Trying Java fern

Now that I'm using rainwater mixed with my liquid rocks from the tap, I
picked up 2 really nice Java Ferns. I used rubber bands to secure them to
large lava rocks. I have the water down to PH 7.2 - 7.4 now. I have to
check the hardness again. No more fish died and the store replaced 6 of the
neons. All are thriving. My tap water is only fit for African Cichlids.
:-(
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

On Dec 19, 6:49 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
Now that I'm using rainwater mixed with my liquid rocks from the tap, I
picked up 2 really nice Java Ferns. I used rubber bands to secure them to
large lava rocks. I have the water down to PH 7.2 - 7.4 now. I have to
check the hardness again. No more fish died and the store replaced 6 of the
neons. All are thriving. My tap water is only fit for African Cichlids.
:-(
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

Regular cotton thread works good and by the time the roots attach the
threads will be or be close to being rotted away........Attaching to
submerged substrate like dirift wood or rocks etc is the best way to
go with Java Fern..........run some peat in that hob filter and help
it get the ph down, and turn it into a south american cichlid tank
with neons etc.............I find those south american tanks to be
much nicer than a african tank as the fish are much more compatible
with each other that is available out there to buy.............and not
much other than old mbuna etc can be put with them or other typical
african cichlids.........I also like the look of tea colored water in
a south american tank......and drift wood can do this as well as
adding peat.........in addition to bringing down PH.

"Tynk" wrote in message
...
Regular cotton thread works good and by the time the roots attach the
threads will be or be close to being rotted away........Attaching to
submerged substrate like dirift wood or rocks etc is the best way to
go with Java Fern..........run some peat in that hob filter and help
it get the ph down, and turn it into a south american cichlid tank
with neons etc.............I find those south american tanks to be
much nicer than a african tank as the fish are much more compatible
with each other that is available out there to buy.............and not
much other than old mbuna etc can be put with them or other typical
african cichlids.........I also like the look of tea colored water in
a south american tank......and drift wood can do this as well as
adding peat.........in addition to bringing down PH.
=============================================
The "mostly tetra tank" is already full. :-) The water is a bit tea
colored from the leaves that fall into these 30g rain tubs under the eves.
The fish are thriving now. What a difference! The bettas are even more
active and colorful. I don't have any cichlids at all. The one tank is
manly tetras with a some groumies and 3 clowns, a few otos, a rubbermouth
and a clown pleco. This second 55g only has a few platys, a few otos and
the rubbermouth pleco. I'm in no hurry to add to it. I may make it a live
bearer tank if I can find some decent mollies. I like swords but they're too
aggressive and they jump like crazy.

I'm having a real problem with that damn black algae again and have no idea
why. I'm using that Flourish-Excel that was recommended on the plant group
last year and it's useless. The poster there swore algae can't live in a
tank with FE. That is total crapola! Algae thrives with FE, both green and
the black type.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

On Dec 20, 3:35 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
"Tynk" wrote in message

...
Regular cotton thread works good and by the time the roots attach the
threads will be or be close to being rotted away........Attaching to
submerged substrate like dirift wood or rocks etc is the best way to
go with Java Fern..........run some peat in that hob filter and help
it get the ph down, and turn it into a south american cichlid tank
with neons etc.............I find those south american tanks to be
much nicer than a african tank as the fish are much more compatible
with each other that is available out there to buy.............and not
much other than old mbuna etc can be put with them or other typical
african cichlids.........I also like the look of tea colored water in
a south american tank......and drift wood can do this as well as
adding peat.........in addition to bringing down PH.
=============================================
The "mostly tetra tank" is already full. :-) The water is a bit tea
colored from the leaves that fall into these 30g rain tubs under the eves.
The fish are thriving now. What a difference! The bettas are even more
active and colorful. I don't have any cichlids at all. The one tank is
manly tetras with a some groumies and 3 clowns, a few otos, a rubbermouth
and a clown pleco. This second 55g only has a few platys, a few otos and
the rubbermouth pleco. I'm in no hurry to add to it. I may make it a live
bearer tank if I can find some decent mollies. I like swords but they're too
aggressive and they jump like crazy.

I'm having a real problem with that damn black algae again and have no idea
why. I'm using that Flourish-Excel that was recommended on the plant group
last year and it's useless. The poster there swore algae can't live in a
tank with FE. That is total crapola! Algae thrives with FE, both green and
the black type.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

I beat the black algae when I had it one time by changing my bulbs
out. Florescent tubes loose correct color temps and they shift the
color spectrum after they get so old. Have you tried changing out your
bulbs. I found if I change mine about every 18 to 24 months or so, I
do not get black algae and I do not add any FE to my tanks.......I add
very little of any kind of fertilizer and everything does just
great..........The only plants the black algae would grow on was my
amazon swords or any that resembled swords........I have my lights on
approx 9 1/2 hours at most.......works for me. Also the correct
bulbs make a big difference. I use 6700K or 7200K bulbs for all my
freshwater tanks.I toss out the bulbs normally supplied with tank
light fixtures etc as they leave a lot to be desired and are ok, if
you do not have plants, but suck when it comes to live plants, which
all of my tanks have..............I never had good results with the so
called plant bulbs or gro-lux bulbs either........hanging over the
wifes violets they are fine, but sucked when it came to aquarium
plants.

I do have one tank that I run a 10K bulb in and thats because I have a
madagascar dwarf lilly and a nice Helvola miniature lily in that tank
so that 10 k bulb is on at 9am and off at 6pm....but there is a 6500K
bulb that is on before (on at 9am during and after (off at approx 7pm)
the 10K bulb is on. The 10 k is just about a must have for the water
lillys if you want them to bloom indoors..........if your satisfied
with just leaves then the lower specturm bulbs (6500 and 7200) are
just fine.......Right now I have 5 blooms on my Helvola (which is a
miniature yellow/chrome plant) zand its nice to have it bloom most all
year round indoors in a fish tank.......

"Tynk" wrote in message
...

I beat the black algae when I had it one time by changing my bulbs
out. Florescent tubes loose correct color temps and they shift the
color spectrum after they get so old. Have you tried changing out your
bulbs.

* Yep! In fact all 4 reflectors have new bulbs. Cools and warm whites.

I found if I change mine about every 18 to 24 months or so, I
do not get black algae and I do not add any FE to my tanks.......I add
very little of any kind of fertilizer and everything does just
great..........

* I have to use a fertilizer or the plants lose color (go chlorotic) and
start to fail. Even with aquarium plant fertilizer the vals are starting to
fail.

The only plants the black algae would grow on was my
amazon swords or any that resembled swords........I have my lights on
approx 9 1/2 hours at most.......works for me. Also the correct
bulbs make a big difference. I use 6700K or 7200K bulbs for all my
freshwater tanks.

* I didn't check mine. I Just picked some cool white and warm white. Lights
are on 10 to 12 hrs a day. There are 4 40w bulbs per 55g tank. I tried less
and couldn't keep any plants alive but floating hornwart. The water is at
78F. These are regular shop lights, not aquarium fixtures.

I toss out the bulbs normally supplied with tank
light fixtures etc as they leave a lot to be desired and are ok, if
you do not have plants, but suck when it comes to live plants, which
all of my tanks have..............I never had good results with the so
called plant bulbs or gro-lux bulbs either........hanging over the
wifes violets they are fine, but sucked when it came to aquarium
plants.

I do have one tank that I run a 10K bulb in and thats because I have a
madagascar dwarf lilly and a nice Helvola miniature lily in that tank
so that 10 k bulb is on at 9am and off at 6pm....but there is a 6500K
bulb that is on before (on at 9am during and after (off at approx 7pm)
the 10K bulb is on. The 10 k is just about a must have for the water
lillys if you want them to bloom indoors..........if your satisfied
with just leaves then the lower specturm bulbs (6500 and 7200) are
just fine.......Right now I have 5 blooms on my Helvola (which is a
miniature yellow/chrome plant) zand its nice to have it bloom most all
year round indoors in a fish tank.......

* I have three of them (minis) in the tanks out back. The intense heat this
summer didn't do my lilies much good. They didn't bloom as well as they
usually do. My tanks just sport the usual common aquarium plants.
--

RM....
..
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

On Dec 20, 6:24 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
"Tynk" wrote in message
snip
* Yep! In fact all 4 reflectors have new bulbs. Cools and warm whites.

snip
* I didn't check mine. I Just picked some cool white and warm white. Lights
are on 10 to 12 hrs a day. There are 4 40w bulbs per 55g tank. I tried less
and couldn't keep any plants alive but floating hornwart. The water is at
78F. These are regular shop lights, not aquarium fixtures.
snip

BUT...........what kelvin is the cool and warm bulbs you bought? Are
they run of the mill bulbs commonly found in Lowes or Wally World for
use in household / shop light fixtures?
Check into bulbs that are rated for plants in an aquarium like those
from URI or Coralife..........buy your bulbs according to Kelvin
rating not warm or cool or sunlight..........I bet you find out there
is a difference in the bulbs over the common florescent bulbs you can
buy in big box stores etc. Proper light can also playb a part on them
not getting yellow as plants do a certain amount of photo-synthesis,
and proper specturm of light means a lot......all plants are not
critical but there are some that require lighting within the mwave
length that they are commonly found at for them to thrive and do
right. You can get the proper 7200K etc bulbs in all the lenghts any
other florescent bulb is available in from 10" to 96 inches in
length..........even in a sal****er setup lights is the key player
when it comes to having algae blooms.....the other main player is
water that contains too much nitrate or phosphates, which is usually
more beneficial to a FW than a SW setup though......than it is a reef
tank..

RM
You do know that light green plants usually always require more
intense lighting and kelvin temp rating that is closer to natural sun
than dark green plants, right? You can pretty well get by on standard
supplied bulbs in a aquarium hood with most dark green plants. The
light green plants will definately go poor with improper lights.

I would not be afraid to bet, with proper kelvin ratings on the bulbs
you could get by with two or even one bulb @ 40Watts each on a 55 gal
tank without a problem..provided they are not too far off the surface
of the water. For proper light dispersal, the reflectors really need
to be polished metal (alum or stainless).......If I was a gambling
individual, I would bet your lights are your main problem in regards
to plant growth.

"Tynk" wrote in message
...
On Dec 20, 6:24 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
* I didn't check mine. I Just picked some cool white and warm white.
Lights
are on 10 to 12 hrs a day. There are 4 40w bulbs per 55g tank. I tried
less
and couldn't keep any plants alive but floating hornwart. The water is at
78F. These are regular shop lights, not aquarium fixtures.
snip

BUT...........what kelvin is the cool and warm bulbs you bought?

What does Kelvin mean? Where would I find that information?

Are
they run of the mill bulbs commonly found in Lowes or Wally World for
use in household / shop light fixtures?

Yes. I got them at Wally World.

Check into bulbs that are rated for plants in an aquarium like those
from URI or Coralife..........buy your bulbs according to Kelvin
rating not warm or cool or sunlight..........

Kelvin rating? What rating should they be when there are four 40w bulbs
over a 55g tank? Where is the rating found and does it go by a different
name?

I bet you find out there
is a difference in the bulbs over the common florescent bulbs you can
buy in big box stores etc. Proper light can also playb a part on them
not getting yellow as plants do a certain amount of photo-synthesis,
and proper specturm of light means a lot......all plants are not
critical but there are some that require lighting within the mwave
length that they are commonly found at for them to thrive and do
right. You can get the proper 7200K etc bulbs in all the lenghts any
other florescent bulb is available in from 10" to 96 inches in
length.........

Do you mean the "light output" when you say Kelvin? I already threw away
the packaging these new bulbs came in.

..even in a sal****er setup lights is the key player
when it comes to having algae blooms.....the other main player is
water that contains too much nitrate or phosphates, which is usually
more beneficial to a FW than a SW setup though......than it is a reef
tank..
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

"Tynk" wrote in message
...
RM
You do know that light green plants usually always require more
intense lighting and kelvin temp rating that is closer to natural sun
than dark green plants, right? You can pretty well get by on standard
supplied bulbs in a aquarium hood with most dark green plants. The
light green plants will definately go poor with improper lights.
===============================
When I buy plants here they're always about the same color - a medium green.
I think all the chains get them from the same supplier.
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö