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simple tools that make a difference
updated July 2020
What makes the ideal filter? A checklist of the critical features to look out for is covered this section. The key thing here is to target a flow rate that is 6X to 10X turnover of tank volume. Good flow rate impacts plant growth directly by enhancing nutrient and CO2 distribution.
Biological maturity affects algae risk directly, and this is achieved by proper tank cycling. Read this article on how to properly cycle a tank. Many beginners fail to cycle their tanks before adding livestock and plants, and suffer from algae problems. The fastest way to cycle a new tank is by using a combination of ammonia and starter bacteria culture, such as the one from API below.
Above: Good circulation is a cornerstone of vibrant, enduring, algae-free tanks.
Updated July 2020
When it comes to aquarium lighting, there are 3 key aspects to consider. Strength, Spectrum and Spread. A detailed guide on these factors is provided here. After that, a major decision is between using fluorescent T5 tubes or increasingly common LEDs. LEDs are sleek and energy saving, and generally work for most tanks-unless you are particular about unlocking vivid coloration in red plants.
LEDS THAT GROW AND DISPLAY RED PLANTS WELL
The select few that are able to unlock truly vibrant reds are listed below. The core difference between them and other aquarium LEDs on the market is that they primarily use RGB diodes and no white diodes. An example of the Maxlite Life Aqua Master Pro LED array is shown below:
This gives them a higher red/blue spectrum compared to most other aquarium LEDs.
This group of LEDs comprise of ADA Solar RGB and its copies.
Photo from Viktor Lantos, Green aqua showing ADA solar RGB
The Chihiros vivid is programmable and cheaper (but has fans) while the Life Aqua master pro is dimmable and water proof. The ADA solar RGB is a no frills unit but carries the ADA brand name. Due to exact diodes chosen for their RGB profile; there is also slight differences in visual coloration - the ADA solar RGB and UNS titan have a slightly deeper green tone compared to the Maxlite and Chihiros vivid.
OTHER LIGHTS WITH STRONG RED/BLUE SPECTRUMS
SBreef lights are another popular option among the technically minded crowd. The fixture is large and bulky, but comes with very high PAR values, considering the fixture cost. This fixture is for folks that favor cheap, high powered lighting, but are less concerned with the aesthetics of the fixture itself which is large and bulky. It is programmable with in-built electronic timer and its spectrum can be tweaked.
OTHER REASONABLY GOOD LED CHOICES
The Twinstar S series works well for smaller sized tanks. The S series has an attractive spectrum, and sleek build. We also like that they do not have fans which are another weak point in many light fixtures. The fixtures are slightly broader than thinner fixtures, but we find that this actually gives better spread in a tank. For 3ft (90x45x45cm) tanks and above, we would recommend having 2 fixtures. The other similar LEDs in this category is the Chihiros RGB.
Above: Twinstar S series by Twinstar Iberica
Among the many T5 fixtures on the market, we would recommend Hydrofarm's Agrobrite hydroponics range. Good reflectors, good build quality, fair price.
Sunblaster has good reflectors and provides fixtures that can be customised in terms of number (you can add individual light bars)- which is good for DIY enthusiasts.
Conversely, while not fancy, fluorescent T5 tubes are very stable and give very predictable results, as explained here.
For a T5 array, we recommend a mix of colours. A good neutral tone 4-tube combination would consist of 2 white/6500k bulbs matched with 2 pink bulbs. For stronger contrast, we would forego white bulbs entirely, and just use a mix of pink and blue/purple tubes. A white/orange tube can be used to balance out selections that are overly blue heavy. A 4-tube combination we like is 2X pink, 1X purple and 1X orange/warm white.
PINK BULBS
The Zoo Med Flora Sun featured below works well. We would also recommend the Giesemann Super Flora range, which has a reddish tint with spikes in the red / blue spectrum. Alternatively, Wavepoint bulbs work fine as well. The Dennerle Colour Plus bulbs are good as well.
PURPLE BULBS
Go for either the ATI series or Wavepoint (featured below) which has a number of choices.
BLUE BULBS
Wavepoint (featured below) and ATI have a number of choices. However this is a bulb color that is not normally used unless you want a blue tint to the tank or are compensating for using many warm white/red tubes.
WARM WHITES
For warm whites, the Osram 2700K series featured here is established and works well. iPower has good options also. I like the Agromax and Dennerle's 3000k choices as well.
NEUTRAL 'DAYLIGHT' WHITES
Wavepoint has several choices (the Amazon picture featured below may look yellow but the specifications would be 6700K). The Giesemann Tropic bulb is good too. The key difference between using these bulbs (vis a vis everyday home-lighting daylight bulbs) is the better spectrum distribution in these horticultural bulbs. Many household bulbs have large spikes in the green spectrum (which human eyes are more sensitive to) while we would prefer spikes in red and blue for plant growth and which also give better colour rendition.
updated July 2020
A good CO2 system is an often overlooked, but critically important part of a successful planted tank- one that supports good plant growth and allows one to grow carpets and more demanding species easily. The 'why' behind CO2 injection is explored in more detail here.
When it comes to CO2 systems, it is worthwhile to invest in a good regulator, in the same way that it is wise to go for a quality computer CPU: it is a sophisticated component that has a huge impact and hard to troubleshoot if problematic. For regulators, in the US, Green Leaf Aquariums has a great reputation. CO2 Art is another reliable brand.
Above: The pro-elite range by CO2 Art.
For a detailed guide to CO2 diffusion methods, go here. While in-tank diffusers are most common, the more reliable path is through an in-line atomizer. In-tank diffusers depend heavily on where and how it is placed within the water flow to get good CO2 distribution, while an in-line atomizer is more 'fail safe' in this regards. You want one that produces very fine mist rather than bubbles. A budget version, such as the NILOCG AQUATICS INLINE ATOMIZER works well enough.
If you do not want any CO2 mist, go for a CO2 reactor but be aware that reactors come in far more varied designs- some work well, many don't. It is important to match a reaction with the stated filter flow, otherwise its efficacy can be severely compromised.
CO2 diffusion is highly dependent on good water flow and a LILY PIPE is particularly effective in directing water flow after it exits the filter pump. This device is elegant and helps circulate water from the surface to the bottom, an important aspect of improving gaseous exchange. This allows better CO2 distribution, better oxygenation and allows you to 'overload' CO2 safely, as described in more detail here.
Another device that improves water flow and thus CO2 distribution is a surface skimmer. A surface skimmer like the model from KOLLER helps to improve gaseous exchange, which is essential for increasing CO2 levels safely. Such a device is standard in all 2Hr TanksTM.
Bubble counters are useful for checking the flow of CO2. The RHINOX CO2 BUBBLE COUNTER comes with an in-build check valve.
CO2 resistant tubing such as the one by AQUATEK lasts longer than normal air line tubing and is more corrosion resistant.
updated July 2020
What makes a good substrate? The details are covered here.
While there is a dazzling variety of commercial substrates in the market, the key distinction is between inert substrates (often confusingly marketed as 'soil') 'true' aquasoil- raw, organic soil that has been compressed into easy to handle granules.
For beginners (basically those not tackling demanding plants), inert substrates are generally cheaper and easier to handle. The lack of nutrition can be compensated by regular water column and root fertilisation. For those who seek to experiment with more demanding plants, there is no substitute for soil / aquasoil.
Above: a foreground of Cryptocoryne parva 'mini', red Eriocaulon quinquangulare, Centrolepis Drummondiana 'blood vomit' and pink Cryptocoryne 'flamingo' in the background. It is far easier to grow picky species in aquasoil.
updated July 2020
What nutrition is required for the planted tank?
Similar to terrestrial plants, aquatic plants require a supply of nutrients to grow well. This has been well studied in terrestrial science, and the chemical elements necessary for growth can be grouped into two major groups:
MACRO NUTRIENTS |
MICRO NUTRIENTS |
| Used in large quantities by plants: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium & Magnesium, Sulfur | Used in very small quantities by plants: Iron, Chlorine, Boron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Molybdenum. |
Macro-nutrients, together with carbon makes up ~96% of plant mass. Hence, the term macro-nutrients. A lot of the basic building blocks for plants come from air/water; hydrogen, oxygen. The rest of the elements come from soil (for terrestrial plants that's where nutrients accumulate) and water (aquatic plants can take in nutrients through the water column).
Note that Carbon makes up 45% of dry mass, but 'naturally' dissolved carbon in tap water is usually low. Compared to carbon, other macro nutrients make up only a small percentage of dry mass! Plants use 10 times more carbon by mass than all the other macro-nutrients combined. This is why CO2 injection is such a big impact factor in plant growth outcomes. Read more about plant nutrition here.
If you are looking to support good plant growth, the minimum combination that one should add into a tank on a regular basis is Potassium, Iron & Trace elements. (K, Fe + Traces), as these elements are fundamentally missing or insufficient in most tanks. This is because livestock waste and tap water combined is not sufficient.
A far better, more comprehensive combination would include Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron & Trace elements (NPK, Mg, Fe + Traces), which is the basis for the Capstone / APT range of fertilisers.
There are two approaches to fertilization: dosing directly into the tank with liquid fertilizers (water column dosing approach) and using substrate based fertilizers (rootzone fertilization). Most plants can take in nutrients through both routes, and there are advantages to having nutrients in both locations. This is explored in more detail in this article.
We highly recommend approaching fertilisation from both angles: root and water. Root tabs such as these from API and Osmocote are easy enough to implement in any tank; a few minutes of work to enrich the substrate is something we should not pass up on.
Above: Some species such as Centrolepis drummondiana (often called "Trithuria blood vomit") and Eriocaulon quinquangulare shown above grow significantly faster and more stable with root fertilization (especially with ammonia rich substrates) in a way that is hard to replicate just water column dosing.
The selection below focuses on plants that can grow well in tanks without injected CO2. Some are sold in tissue culture form, which has the advantage of being free of algae & snails. You also typically get a very large number of plants in a single cup: a single TC cup of carpeting plant can cover the foreground of a 2 feet tank easily if one takes care to plant the small plantlets separately. However, compared to adult sized plants, tissue culture plantlets are more delicate and have better success if the tank has already been cycled and the substrate allowed to mature somewhat. This is especially applicable to ammonia rich soils such as ADA aquasoil - TC should be used only after the initial 2-3 weeks have passed.
updated July 2020
Algae is so prevalent in the hobby that for many, it seems almost inevitable and a natural part of a planted tank. This is not the case. Through thousands of interactions with fellow aquarists, the most common 'root cause' is poor housekeeping (build up of decaying leaves and organic matter) and the second 'mistake' is in under-injecting CO2 (while having strong lighting and growing demanding plants) which result in unhealthy plants- and giving algae, which is very opportunistic, the ideal environment to grow. A detailed exploration of the subject is covered here.
For housekeeping, regular water change (every week, or at the very least every 2 weeks) is key. This removes organic matter and helps reset imbalances that inevitably builds up in the tank's closed ecological system. A handy water-change tool is indispensable. As part of housekeeping, a pair of LONG TWEEZERS and LONG SCISSORS are also necessary to trim and remove dead and decaying leaves. A simple but powerful hack in housekeeping is the use of a TURKEY BASTER to stir up debris before 'vacuuming' the substrate surface as part of my regular water change. This is akin to flossing in preventing tooth decay: simple and hugely effective.
Above: one of the simplest and most effective defence against algae is to plant densely, which immediately creates an environment where the plants easily outcompete algae. Sparsely planted tanks are comparatively much harder to keep algae-free.
Well cycled (biologically matured) tanks are far more resilient to algae and we would recommend good tank cycling before adding livestock (which will contribute to organic waste, the the #1 algae trigger). API QUICKSTART is good to kickstart tank cycling. This reduces cycling time to less than a week even when using ammonia rich substrates such as ADA aquasoil. (still need to do required water changes for first week though). SEACHEM STABILITY works in the same way.
updated July 2020
The water that goes into our tank is largely 'invisible' (we tend not to think too much about it) but it can have a huge impact on plant and livestock health.
TDS: Total Dissolved Solids
TDS measures all dissolved organic & inorganic substances in the water. What makes up the TDS value matters infinitely more important than the value itself. 100pm of Calcium in water is relatively harmless, 3ppm of copper will kill most aquatic life. Dosing fertilisers in a planted tank will naturally raise the TDS value; in their simple elemental forms most fertilisers are non-toxic to livestock unless over-dosed greatly. The exception are terrestrial root tabs that contains large amounts of ammonia (e.g. osmocote+) or copper.
GH: General Hardness
Despite its fancy name, GH just measures the amount of Ca/Mg ions in the water (and other divalent cations). Calcium is present in most tap water. However, magnesium is often over-looked. Most plants are tolerant over a wide range of GH unlike KH. Important to have about 4dGH if keeping shrimp.
KH: Carbonate Hardness
KH measures Carbonate hardness/alkalinity. Essentially it measures the water's buffering capacity; the higher the KH, the higher the pH in absence of other chemicals in the water, and the more resistant the water is to downward fluctuations when an acid is added. Pure water with 0 KH will have a pH of 7. Affects fish/plant osmoregulation and this variable should be kept stable.
When people say that some plants prefer softwater, it actually refers to low KH/low alkalinity water, not low GH water per se. Picky species can be kept fine if the KH was low, but GH high. GH and KH can be adjusted/influenced separately, though the common compound that affects both at the same time; limestone (CaCO3) is what most commonly causes hardwater (limestone causes an increase in both GH and KH at the same time). Raising the GH without raising the KH can be done using calcium/magnesium sulphate; CaSO4 and MgSO4. Raising KH without raising GH can be done using potassium carbonate K2CO3.
pH
pH measures how acidic or alkaline the water is. pH fluctuations from CO2 does not harm fish (even though high levels of CO2 can). This is because CO2 is not a salt, and it is the changes in salt concentrations in water that impact osmotic functions of livestock. pH fluctuations because of KH flux can kill livestock; this is not connected to the change in acidity, but change in salt concentrations that impact osmotic functions.
However, extreme values of pH (high or low) can affect livestock. A normal range of value would be between a pH of 6.0 to 8.0. For most tanks pH values do not fluctuate to a point of being harmful as long as the KH is kept stable.
Livestock from regions of higher or lower pH levels can be more suited to the outliers on this range i.e. fish from acid peat swamps may do well in pH as low as 4.0, while many cichlids from alkaline water lakes are comfortable in higher pH ranges. If keeping fishes that are less tolerant to low pH; buffering the water to have higher KH levels (3 dKH), will prevent pH levels from dropping too low due to CO2 injection. For most tanks, having 2-3dKH of alkalinity in more than adequate to prevent water from becoming overly acidic such that it affects livestock.
For further details on pH, KH, GH and TDS, explore the articles here.
Above: plants such as Centrolepis Drummondiana 'Blood Vomit' and the red Eriocaulon quinquangulare prefer very softwater.
AMMONIA TEST KITS
TESTING GH / GENERAL HARDNESS
TESTING FOR NITRATES
TESTING FOR PHOSPHATES
TESTING FOR TDS / TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS
For increasing Magnesium levels, use a magnesium sulphate supplement such as EPSOAK MAGNESIUM SULPHATE below. Plants need magnesium to grow well and magnesium may not be present in tap water. Oddly, it is also missing in many commercial fertilizer mixes. Over-dosing may stunt some plants (>10ppm), as with most fertilizers, a little goes a long way.
SEACHEM EQUILIBRIUM raises GH (Both Ca and Mg) without raising KH. This may be useful situationally in very softwater. If your tap water has less than 1dGH, this could be useful to raise water hardness. It also contains a good amount of potassium, so dosing with additional potassium may be unnecessary if using this to increase GH.
CALCIUM SULPHATE (CaSO4) raises Calcium levels in tanks with very softwater (<1dGH). Has no impact on KH. This allows one to raise GH levels while keeping alkalinity (KH) low.
For increasing KH levels without increasing GH, use POTASSIUM BICARBONATE or the NILOCG KH BOOSTER. Increasing carbonate hardness/alkalinity increases the pH of the water. This is done more for livestock than plants as most plants grow better in soft water rather than hard water. (Exceptions being Pogostemon helferi, Valisneria species).
updated July 2020
Many aquarists worry that CO2 injection may hurt livestock. Carbon dioxide and oxygen levels are independent of each other, so running carbon dioxide in our planted tanks does not necessarily deprive livestock of oxygen. However, high CO2 levels can still asphyxiate livestock. Even though plants produce oxygen during light hours, most tanks spend more time in darkness than light, so oxygenation is still important even in planted tanks.
Above: with good circulation created by sufficient filter strength, the use of a lily outflow pipe and surface skimmer for the intake, one can significantly increase CO2 injection without fear of hurting livestock.
TDS: Total Dissolved Solids
It measures all dissolved organic & inorganic substances in the water. What makes up the TDS value matters infinitely more important than the value itself. 100pm of Calcium in water is relatively harmless, 3ppm of copper will kill most aquatic life. Dosing fertilisers in a planted tank will naturally raise the TDS value; in their simple elemental forms most fertilisers are non-toxic to livestock unless over-dosed greatly. The exception are terrestrial root tabs that contains large amounts of ammonia (e.g. osmocote+) or copper.
GH: General Hardness
Despite its fancy name, GH just measures the amount of Ca/Mg ions in the water (and other divalent cations). Calcium is present in most tap water. However, magnesium is often over-looked. Most plants are tolerant over a wide range of GH unlike KH. It is important to have about 4dGH if you are keeping shrimp.
KH: Carbonate Hardness
Carbonate hardness/alkalinity - measures water's buffering capacity; the higher the KH, the higher the pH in absence of other chemicals in the water, and the more resistant the water is to downward fluctuations when an acid is added. Pure water with 0 KH will have a pH of 7. KH affects fish/plant osmoregulation and this variable should be kept stable.
When people say that some plants prefer softwater, it actually refers to low KH/low alkalinity water, not low GH water per se. Picky species can be kept fine if the KH was low, but GH high. GH and KH can be adjusted/influenced separately, though the common compound that affects both at the same time; limestone (CaCO3) is what most commonly causes hardwater (limestone causes an increase in both GH and KH at the same time). Raising the GH without raising the KH can be done using calcium/magnesium sulphate; CaSO4 and MgSO4. Raising KH without raising GH can be done using potassium carbonate K2CO3.
pH
pH measures how acidic or alkaline the water is. pH fluctuations from CO2 does not harm fish (even though high levels of CO2 can). This is because CO2 is not a salt, and it is the changes in salt concentrations in water that impact osmotic functions of livestock. pH fluctuations because of KH flux can kill livestock; this is not connected to the change in acidity, but change in salt concentrations that impact osmotic functions.
However, extreme values of pH (high or low) can affect livestock if the extreme values are out the livestock's tolerable range. For most tanks pH values do not fluctuate to a point of being harmful as long as the KH is kept stable.
If keeping fishes that are less tolerant to low pH; one can consider buffering the water to have higher KH levels (3 dKH). This will prevent pH levels from dropping too low due to CO2 injection. For most tanks, having 2-3dKH of alkalinity is more than adequate to prevent water from becoming acidic to a degree that it affects livestock.
For increasing KH levels without increasing GH, use POTASSIUM BICARBONATE or NILOCG KH BOOSTER. Increasing carbonate hardness/alkalinity increases the pH of the water. This is done more for livestock than plants as most plants grow better in soft water rather than hard water. (Exceptions being Pogostemon helferi, Valisneria species).
API QUICKSTART contains nitrifying bacteria which effectively kickstarts the ammonia cycling process in a tank. A well cycled tank is far more resilient to algae and we advise good tank cycling before adding plants. Using Quickstart reduces cycling time to less than a week even when using ammonia rich substrates such as ADA aquasoil. SEACHEM STABILITY works in the same way.
Ammonia such as DR TIM'S AQUATICS AMMONIUM CHLORIDE is used to start fishless cycling - this is food for bacteria to consume. This product itself doesn't contain nitrifying bacteria, which is where API QUICKSTART/ SEACHEM STABILITY comes in.
AMMONIA TEST KITS
TESTING GH / GENERAL HARDNESS
TESTING FOR NITRATES
TESTING FOR PHOSPHATES
TESTING FOR TDS / TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS
