally reaches commercial sources Hygrophila pinnatifida will be priced in line with any other more common plant. If you have the opportunity to aquire this plant, give it a try! Let us know how it does for you and share pictures!

Mangrove Riparium Journal – Article #1 of 4

  By hydrophyte | May 3, 2011 - 8:34 pm | Aquarium Plants
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by Devin Biggs

Introduction

This article is the first in a short series that I will use to document the design and development of a unique kind of aquarium, a planted riparium featuring mangrove habitat fish and plants in brackish water. Brackish water may seem to limit choices for plants and livestock, but there are many fascinating possibilities for this kind of setup. Riparium growing methods are a good solution for growing the most intriguing plants of mangrove swamps and estuary environments in an aquarium.

I will write about this project in four different articles:

  1. Aquarium design concept
  2. Plant selection and growing
  3. Fish selection and stocking
  4. Progress over time

This first entry will describe the general project concept and it will also include details on the planting accessories and other features of the aquarium setup. Below, the propagules (seed-like reproductive structures) of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans).

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) propagules

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) propagules

Planted Ripariums: Planted ripariums are a new kind of aquarium display that feature emergent aquatic plants, species that are rooted in the wet substrates at the edges of ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, but hold their foliage up in the air. Hanging riparium planter cups and rafts support the plants up at the waterline in the riparium display. The picture below shows a riparium planting with emergent plants and fish. This setup used freshwater and was planted into a 55-gallon tank.

55-gallon Planted Riparium

55-gallon Planted Riparium

Ripariums are somewhat less complicated to build and maintain in comparison with paludariums, which they resemble, because the planters and plants are modular and easy to move around in the aquarium. Paludariums, in contrast, use built-up terrestrial features (boulders, driftwood, foam or plastic forms) to support the plants. While paludariums and similar kinds of setups can make good homes for turtles, frogs and other amphibious animals, ripariums are less suitable for these creatures because there is no real land area for them to use. Nevertheless, ripariums are excellent habitats for aquarium fish, which benefit from the natural cover and robust filtration offered by the plants. A wide range of beautiful emergent aquatic plants grow very well in riparium setups and add further interest to the aquarium display.

The riparium growing method has been developed during the course of just the last few years by hobbyists and product developers in the United States. The next picture shows a riparium hanging planter with a clay-based plant gravel.

Riparium Hanging Planter

Riparium Hanging Planter

The mangrove habitat in nature: Although I want this project to be a realistic representation of the mangrove swamp environment, I am not trying to create a strict biotope display to represent one specific geographic area. Rather, I am going to include brackish water species from different areas that I can find in the hobby and that can live together in a compatible way. Although may can share many of the same environmental conditions, mangrove habitats in different regions have distinct assemblages of plant and animal species.

Mangrove habitats are found in coastal areas all around the world in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by brackish (moderately salty) water, a unique kind of environmental situation that results from the mixing of freshwater and saltwater where rivers and other freshwater sources meet the sea. Mangrove swamps are especially likely to occur in estuaries, the areas at the mouths of rivers where the water level and water mixing are influenced daily by the ocean tides. Mangrove swamps are dominated by trees, whereas other kinds of brackish/estuary habitats, such as grassy saltmarshes might feature other sorts of plants. The brackish water mangrove/estuary environment creates special challenges and unique opportunities for plants and animals. The unique adapations of brackish environment species are fascinating to observe in an aquarium. Below, a coastal mangrove swamp in Florida, USA.

Mangrove Swamp

Mangrove Swamp

Brackish water species need to be able to flourish in moderately salty water, but they must also withstand the changes in salinity levels which can result where the freshwater and seawater are mixed in different proportions, as influenced by storms, tides, proximity of the sea and seasonal fluctuations in river flow. The rivers that feed estuaries deposit great quantities of muddy sediments. The nutrients in mangrove swamp mud can support highly productive plant growth, but the intense bacterial activity in the mud can also lead to severe oxygen depletion, a very difficult situation for plant roots. Some kinds of mangrove trees have unique root adaptations, such the prop roots of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) or the pneumatophores of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) that reach above the mud and are thought to help the roots to uptake more oxygen.

The fishes of mangrove swamps have other remarkable adaptations to this productive, yet difficult kind of habitat. Archerfishes (Toxotes sp.) have the unusual ability to capture terrestrial prey by shooting jets of water at insects that crawl on the limbs of mangrove trees. Mudskippers (Periophthalmus and other genera) use the tide-influenced mangrove environment very well with their amazing abilities to walk about on land and climb trees. Among many other fascinating and beautiful brackish water, aquarium-suitable fishes are the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), Celebes rainbowfish (Telmatherina ladigesi) and orange chromide cichlids (Etroplus maculates).

Aquarium Design Concept

Aquarium Hardware and Life Support: While deciding upon an aquarium size and shape I wanted to choose a tank with plenty of swimming room for fish and growing space for plants. I settled with using a 30 breeder, a popular, economical and easy to find model that is especially nice for creating a “pond style” riparium with water filled all the way to the top and with plants growing in the area above. I really like the visual effect of this kind of riparium. Here is a quick shot of the tank where I have it set up in a corner of my basement fishroom.

Mangrove Riparium

Mangrove Riparium

A 75 watt Eheim Jäger will heat the tank, while a Fluval U Series submersible filter will provide filtration and water circulation.

This kind of riparium setup requires a pendant light fixture so that the plants can have enough vertical space to grow. Until a few years ago the options for pendant aquarium lighting were relatively costly and hard to find, but the recent popularity of the bright T5 strip lights and reflectors used for hydroponic growing has made it much easier and more economical to set up this kind of lighting. For this display I plan to start out with a single 39-watt HO T5 striplight. For the time being a rustic plywood (see below) mount will hold the light, but I later I will upgrade to a double-strip T5 fixture with more attractive hardware.

HO T5 Strip Light

HO T5 Strip Light

Substrates: Many mangrove estuary habitats are characterized by deep, dark muddy substrates, but I have also seen mangroves in Florida growing in white beach sand. The abovewater riparium plants in this tank will tend to shade the underwater portion of the display, so I decided to use a white aragonite reef aquarium sand to cover the bottom and brighten the underwater area. Aragonite would be a poor choice for most kinds of planted tanks, especially setups with CO2 injection, which would tend to cause its rapid dissolution, but it shouldn’t cause any trouble at all for this model ecosystem. I aragonite in reef aquariums and I think that it will make nice effect in this display too.

Aragonite Sand

Aragonite Sand

I will build the layout hardscape with several good-sized manzanita stumps. I started these driftwood pieces soaking in the tank so that they could begin to leach some of their water-staining organic compounds and so that they would sink for easier positioning in the riparium layout. The aragonite sand will also make a pleasing contrast against the dark features of these manzanita driftwood stumps.

Manzanita driftwood

Manzanita driftwood

The mangrove trees and other plants will be rooted in the riparium planters in a nutrient-rich plant substrate. Nothing will be planted directly into the aragonite sand. The picture below shows one of the riparium hanging planters (Available from: www.RipariumSupply.com) that I will use for this project. I do not anticipate using riparium trellis rafts in this situation. Many of the best riparium plants (e.g., Pilea, Anubias, Fittonia and others) can grow very well as riparium midground plants planted directly on trellis rafts and with their roots suspended in the water, but I do not know of any brackish water species likely to grow well in this way. Most of the familiar mangrove species grow best in nutrient-rich substrates and are thus better suited for planting the riparium planters with plant media.

I will probably paint the back pane of aquarium glass a black or dark blue color. When hung against a dark aquarium surface the riparium planters become inconspicuous and hard to spot in the riparium planted layout. As the plants grow their leaves, stems and roots will further obscure the planters and create a natural view in the display.

Conclusion

I am already having having a lot of fun with this project! This will be a unique kind of planted setup and I hope to reveal some insights useful for other hobbyists who might like to keep some of these plants and fish. Please visit AquaBotanic.com/ again for the additional articles in this series. My next entry “Plant selection and growing” will cover these fascinating mangrove plants in more detail and also provide a progress update for the mangrove riparium project.

Visit Devin’s web site: www.RipariumSupply.com

How to plant Lobelia cardinalis small form

  By robert | May 2, 2011 - 4:13 pm | Aquarium Plants
1 Comment

by Robert Paul Hudson

Lobelia cardinalis is an interesting plant. It is available as a garden plant in several cultivar strains that grow up to three feet high with dark red foliage and blooms. It has also been cultivated as an aquatic plant that would grow to be a foot or more tall. Later a small version was developed that grows only a few inches tall and is used in groups for the foreground or mid ground.

The wild form grows in shallow water as a bog or pond edge plant, in North America from Canada to Florida, and from Mexico to Central America.

Above water the leaves are a dark red/purple. Underwater, the leaves of the aquatic form turn light green. Some may fall off and be replaced with new underwater growth.

Here is the tall aquarium form that used to be sold under the name dwarf lobelia

Compare that to the lobelia cardinalis small form now being sold

This plant makes an attractive ground cover that is a little above the ground level. It has been used in traditional Dutch aquascapes such as this one:

When you recieve a pot of the small form, remove it from the pot and gently split open the wool

If it has been growing for a while in the pot, the roots will be well grown deep into the wool. Simply gently pull off as much wool as you can from the main roots. If you break off some of the roots it does not matter and it does not matter if you leave some bits of wool on the roots.

As you are pulling the stem away from the wool, you may find that there is more than one stem there, and each stem may be heavily branched or have side shoots. All of this can be divided if you wish.

You can divide it so each piece retains some roots, or even cut off some stems with no roots and if you have bright enough light they will eventually take root.

It really just depends on how bushy you want it to look and how patient you are for it to grow. As each stem grows out, it will have side shoots and become more bushy.

I recommend moderate or better light and C02 for best growth results, but I say that for most plants. If you are doing a well planned low tech tank following the Walstad or some other method, then give this plant a try. It may do well for you. In a semi high tech tank its real easy to grow. If the roots and lower stem begin to rot, it is a light issue, meaning it needs brighter light than what you are giving it.

Setting up a display planted aquarium for your LFS by George Farmer

  By robert | May 2, 2011 - 12:04 pm | Aquarium Plants
1 Comment

by George Farmer

Are you an experienced plant grower and aquascaper?  Then why not put your skills to good use by setting up a planted display tank for your local fish store?

Introduction

 A healthy and well-aquascaped planted aquarium is one of the most attractive features there are in the fishkeeping hobby. A retailer with a decent planted display tank will provide instant impact, attraction, and longer-term interest for the potential customer. Vitally, it provides an ideal opportunity to open dialogue between staff and customer. Depending on the customer and their character, they will either ask questions if they’re interested, or if the staff have appropriate communication skills, they may strike up a conversation.

 

  • The display tank should contain equipment and plants that the shop stocks regularly, so the customer can replicate the set-up if required.
  •  The staff should be trained sufficiently and able to pass on the appropriate knowledge to the customer.
  •  In summary a decent display tank has the potential to be the most important advertising feature and revenue generator in the entire store. Remember this fact if/when you approach the retailer.

 

Establishing a report with the retailer

 Ideally you will know the stores’s staff already and have a good relationship with them, especially the manager. It’s unlikely that a shop will agree to you setting them up a planted tank if they don’t know you and your skill set.

 If the retailer already has a planted tank(s) on display and it’s looking great then there’s probably little you can, or need to do. But let’s face it – the vast majority of stores either don’t have a planted display tank, or if they do, it contains suffering plants with algae issues, is poorly aquascaped, and is overstocked with ill-chosen fish.

 This where you can step in.

 Have a polite but informal chat with the staff. Explain that you’re a keen plant grower/aquascaper and ask if they’re interested in seeing any photos of your tanks, past and present. The staff will be happy to you see your work, unless they’re very rude and/or fell asleep during their customer-relations training!

 Your photos should back up your claims that you know what you’re doing with plants. Of course, the photos need to do your tank justice and at the very least make them look better than the shop’s display tank. Hopefully the staff will be suitably impressed.

 It may be a good idea to try a find out which member of staff set up their current display tank (if there is one), and not deal with them directly, as they may take some offence to you offering to tear it to pieces and starting again! Dealing with the manager is usually the best idea in all but the largest of stores.

 Setting up the tank

 

Assuming you’ve got the go-ahead to set up the tank you be either setting one up from scratch, or re-doing an existing tank.

 The physical processes involved go beyond the scope of this article, but as an appropriately experienced hobbyist you should be confident enough.

 However, it is important to involve a member of staff with the entire setting up process. Explain everything as you are doing it and the theories behind the practical elements. Here’s some example –

 “We’re not using a heater cable because there’s no evidence that they improve plant health and are an unnecessary expense.”

 “We’re using this substrate because I have experience of it and it’s great”. “We slope it to the rear because it enhances the appearance of depth”.

 “We’re only using 2 x T5s for 6 hours initially because more light may cause algae issues”.

 “We have the CO2 come on 2hrs before the lights because….”

 “We use NPK/trace dosing every day because…”

 “We change 50% water twice per week in the initial few weeks because…..”

 “We stock lots of algae-eating shrimp because….”

 ”We’re overfiltering because…”

 You get the idea.

 

Hopefully the member of staff will be dedicated to the display tank in your absence. The idea is that they take ownership of it and this in-turn gives them a sense of achievement when they see it doing so well and creating lots of positive attention.

 They can also educate the customers and most importantly for the shop, sell more plants and plant-friendly equipment.

 Maintenance

 You need to agree a maintenance schedule in your absence. This could be the biggest stumbling block and potential for the tank’s downfall. The staff involved really need to buy in to the whole requirement for regular maintenance, and this needs to be backed-up with the manager’s blessing too.

 Again, the technicalities of how much maintenance is required i.e. water change quantities and frequency, pruning, dosing, filter cleaning etc. goes beyond the scope of this thread.

 

Conclusion

 Setting up a display tank for a retailer should be a real win-win. You get to have fun setting up a tank with the shop’s products at no real expense to yourself. You get the reward of knowing that you’re helping to educate the staff and public. You also get to promote our wonderful hobby. In turn the shop gets a great planted display tank that soon pays for itself with the revenue generated by customers wishing to attain something similar.