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How long will they last?

686 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Boatboy6
Well, since this is my first post I'd like to say hello. Ok, now to my question. O have just set up my first planted tank but I have been told I have a problem. While at petsmart getting fish I was talking to the guy there and I showed him some of the plants I had picked up the other day and he informed me that the plants were only semi aquatic and will only last for a month or so. He felt bad and offered to being some cuttings from his tank for me next weekend. I don't know what Plants I actually have but I'll put a link at the bottom of this paragraph. I was just wondering how long they will last with a 24 watt 10,000k lighting. If they start to rot will it harm my fish? Should I just pull them out now? Also the guy suggested I get a new light that is in the 6,700k range, does that sound right? I hope that all made sence. Here's a link to a video of my tank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juYcdDD-iw4&feature=youtube_gdata_player



Thanks in advance,
Arioch
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It looks like you have wisteria, anubias and java fern for true aquatic plants. The tall grass looks like mondo grass and will die in months. The varigated plant looks like a form of dracaena and will die in months.

You have a biocube with the standard lighting which is geared towards salt water. This means you have the artinic and the 10,000K bulbs. For now, your 10,000 K bulb is fine. The artinic will not do much good and the 10,000K will be fine but just very white. The 6,700 K will be a bit more yellowish. These are personal preferences. When you buy bulbs, look at the color spectrum and you want a plant friendly one (high spikes in the red, yellow and blue spectrums).

You will not want to run both bulbs (if you change the artinic) without CO2 injection. Doing this will cause you great pain with algae.
The mondo grass, although not a true aquatic grows near rice paddies.

I have kept it alive for years by removing it from the h2o once a month, and letting it grow for a few weeks as a regular plant. (I actually kept it in a hob filter on another, non-planted tank.)

Was it worth the effort? Probably not.
Thanks, I started gathering parts for a DIY paintball co2 setup. Should I leave the plants in until they start to show signs of death or remove them now? Also are these plants good for shrimp? I have read that they like mosses, if I get shrimp is moss required? If so what kind should I get?
welcome to the site. what part of mass are you from? are you close to framingham or millis?

doesnt matter when you remove them. do you want to keep them as terrestrial plants or are you just gonna junk them after. if you want to keep them, i would remove them now. if you dont want them wait till they start to die.

shrimp dont require moss they just like to eat pick the stuff off of it and eat it.
welcome to the site. what part of mass are you from? are you close to framingham or millis?

doesnt matter when you remove them. do you want to keep them as terrestrial plants or are you just gonna junk them after. if you want to keep them, i would remove them now. if you dont want them wait till they start to die.

shrimp dont require moss they just like to eat pick the stuff off of it and eat it.
Im in georgetown, i think ill just junkem after
nevermind. tropic isle in framingham has an ok selection of plants but thats kind of a haul for you.
nevermind. tropic isle in framingham has an ok selection of plants but thats kind of a haul for you.

yeah, i think im going to try Pet City in Seabrook, NH
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