those of you that have lush java fern, what is the nitrate level in your tank? i've never been a java fern fan, but recently decided to give it another try. i'm starting to wonder if weekly water changes are counter productive to healthy ferns. thanks.
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Java Fern - Nitrate Levels
- Thread starter hedylogus
- Start date
- Messages
- 2,766
- Location
- Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Mine aren't exactly lush, but I've got some huge plants, they have grown slowly over ~ 5 years, and are near the waters surface. I change some water every day (100% rain-water), and I don't think nitrate level is particularly important, mainly because in my experience they are slow growing and just need leaving alone. I've found that it takes them quite a long time to build up a rhizome net-work, during which time they barely appear to have grown at all, but after that growth increases exponentially.
I would suspect that my nitrate levels are ~10ppm.
Looking at some high tech. tanks they certainly show a positive growth response to both nutrients and CO2.
cheers Darrel
Mine aren't exactly lush, but I've got some huge plants, they have grown slowly over ~ 5 years, and are near the waters surface. I change some water every day (100% rain-water), and I don't think nitrate level is particularly important, mainly because in my experience they are slow growing and just need leaving alone. I've found that it takes them quite a long time to build up a rhizome net-work, during which time they barely appear to have grown at all, but after that growth increases exponentially.
I would suspect that my nitrate levels are ~10ppm.
Looking at some high tech. tanks they certainly show a positive growth response to both nutrients and CO2.
cheers Darrel
sasikan
Member
- Messages
- 195
- Location
- edmundston new-brunswick canada
Darrel how many tanks do you have, and were do you get all your 100% rain water? do you like the ideal of taking town water in a big barrel with a air bubbles and a heater to make it right for my tropical fish?
- Messages
- 2,766
- Location
- Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
I've got 3 tanks at work in the teaching lab., but only about 110 litres volume for all 3, and 2 x 120 litre rain-water butt. Once or twice I've run out of rain-water and had to use the lab. de-ionized.
You can see the Java Fern in this picture:
This is the tank in situ. It has 2 x 14W T5's in the lid and some light through the window, although there is a block of polystyrene at the back of the tank.
This is from above with the lid off:
I've got 2 tanks at home, again about 100 litres volume in total, very similar planting and lighting and about 1000 litres of rain water storage (5 butts), but I use this for topping the pond up and watering the garden as well.
This is the pond.
and these are my 3 water butts in the back-garden:
cheers Darrel
I've got 3 tanks at work in the teaching lab., but only about 110 litres volume for all 3, and 2 x 120 litre rain-water butt. Once or twice I've run out of rain-water and had to use the lab. de-ionized.
You can see the Java Fern in this picture:
This is the tank in situ. It has 2 x 14W T5's in the lid and some light through the window, although there is a block of polystyrene at the back of the tank.
This is from above with the lid off:
I've got 2 tanks at home, again about 100 litres volume in total, very similar planting and lighting and about 1000 litres of rain water storage (5 butts), but I use this for topping the pond up and watering the garden as well.
This is the pond.
and these are my 3 water butts in the back-garden:
cheers Darrel
- Messages
- 11,217
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Darrel is 'lucky' enough to live in sunny 
Ol' England. It rains there quite often (to say the least). I live in Denver Colorado. Denver is located in what is called steppe or high plains desert. Our average annual precipitation is ~18"/45cm and most falls as snow in the winter. It's so dry here that Colorado even has a law against collecting rainwater for personal use! Don't tell anyone, but I broke this law a couple of days ago!
Ol' England. It rains there quite often (to say the least). I live in Denver Colorado. Denver is located in what is called steppe or high plains desert. Our average annual precipitation is ~18"/45cm and most falls as snow in the winter. It's so dry here that Colorado even has a law against collecting rainwater for personal use! Don't tell anyone, but I broke this law a couple of days ago!
- Messages
- 2,766
- Location
- Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Yes, 14oC (about 59oF) today and chucking it down. All the potatoes have got potato blight, and I've got webbed feet. The wettest June on record in most of the UK, and July is showing promise for the same award.Darrel is 'lucky' enough to live in sunny
cheers Darrel
sasikan
Member
- Messages
- 195
- Location
- edmundston new-brunswick canada
you seem to be doing a pretty good job with your garden also! (nice plants in your tanks)
- Messages
- 2,766
- Location
- Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
With new plants if I find one that I really like and it looks like it might be suitable, I use the "3 strikes and its out method". If after 3 attempts I don't have any success I abandon it and try something else. I know from experience that Campanula spp. are much less likely to be successful than hardy Geraniums etc. but plants differ even within genera. As an example large flowered Clematis hybrids are unsuccessful (because of the snails), but Viticella hybrids and Alpina types both do well.
I do the same with pests and diseases, rather than trying to annihilate our slugs and snails with pellets or aphids with insecticides, I just let them get on with it. Over time you get a balance, and much more wild-life in your garden.
Our pond is in the front garden, and I get a lot of comments from passers-by about how much hard work it must be, and when I tell people the front garden doesn't get any regular maintenance, I don't think they believe me.
cheers Darrel
I'm a very low tech. gardener, as well as low tech. fish keeper. Both gardening and fish keeping become much easier if, rather than saying "I want to grow X", you find out what grows naturally in your conditions and just let it get on with it. Same applies to fish and tanks, find some fish and plants that are happy in your tanks, after that plenty of water changes and live food, but otherwise ignore them.
With new plants if I find one that I really like and it looks like it might be suitable, I use the "3 strikes and its out method". If after 3 attempts I don't have any success I abandon it and try something else. I know from experience that Campanula spp. are much less likely to be successful than hardy Geraniums etc. but plants differ even within genera. As an example large flowered Clematis hybrids are unsuccessful (because of the snails), but Viticella hybrids and Alpina types both do well.
I do the same with pests and diseases, rather than trying to annihilate our slugs and snails with pellets or aphids with insecticides, I just let them get on with it. Over time you get a balance, and much more wild-life in your garden.
Our pond is in the front garden, and I get a lot of comments from passers-by about how much hard work it must be, and when I tell people the front garden doesn't get any regular maintenance, I don't think they believe me.
cheers Darrel
