Leaving Home Trying To Make Self Sustaining Tank Need Help.

[ouray1]

Basically, I'm trying to setup a planted self-sustaining aquarium before I leave for military purposes. In the image I have 5 bacopas growing Aswell as a java fern I have about 2 inches of substrate STRATUM. I have also been using Flourish Excel and Just Flourish. Any advice or keep doing what I'm doing. I'm thinking about getting some pearl weeds and possibly duck weed. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’d definitely do the pearl weed. Floater of some sort would be good, I'm partial to water lettuce, red root floaters and salvinia over duck weed although giant duckweed is great. I’d stop the Excel once you have the floaters. I’d buy as many plants as you can afford fast stems rotala and ludwigia are great, medium growing swords I favor ocelot or one of the ones with some color but a good ol’ Amazon sword works and slow growing Java ferns and anubias. Aponogetons, dwarf aquarium Lillys and crinums are also excellent plants - I tend to put a root tab by the bulb and that will take care of them for a month or 2. Plant them all. Trim and replant as many as you can on the stems before you do your tour. 

Your Java fern is planted into the substrate, as a rhizome plant this will probably kill it. I’d wedge it between a rock and the substrate as the roots and rhizome need to be exposed to the water column. You can use gel superglue cyanoacrylate is the generic chemical name for it - you apply it to the rhizome and the rock you’re planting it to, there’s some great videos on YT on doing this. @Bentley Pascoealso has a great system for rhizome plants using ceramic media rings and his channel on YT is full of great planted tank content. 

Let us know how we can help and have fun! 

[ouray1]

For whatever reason in the picture you cannot see the white cloud minnows, but they are there. I have a few months to work on this tank before I leave for 4-5 months.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 6/4/2023 at 6:36 PM, ouray1 said:

For whatever reason in the picture you cannot see the white cloud minnows, but they are there. I have a few months to work on this tank before I leave for 4-5 months.

I’d try some slow-growing plants like Amazon swords and Anubias, along with some really nice floaters. Maybe also try a carpeting plant? Shrimp might be a fun addition.

@ARMYVET @lefty o do you have any experience? 

Edited June 4, 2023 by TheSwissAquarist

[ouray1]

sweet! I have ordered some duck weed Aswell as some pearl weed for carpeting. I do have some root tabs Aswell in the water substrate. 

On 6/4/2023 at 12:59 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I’d definitely do the pearl weed. Floater of some sort would be good, I'm partial to water lettuce, red root floaters and salvinia over duck weed although giant duckweed is great. I’d stop the Excel once you have the floaters. I’d buy as many plants as you can afford fast stems rotala and ludwigia are great, medium growing swords I favor ocelot or one of the ones with some color but a good ol’ Amazon sword works and slow growing Java ferns and anubias. Aponogetons, dwarf aquarium Lillys and crinums are also excellent plants - I tend to put a root tab by the bulb and that will take care of them for a month or 2. Plant them all. Trim and replant as many as you can on the stems before you do your tour. 

Your Java fern is planted into the substrate, as a rhizome plant this will probably kill it. I’d wedge it between a rock and the substrate as the roots and rhizome need to be exposed to the water column. You can use gel superglue cyanoacrylate is the generic chemical name for it - you apply it to the rhizome and the rock you’re planting it to, there’s some great videos on YT on doing this. @Bentley Pascoealso has a great system for rhizome plants using ceramic media rings and his channel on YT is full of great planted tank content. 

Let us know how we can help and have fun! 

This better for the java fern? I added another rock to wedge it between 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 6/4/2023 at 7:01 PM, ouray1 said:

sweet! I have ordered some duck weed Aswell as some pearl weed for carpeting. I do have some root tabs Aswell in the water substrate. 

This better for the java fern? I added another rock to wedge it between 

I think you may have mixed up White cloud minnows with Zebra Danios. 😅

[ouray1]

I'm so dumb I'm sorry in my other tank I have white clouds. I plan to transfer them at some point to the planted aquarium with the Dainos lol. Java Fern look alright tho?

[neitherman]

On 6/4/2023 at 10:24 AM, ouray1 said:

I'm so dumb I'm sorry in my other tank I have white clouds. I plan to transfer them at some point to the planted aquarium with the Dainos lol. Java Fern look alright tho?

I can see the java fern rhizome so it's looking good. Keep in mind even if java fern leaves turn brown they may still grow leaflets out of the little "seed pods" that are on every leaf. These can grow into a whole new plant, so your java fern may be a beastly ball of leaves when you return to the tank. Personally I love that look but it's just another thing to keep in mind.

[Lennie]

My advice would be, don’t.

even my seasoned 8month old tanks got covered in algae when I left for military service when I was back. 

Aquasoil setups require more testing and close observation. usually lots of water changes as well. So does a new tank.

 

I would set one when I’m back if I were you

[ouray1]

I have a few family members that can help with water changes. Aswell as a friend who's pretty well experienced in these tanks. He's sending me a few species of shrimp and snails to deal with algae problems