Best ways to keep plants alive?

[Vahrun]

Hey everyone! I'm in need of plant advice : ( I seem to have a really hard time keeping my plants alive and I'm not entirely sure why. I have a light on it that I turn on during the day and turn off at night (usually 11-9) and whenever I have to handle the plants, I'm really careful as to not break any stems.

But my boyfriend was telling me that in order for the plants to thrive, I needed some kind of plant solution/nutrient that will help it, but I'm not so sure if it's safe, and if it is, what kind to get!

At the moment I have some kind of grass in it that is doing well and the other one, I'm pretty sure is a pennywort. Am I just choosing the wrong plants?

 

[pondweed]

I was asking this just the other day, and will be researching it again when I set up my tank. I really want a green tank! The advice is to look for plants that like low light and cold water. Mosses are good - Java fern and moss are used a lot - because they don't need a lot of light, which can stress out axolotls.

Someone posted this link to making moss ropes. It seems like a neat idea!

Lots of people seem to have marimo balls as well.

You also need to get things that don't require adding carbon dioxide or fertiliser. I'm not quite sure of the reasoning behind avoiding fertiliser, hopefully someone more experienced and knowledgable can explain this (I know it's not meant to be good for axolotls).

Your axolotl(s) will actually provide some of their own, er, fertiliser that'll give the plants a boost. It's my understanding that if you own hardy plant varieties, this should be enough to keep them happy.

Floating plants could provide shade for the axolotls?

 

[pondweed]

Oh yes, and someone else has said axolotls are keen amateur gardeners, and will uproot plants if they're not weighted down.

 

[Vahrun]

Thank you for the info! And those ropes look really neat : ) Defs gonna try and making some of those! I'm certainly going to try to get some java ferns and marimo balls! I'm planning on putting moss along the ground, do you think this would be okay?

 

[pondweed]

I don't know, but if it is, I'd love to do that as well. The only thing I can imagine being a problem would be if it trapped food and waste and caused water quality problems that way, but that's theoretical. I hope someone else comes with suggestions, because I'd like to know too!

 

[Chirple]

I'd just make sure the light is bright enough for the plants in there and at the plants can thrive in relatively cold water. Sometimes it can be trial and error finding which plants will work.

I have used fertilizer in the past and it really does help - but even now when I haven't used it in awhile everything is still doing well - just not growing fast. It might be your water - in your case the supplements might be more necessary than to me.

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[pondweed]

Chirple, isn't fertiliser dangerous for axolotls, or am I misinformed?

If you added fertiliser while you were setting up and establishing a planted tank, I mean while you're cycling it, would it all be used up after a time by the plants so it would be safe to add your axolotl?

 

[Hamamelis]

Chirple, isn't fertiliser dangerous for axolotls, or am I misinformed?

If you added fertiliser while you were setting up and establishing a planted tank, I mean while you're cycling it, would it all be used up after a time by the plants so it would be safe to add your axolotl?

What sort of fertiliser do you mean? I'm unfortunately not sure what's safe for 'lotls, but there are two basic types sold for fish tanks; substrate/soil types, which I think is what you're thinking of, which you use when setting up the tank (which does eventually get used up), and liquid or powder ones that are regularly added to the water.

It wouldn't be much use to just use it for set up, as it's an ongoing need for the plants- though 'lotls (and fish) produce nitrogenous waste, plants also need some other trace elements- iron etc, which are not found, or at least not in sufficient levels for a lot of plants, in fish/lotl waste, so they'd just start dying when the levels dropped off.

Incidently, it's generally recommended for fish tanks to only use the lights for around 8 hours a day- more will not help the plants you want to grow (they'll have used up all the available CO2 by that point), but will encourage algae.

 

[Chirple]

I use the Flourish line of aquarium liquid fertilizer when I am using it. Both the pet shop I got the axolotl at (which is a great shop whose care sheet was perfect) and my vet (who has axolotl experience) agree that it's not harmful.

It's a very tiny dose for even a good size tank, so even the small bottles will last a long time.

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[pondweed]

Thank you Hamamelis, I'm learning a lot here. (I'm not sure what type I've meant; I've read about tablets you can put under plant roots, and on sites I've been looking for live plants that only require low light and are suitable for cold water, it just seems to indicate they'd have slower growth rates.

I'll look up Flourish, Chirple, and see if I can get it over here.