Horde4life91 Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 So this is my first time putting plants in my aquarium, I went with anubias and I am planning to put another plant in maybe dwarf lilly or tiger lotus. I plan on using easy green fertilizer and was wondering if using carbon in my filter would be counter productive. The only reason im using carbon now is to remove tannins. Is purigen a better option? Or will the carbon in the filter be ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeg Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 So glad to hear you're going into the world of aquarium plants. Carbon filtration isn't used by many people because it doesn't usually last very long causing you to spend money on a less efficient process. If you're trying to remove tannins from wood, you could try boiling it switching the water in the pot every time it gets to a tea color and wait until it is no longer leaching tannins. Purigen won't suck up your ferts but you'd probably just be better off removing the tannins by boiling wood or leaf litter if your doing that kind of look. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horde4life91 Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 Ok. I've had the wood in a tote for about a week now and I've been soaking it in hot water since the peices are to big to boil. Tyvm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall from Texas Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) I like to leave my wood peices outside in the sun for weeks, helps speed up the process of leaching the worst of the tannins out and starts the sinking process. Editing to say I leave outside in water in the sun. Edited July 14, 2021 by Randall from Texas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Averus Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 I am a bit of a newbie, but I can say that both the Tiger Lotus and the Dwarf Water Lily are very easy to keep. I set up my tank at the end of May, and both are doing fantastic, with the Water Lily being the real stand out. I used a lot of root tabs with them, and easy green. The Water Lily took a few weeks to really get established, but once it did it started growing like crazy, right now I have a few surface leaves in addition to a nice batch near the substrate. The Tiger Lotus has not had the explosive growth like the other plant, but it does have a nice number of leaves, and I have managed to get some new ones with it since it was planted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 In general most aquarists use carbon when trying to remove medication from tanks. Some indicate that there’s a stripping of minerals from fertilizers from the tank with carbon but most likely some of its escaping. Purigen is an expensive alternative but will take tannins out. I was wondering why you’re not embracing the blackwater look ? What’s your stocking plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horde4life91 Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 Yea ive used purigen before to deal with tannins, I just like the clear water and as for stocking im putting in a few normal blue acara and a bristlenose pleco, for plants I have an anubias barteri in the tank and have an anubias nangi on the way and im wanting to get a dwarf water water lilly or a tiger lotus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 with carbon, after putting in fresh carbon wait a few days before fertilizing. carbon is only effective for a short time before it cant absorb any more. after a few days it has absorbed all it can, and wont remove the ferts form the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GameCzar Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Annubias are a great beginner plant. We still have our first annubias, and its slowly growing just fine. Also a big fan of the dwarf lily. Watching it sprout and go crazy in your tank is super satisfying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebSills Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 On 7/14/2021 at 11:07 AM, GameCzar said: Annubias are a great beginner plant. We still have our first annubias, and its slowly growing just fine. Agree with this! My brother in law gave me part of his Anubias coffeefolia...literally three leaves, the start of a fourth leaf and one root...the fourth leaf has now started to "unfurl" and the lone root is winding its way around my dragon stone - complete plant newbie too, so kind of excited that I haven't killed anything yet - I am also having some luck with my crypt lucens, rotala, and my amazon sword...BIL also gave me a dwarf lily bulb, but hasn't sprouted for me yet, so not sure on that one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle Fan Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 I haven't used carbon in any of the filters in my tanks for at least over two decades, in my experience sponge, filter floss, and extremely porous material to be colonized by beneficial bacteria like lava rock, or sintered glass does a much better job, and it doesn't absorb any of the fertilizer intended for my plants and takes it out of circulation. If you are just beginning with plants @DebSills made some really great recommendations you could add to your Anubias, you might also want to consider Java fern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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