# New To Plants Help Please, Have Questions



## flex fish (Aug 20, 2010)

I'm new to plants and I have a 75g sump running my 210 I want want to coverthe whole space where my pump runs with plants with some good plants so I can keep nitrates just somthin I want to try just for experience, I just have some questions

first: will plants effect my ph?

Second: how do I keep plants healthy and growing

Third: could I get a small light just for plant and hook it up to my sump to keep them growing

Fourth: do I need co2 or could I use just a light for plants

Fith: would I loose oxygen using alot of plants

SIx: is it alot of work keepin up with plants

Im just doing this strictly for nitrate purposes


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## Domelotta (Apr 25, 2007)

1. I don't think plants affect Ph
2. Plants stay healthy and growing from light, nutrients, and co2 (a balance really)
3. I don't see why not
4. Depends on what plant you want to keep
5. At night-time you would since they absorb co2 during photosynthesis and release it. Although not dangerous levels
6. I've found beginner low-med light plants are pretty easy to keep.

p.s. I use watersprite for those exact purpose (and it looks cool). I have less than 5ppm of nitrate in my overstocked pygo tank at all times. The watersprite grows like a weed also. I have to throw half of it out every two weeks usually. Since you're using it for nitrate purposes only I'd recommend watersprite since it can float. Just get a small light and put it close to the plant and the growth should be superb.

First Day in Tank








A few weeks later









It's the one attached to the driftwood by the way.


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## flex fish (Aug 20, 2010)

Is water sprite cheap, and aslong as I have good water agitation my fish should be ok and no really loss of co2 am I right? And also I can still get good plantes that don't requier co2 right?


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## Domelotta (Apr 25, 2007)

Water Sprite is pretty cheap. I found mine on eBay and have had it for over a year. Water agitation should take care of the o2 levels. If you only use water sprite it won't require co2, only a decent light (the plant like to be close to light and grows better near the top. You can get lots of good plants for a low tech setup that don't require co2 as long as you don't go overboard with your light. I have 1.6 wpg using compact flourescent bulbs and it works for low-med light plants like dwarf sag, crypts, java fern, anubias, java moss, and an amazon sword. But if your using plants strictly for nitrate control, you only need the water sprite.


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## flex fish (Aug 20, 2010)

If I put to many plants in my sump then co2 becomes a problem?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

flex fish said:


> If I put to many plants in my sump then co2 becomes a problem?


No...not at all. Plants also tend to have a stabilizing effect on pH.

Plants absorb CO2 and use it during photosynthesis and release O2. The majority of the mass of all plants is carbon (solid) which comes from CO2 (gas) that the plant absorbs as it lives and grows. Plants do also release some CO2 through cellular respiration, as all living things must at some point, but that happens all the time (day and night) and is independent of photosynthesis and O2 production. At night, oxygen is not produced as those reactions require light. Excess CO2 problems come from improperly injecting (adding) CO2. In water CO2 and O2 concentrations are relatively independent of each other, so as long as your fish are fine oxygen wise without plants and you don't inject CO2, you will have enough O2 with plants (actually a surplus during the day). Too many plants dying however could cause a lack of O2 from the aerobic bacteria (they consume oxygen) that break down the plants (or algae of you have a severe algae bloom).

If I had a 75g sump, I would try get a hold of some freshwater mangroves and let them grow out of it. Really any plant that would be able to grow emersed based on your water level would work great. You would need higher light, but it would be cool! Actually, you could try using some surface baskets or trays to keep the plant stems out of the water and grow a houseplant like pothos out of the top of the 75g with its roots hanging down. They don't need a whole lot of light either!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

flex fish said:


> I'm new to plants and I have a 75g sump running my 210 I want want to coverthe whole space where my pump runs with plants with some good plants so I can keep nitrates just somthin I want to try just for experience, I just have some questions
> 
> first: will plants effect my ph?Healthy plants won't
> 
> ...


If your doing this strictly for nitrate reduction i suggest getting some fast growing plant that doesn't need a substrate. Something like water lettuce should even work good as it grows fast under good light. If you care about effiecncy over looks i'd do somethign like some water lettuce with maby some aquatic moss or hygro underneath.

id do plants with no substrate so its easier to maintain and doesnt trap debris


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## flex fish (Aug 20, 2010)

What's aquatic moss, and where can I get, also what's water lettuce and where can I get it, would this be the best plant for removing nitrates, and how long before I notice a difference in nitrates levels


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

flex fish said:


> What's aquatic moss, and where can I get, also what's water lettuce and where can I get it, would this be the best plant for removing nitrates, and how long before I notice a difference in nitrates levels


Aquatic moss is just a common name like "tree" or bush. The main type of moss you will find (and probably the cheapest) is java moss which most lfs should have. Water lettuce is a floating plant that you can get from somebody with a pond, lfs with a pond section and some hardware store with a plants/ pond section may even have them. Google them as there are tons of pics.

I dont know how significant the nitrate reduction will be, but the faster a plant grows the more nitrates will be removed. You want to take as much plant material out of your system at a time while still keeping it full of plants that will still grow. Generally people will do something liek 75% of the platns they can keep then let it grow to the max they can keep then every week remove some so yourt back down to say 75% of the total plants you can keep.

Id read up on refugiums for saltwater aquariums as this is a similar concept except its for strictly nitrate reducation and not the housing of pods or anything like that (pods are a small sw bug like crustation)


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## flex fish (Aug 20, 2010)

Cool thanks for the info


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