What to tell people new to aquatic plants

[Rick Dotson]

It will be good to see at the meeting. You are one of the really friendly people that I have enjoyed seeing at the meetings. Bring your friends so we can meet them too.

I still hold out my offer to stop by your friends house and work with them on their tank. Every tank and every person is different. Sometimes knowing what someone is wanting to do really makes the difference in what to suggest. Community tank with lots of green? Aquascaping to achieve a certain effect? Just want to grow plants with your baby fish or maybe an aquatic plant collector? Each of these facets of the hobby has a low tech or high tech option.

Many people including me had beautiful tanks before CO2 injection was known in this country so go slow and it will turn out better. See you soon.

Rick

[JMLenke]

my 15h 55 and 20 are all low tech (low to mid Lights, no co2, no ferts beyond EC/Fluorite)

15h is Java Fern, Java Moss, Myrmaid weed(iirc), assorted Crypts, Hygro Kompact and one plant I dont know that is low growing if trimmed but goes random otherwise.

20 is very similar

55 is Narrow leaf Java Fern, assorted mosses, assorted Vals, Crypt lucens (this has spread to almost a 12" circle in a year), c. wendtii and a few different Anubias.

the 55 is probably the lowest tech possible, Schultzs Aquatic, no ferts and simple water changes is all the tank gets. I am slowly pruning the 55 back to empty as I am getting rid of it.

[marge618]

I am enjoying this thread.

Victor: I am looking forward to seeing your tanks at the January meeting. You seem to have many of the plants we are looking at.

'other' Jeff: The smaller tanks sound like what my friend wants to do. The 55 sounds like fun to me. A good assortment of low light plants. What lighting do you use?

Rick: Thanks. I've enjoyed getting to know you at the meetings as well. We may take you up on your offer of assistance. That might be just the thing to get 'new to plants' friends off to a good start.

Cheers,

[Rick Dotson]

Having someone come by your house isn't always what people want but I have found that if we make this effort to welcome newcomers they keep coming back.

I think that there are so many different test kits and different algae "cures" and even canister filters it can be overwhelming for someone new to the hobby.

I think people also like to here I killed plants for about 10 years until I started CO2 injection. When I tell them that they don't feel so bad about killing Hygro!

See you in a couple weeks.

Rick

[JMLenke]

I am enjoying this thread.

Victor: I am looking forward to seeing your tanks at the January meeting. You seem to have many of the plants we are looking at.

'other' Jeff: The smaller tanks sound like what my friend wants to do. The 55 sounds like fun to me. A good assortment of low light plants. What lighting do you use?

Rick: Thanks. I've enjoyed getting to know you at the meetings as well. We may take you up on your offer of assistance. That might be just the thing to get 'new to plants' friends off to a good start.

Cheers,

The 55 has 2 Aqualights on it (4 4' T5 bulbs total).

I just totally emptied the tank and redid it top to bottom, decided to keep it as I am condensing tanks down towards it.

[marge618]

The 55 has 2 Aqualights on it (4 4' T5 bulbs total).

I just totally emptied the tank and redid it top to bottom, decided to keep it as I am condensing tanks down towards it.
_________________
The other Jeff

Sounds like a good move to me. Much like an interior decorator coming in to redo a room.

[marge618]

I had low tech (low light, no heaters other than for black mollies, no air pumps, maybe a sponge filter but no other type of filtration, no CO2, hardly any water changes) tanks for over two decades. I was doing very well, and then I got corrupted by some GWAPA members, and now I have one (and two others on the way to become) high tech tanks. However, I still don't use heaters (other than for medical purposes), and I still have mostly low and medium light no CO2 tanks. I agree that the key is to choose the plants wisely. Back in my low tech days I was always successful with vals, Sagittaria subulata, easy Crypts, Riccia, Java moss, Java fern, Anubias, and some stems (e.g. Egeria densa, Cabomba).

I am hosting the January meeting, so you will see my setups then.

Viktor: I truly enjoyed seeing your setups today at the Jan meeting of GWAPA. Your low and medium light tanks are really nice! Thanks also for the info on how to collect driftwood for planted tanks. I never thought about looking for interesting roots.