[Guest]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post ever because I'm new to the board.
I have several questions, it would help me out alot to here some expieranced advice... I dont know anyone else that seriously is into vavariums around me. None the less Here it goes....

I'm have setup a 130gal vavarium, 3'x24'x3'( i think). Power compacts ontop and a misting system.. now, I have actually just moved the tank into my new apartment..... and of course my wife is being a neat freak.... so I told her I wouldnt use Soil/mixes in the terrarium. Personally I'm tired of working with the stuff, especially its a pain to have it in the tank when keeping anykind of flowing mass of water which you want to stay a mass and not flood into the land area or when you just want it to look somewhat semi-clear atleast....so you can see the Beta fish.
None the less... so I'm using a nice natural looking river styled pebbels/gravel. Basically I have about 10inchs of it in around the back of the tank and it slopes down to about 5-6 inches in front of the tank.... The tank itself is filled with water up to about 4 inches(for my waterfall and mini pond, so when I place a plant up front after embedding the roots further than about 2inches down..they will be wet.).

So..........
-Should I raise the distance between the wet gravel/dry gravel. If so How much?????

-What kind of plants would or can do well with constant wet roots???

-i'm thinking of raising the gravel height to be higher above the water line...so the my ground floor, plant's roots, arn't going to be wet constantly.... If I do this should I wrap the roots in something like spagnum moss and then into cheese cloth or something???? Or I was even just thinking of keeping the plants in pots w/soil and burrying them in the gravel, but what about the plants becoming pot bound? How do I know when I have to repot them? what do you think is best??

-Right now I have Java Moss starting out, do you guys think it'll grow over the gravel??? Does pellow moss do well on gravel???? should I put something over the gravel first, before laying pellow moss..or having the java.... like dried spagnum moss, would this help their growths????


Thanks alot guys, I'll try to have a picture up sometime tomorrow so you can see what I'm working with.

Swann

 

[Derek Benson]

Your tank calculations come out to 135 gallons (36" x 24" x 36"). Sounds very nice, do you have a false bottom to raise the floor? What species is going in it? Good luck.

 

[Guest]

look over at black jungle's web site, they have a whole section for just aquatic plants, i am sure you can find some cool ones there. Another option is broms or tillansias that have no roots and can be attached anywhere in the tank. your mister might make it too wet for some of them, but i am sure that most of them will be very happy with that. some orchids also grow without roots, which would be a nice splash of color.

 

[Rain_Frog]

bog plants

Try bog plants, such as Ludwigia repens, Hygrophila, caladiums and taro/ mini elephant ears (needs lots of light and SPACE), water mint (mentha aquatica), and among several others. Java moss is just awesome growing in water or wet areas, as it doesn't need as much light. Pothos and philodendrons can have their roots submerged as well and do fine.
A note about hygrophila and ludwigia: Don't buy the cuttings at your petstore or submerged plants, only buy the potted ones. This is because the plant will wilt if you plant it at the water's edge if it's been growing underwater for a while. You can however, keep petstore ones in a tub to make a mini pond with soil at the bottom outside in good lighting, and you can take cuttings when the plant grows out of the water. The cuttings will be tough enough to plant in the substrate without wilting.
Avoid carnivorous plants as they require acidic conditions and RO water. Most also need full sunlight, only possible with halide lighting. There is really no need to buy expensive plants from black jungle when you can buy tropical water plants from your local nursery. Many of black jungle's aquatics are also virtually identical to what you find at your local petshop.

 

[JoshKaptur]

I just wanted to add anubias sp. to your shopping list. They come in many shapes and sizes, and can be grown submersed or emersed. I also like several crypt species emersed (and many more submersed). You can buy these from most pet stores with a decent fish selection, or from places like http://www.aquabotanic.com

hth,
JOSH

 

[Rain_Frog]

also

http://www.aquariumplants.com

Never ordered from them, but once wanted to. They got decent prices. I would still try the local garden and petstores first to avoid shipping and handling.

 

[Guest]

I agree with Josh. I recently bought some 2 different species of Anubias from BJ and like them alot.They are growing in the small pond in my newest tanks and they look great

 

[Guest]

:fff topic::

do you have a stream? i've never had any flooding with my streams...
peperomia do good if you can get the cutting or rooted plants to grow in tree fern panel.