*Need more planted tank hacks? Check out my whole series of "5 things I wish I knew" about planted aquariums:* th-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuqub-rl6z7cnGfSp_rUoyGN0U.html
Its gonna die I really don't want to find the fish dead but no one has answered my question directly by that time it would be dead way too late & have died pleal(
I really enjoy watching your awesome videos. I do have a question for you on soil substrate. I watch a video of Cory from Aquarium CO-OP and he mentioned that soil based substrates eventually get depleted of nutrients. That being said soils have high CEC therefore they shouldn’t run out of nutrients? Would they not be able to absorb it from the water column? And last indefinitely? Thanks Thanks
Another note for those pesky plants that love to float out of the substrate: let them grow longer roots, bundle the roots together and push them down into the substrate, then drag in a direction where you have room. This forces a line of roots under the soil and pulls the plant's base down into the substrate. This is especially effective in coarser substrates with more depth.
Oh I totally forgot to mention that trick! Thank you so much for mentioning it. And much appreciation for your previous helpful comment that I ended up referring to in this video. :)
Not a criticism, more of a question: I would have thought the opposite about the roots. Cut them short and lightly anchor the plant in place. If the plant is healthy it will quickly want to regrow its roots and they will make their way into the substrate and become better anchored. I have always been of the impression that if a plant already has a substantial root system then it’s roots will grow much more slowly and will take longer to become anchored. Wouldn’t this work better? Or am I missing something?
@@aaronws9561 if the roots are too small to hold it down, growing them out to act as an anchor helps, if they have very long roots, you can trim to 1.5-2" to anchor but encourage new growth
Your the most straight forward aquarium owner I know. You make it way easier for me to go off and do my own research about individual topics without feeling overwhelmed
Really enjoy your videos. As a 67 yr old grandma who has had aquariums off and on for many years, things change, and I have learned so much from your videos, so I subscribed. Keep up the excellent work, and I will review your previous videos and look forward to the next one! By the way, your children are precious.
I actually watch MD Fishtanks and other channels you mention that are well developed. But I really appreciate your videos! You make it feel more understandable and achievable for a hobbyist who will have just like 1 or 2 tanks. For sure I’m wanting to start one tank I bought, but it’s proving to be expensive and confusing.
Pro tip: You are doing fine going slow. Research...then sit with it. I started a 4' build project 3 months ago. I am still buying/procuring/preparing the things I need. Typically, it takes me 8 months from first purchase to actually getting water in the tank, so I have everything right the first time. I've kept aquariums since 1975.... Take your time and enjoy it, your plants and fish will thank you... and it will be stress reducing as the hobby was originally intended.
I did a LOT of research for what substrate to use for my planted nano tank (15 gal). I chose crushed lava rock for my bottom layer, inert Eco Complete for middle, topped with med course sand. I use root tabs for rooted plants and Easy Green liquid for the floating water column plants. So far quite happy with my results.
It's very important that I watch this. I have absolutely no plans to ever start an aquarium (I'm just not in a stable life position for it) but I need to understand planted aquarium substrates. Why? You ask. Because it's important!
If you're never going to have an aquarium then learning a bunch about aquariums is technically a waste of your time, but it is interesting enough to want to learn just for the sake of knowledge
The method I use for planting is that I dig a shallow pit, then I plant it in the middle of that pit. Then I push the displaced substrate back into the pit, which purposefully buries the plant too deeply in the substrate. Finally, I gently pull on the plant to bring it up to the right height. This really secures the plant in, and it apparently also positions the roots more naturally. It does involve getting both your arms in the tank but I don't mind.
I am using the same aquasoil from past 10 years. Let me share how I did it so far. Please don’t get judgemental on me coz it is just my method of recycling my aquasoil. 1. When I remove the aquasoil I keep it into a bucket & let it get dry under the direct sunlight for a few days. 2. When the aquasoil is drying up, I buy a bag of vermi compost which is very cheap (1-2$ for 5KG). 3. I remove all the solid things from the compost like lumps, leaf, dry wooden materials using a net so that I can get the absolute nutrients of the size of sugar sand. 4. I clean the fine compost few times to remove the excess fertilizers and minerals and let it get dry under direct sunlight till it becomes rocks hard. It usually takes 10-14 days where I live. 5. Once the compost dries solid I smash them into powder again and put them into a bucket full with UV cleaned water. 6. After few days the water in the bucket gets nutrient rich and crystal clear. I change the water 2-3 times to make sure I can get the purest nutrients & I don’t need to change water of my aquarium often before introducing plants and fishes. 7. Once the process is done I remove the clean water from the bucket carefully using a small pipe & pour them into my dried aquasoil. 8. I keep the aquasoil composition for 15-20 days without touching them and I get a completely new aquasoil ready to put into a planted tank for next 2-3 years.
One common thing i did from the internet is to put normal organic potting mix at the bottom and cap it off with a thicc layer of your cheap substrate. Unless you want algae fun-fest, don't let the soil seep to the water column. It works for me, so might as well share it to other peeps who may not know what a dirted tank is.
Irene, for the carpeting plants I do something similar to MD. I use a drop of crazy glue to attach the grass to a small pebble and wedge it at soil level. ☺️
Hearing the first tip made me so relieved. I began an aquarium a few weeks ago and as all my plants started rapidly growing, I realised a carpet would just put the whole thing together. Sadly, due to the price, I could only get sand as my substrate and relied on tab and liquid fertilisers. I was told there was no hope in growing a carpet with just sand, but I think now I'm confident to give it a try.
Excellent excellent excellent. Thanks Irene. I’m having all those problems with tweezers, roots, and root tabs. I’m afraid to grab the root tabs too hard because they break (happened yesterday). I’m afraid to grab the plant stems too hard with the tweezers because it can cut through the stems. Thanks for giving us permission to just use the ultimate tweezers - our fingers!
To keep plants down, I put a small rock w an elastic to the roots. It's way easier, and wont mess up dirted tank as much. Less damage to the roots too, dont have to keep smushing them back down
I'm grateful I went deep despite the longer cycling and trickier initial balancing. 'Treat it like a plant.' Now, learn lasagna gardening ABOVE ground- now, you can think of aquascaping!
@@voluntaryismistheanswer I never connected how similar the 2 are! Thank you for sharing, now I have a better reference when I am teaching people about either.
@@csharpe5787 I will need to check that out. One of the reasons I have usually kept my substrate a bit thinner is to avoid anaerobic pockets. Does the video cover dealing with this problem?
Tips for planting a hex tank: put on a bathing suit, stand on a chair, plunge half your body in the water while holding the plant with your hand so you can reach the bottom. Make sure you have towels down so you dont drip all over the floor when you come up for air. 😂
Your videos have helped me out so much with my 10 gal.. in about a year my friend is moving away and leaving his 40 gal. with me, that substrate cost will get pretty expensive so where I can cut the costs I probably will.
Thank you for this, I was gifted a 20 gallon tank and putting a game plan together. I’m going to layer the eco sub with a sand on top or eco where I plant only. Way to may options on what to do with a tank but I usually do a tank with what I have on hand. I got some beautiful colorful rocks and stones from Lake Ontario, driftwood from my Cabin lake in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. Rocks were just cleaned and sanitized, driftwood next.
I'm that person using soil from my own compost pile mixed with gravel then topped with something decorative to help keep it all in place. Definitely reccomend many water changes and time before adding animals if doing this! I think I'll be using the frozen dirt idea in future though! I've always relied on liquid aquarium fertilizer as tabs floating away annoys me.
Good video, one thing that's really helped me is plant weights. they're doing well for me in a new tank with Fluval Stratum. It's so lightweight and coarse, it doesn't hold anything in easily. It's REALLY frustrating trying to get rotala or staurogyne to stay in the dirt, I got plant weights from buceplant, very cheap strips of a very soft non reactive metal. I just cut a tiny little strip the size of a brad nail off with scissors, and squeeze it onto the stem. Just a tiny bit of weight reduces the buoyancy so plants won't float away, and the strip of metal acts like an anchor to boot. If you're done playing aquarium plant whack-a-mole, get some weights and be done with it, so glad I found them.
Haha I’m back watching this video for a third time since it was uploaded and yet again taking away newly learned skills. Thanks so much, I just had to comment as this has been a great help!!
Love these videos. I am learning so much as this is my first time planting live plants. My wife doesn’t like them much but I think they look great! Thanks for making these videos!
We went to the river years ago and scope up gravel for my aquariums. I have used it and reusued it. It works great for plants and fish as that is what is in their natural habitat.
For some plants that end up floating and don't need to be necessarily rooted, I find putting them in a seashell works really well and matches the aesthetic
I like the idea of the carpeting plant being planted into the substrate. Countless hours trying to replant little bunches of hairgrass. The green wool-like stuff the plants come in are ok to leave in the fish tank. . . Indefinitely?
I actually used compost in the bottom of the tank, and just scooped off any of the floating materials after a few days. My tank is a completely crazy biosphere. I did about 2 inches of compost and covered with rock dust and sand. This tank can handle a ungodly amount of fish with minimal amounts of water filtration. I've not done a water change in years. I just refill from evaporation.
I just love listening to you, you cut straight to the point, you really know what you're talking about and you always come about with such great tips and tricks. A huge plus is also your personality and voice, perfect for making videos! You're brilliant :)
What wonderful information on a big topic!! I do use some expensive Aqua soils sometimes... I've also gone with capping it with 3 in of sand... It really does wonders ♥️👍 Really great points on the mulm!! Thank you for covering root tabs and fertilizers!! And I also love that you covered the different types of plants and how to plant them 👍♥️🌿 Oh my goodness use two sets of tweezers 👍😂 best tip ever!!!!! Brilliant 😂👍♥️ I aways wondered about the rockwool thanks for that tip too 🤗 Love your videos Irene thank you so much for all you do and share!! I hope you have a very blessed day and a Happy Valentine day!!!♥️👍🌿🐟🌿🙏
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you so much for spending the time to comment on my content. I see how much time and effort you put into writing them, and I'm so happy to know that you like my channel. :)
Great info again! Love your videos. With root tabs, you can use a plastic tubes a plexiglass rod. Get one that's about the size of the diameter of the gel-tab. Push the gel-tab into the tube, and stab that into the substrate at a 45-degree angle, and use the plexiglass rod to pushed the tab into the substrate. Another tip. To prevent the gel-tabs from floating by poking a hole in it with a safety pin 🧷
All your tank settings are so beautiful! Its like a magical forest vibe. You should add like a fake decor of a redhead mushroom. I think it will look extremely cute
This is my first video of yours I've watched and I found it to be very be informative. I accidentally stumbled across it. I also found comfort with you mentioning Aquarium Co op. I plan on checking out your other videos now too! Thank you so much for taking the time to share.☺️
For planting carpeting plants: get some thin plastic coated gardening wire (garden centres sell them in reels) and cut many 2 inch lengths. Bend the top 5th back around and voila: mini tent pegs that keep your carpeting plants secure until they take root then simply remove. :)
This is an amazing video- you give your experience and supplement with other experienced fishkeeper's advice. I had a bit of a disaster on my fiest tankmlast night amd this literally addressed every problem!
I enjoyed your video... it's nice to see another female in the hobbie! I've had high nutrient substrate for some time now with a heavily planted tank and now thinking of putting the nutrient substrate into mesh media bags and then cover with gravel and top up with natural light sand, as MD does in some of his videos. I'm tired of the algae from the nutrients and I dont have time for water changes very often, especially being a large tank (250L). Thanks for validating the high nutrient soil and algae.
I superglue rocks to the bottom of my stem plants to get them to stay down. That's only if I don't cap with sand. If you cap with sand, it shifts into place and holds the plant down as you open your tweezers while still in the sand. For carpeting plants, I put them together in little bundles and push that into the substrate. Works fairly well.
I tend to just use aquarium gravel since its really good for plant root growth and more places for beneficial bacteria to grow. This is really helpful for my future aquascape.
I totally was planning on using gravel for that tank behind me when I got rid of the sand, but decided to use up the rest of my Eco-Complete first. Nothing wrong with gravel!
Good tips. I wish i had watched it before i started my 60-gallon cube. Oh well, part of becoming good at something is some failure in the beginning. One thing i did is use mesh bags, and besides being difficult to plant things, I'm not sure it's going to work tempted to tear it down and start over.I guess I will see. God bless you!
Thanks for this great tutorial, when you say do frequent or daily water changes, how much of the water? 10%, 50%? At the moment I just have regular aquarium gravel and the plants are doing great. Thumbs up as always :)
Thanks for the comment! Depends on how "potent" the substrate is, but I usually do 30-50% daily water for the first 5-7 days, then back off to water changes every 2-3 days for the next week, and then by the 3rd or 4th week I'm closer to the once a week frequency.
Great video! You hit all the points I was curious about.... I started a pandemic 45gal planted tank with guidance from good fish store. I did it right with the substrate, cycle, timed light, co2, liquid fertilizer etc. It was amazing until a few months ago where diff types of plants would either flourish or die off. Plants with biggest root system would do best. I've stayed steady with maintenance. Im thinking my substrate nutrients are used up?.... Just moved so now I get to relaunch the tank properly. Put all the plants in buckets. Have the fish in a 10gal for now using the same filter. I heavily vacuumed the gravel nefore removal and kept 20gal of the old tank water. Do you think fertilizer tabs would revitalize?
The answer to this depends on which substrate it is. I use Tropica, for example, which are little soil balls. I don't rinse, but I do add water VERY carefully (initially and at water changes) bc it is very lightweight and moves around a lot. I do gravel vac it, but again, with care. Sometimes I loose a little bit of the soil into the bucket, but it isn't too bad.
For the root tabs I use a needle to poke a hole in either side. It lets the air get out and it doesn’t float With my plants, I twist my tweezers back and forth before letting go. It gets the gravel to fill in space
I'm going to scoop a bunch out of a Marineland portrait it's been a mess in, cap it (black sand and ecocomplete), and use a *bit* of it under some new tanks- for actual shrimp substrate there are less sloppy options than Fluval (I'm trying to remember the brand, think spendy, one of those thirty dollars for five pounds volcanic types lol).
@@voluntaryismistheanswer I use the cheap Tractor Supply blasting sand as a cap. Good ol fashioned organic dirt, generated by our vermiculture bin, works great underneath, and adding the occasional root tab under hungry plants.
The two tweezer method is so simple yet something I have never thought of. I have used both the DIY osmocote root tab and Aquarium Co-op root tabs and in my personal experience, the Co-op root tabs are superior.
*Need more planted tank hacks? Check out my whole series of "5 things I wish I knew" about planted aquariums:* th-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuqub-rl6z7cnGfSp_rUoyGN0U.html
Its gonna die I really don't want to find the fish dead but no one has answered my question directly by that time it would be dead way too late & have died pleal(
I think you should make a list of nano fishes for beginners.
I really enjoy watching your awesome videos. I do have a question for you on soil substrate. I watch a video of Cory from Aquarium CO-OP and he mentioned that soil based substrates eventually get depleted of nutrients. That being said soils have high CEC therefore they shouldn’t run out of nutrients? Would they not be able to absorb it from the water column?
And last indefinitely? Thanks
Thanks
How long does it take for the water to clear up after adding substrate I used one like yours
Girl talks fish mentioned me.....I've made it 😁 (thanks for the shout out 👍)
I was thinking the same thing... I was like hey! I watch MD Fish Tanks and he totally does this.
I've totally been binging your content recently! Lots of love for your low tech aquascapes. 😍
Two mentions MD, my eyebrows went up when I heard his name
We always knew you'd make it eventually!!!..........LOL :)
@@GirlTalksFish thank you 😊
Another note for those pesky plants that love to float out of the substrate: let them grow longer roots, bundle the roots together and push them down into the substrate, then drag in a direction where you have room. This forces a line of roots under the soil and pulls the plant's base down into the substrate. This is especially effective in coarser substrates with more depth.
Oh I totally forgot to mention that trick! Thank you so much for mentioning it. And much appreciation for your previous helpful comment that I ended up referring to in this video. :)
Not a criticism, more of a question: I would have thought the opposite about the roots. Cut them short and lightly anchor the plant in place. If the plant is healthy it will quickly want to regrow its roots and they will make their way into the substrate and become better anchored.
I have always been of the impression that if a plant already has a substantial root system then it’s roots will grow much more slowly and will take longer to become anchored. Wouldn’t this work better? Or am I missing something?
@@aaronws9561 if the roots are too small to hold it down, growing them out to act as an anchor helps, if they have very long roots, you can trim to 1.5-2" to anchor but encourage new growth
I go bare bottom with Aquponic.
Less hassle
@@BentleyPascoe what would you recommend bundling them together with?
Your the most straight forward aquarium owner I know. You make it way easier for me to go off and do my own research about individual topics without feeling overwhelmed
When putting aquarium coop's root tabs in your tank,put a pin hole in the end of the root tab and it will not float. Makes it MUCH easier.
Oh yeah, I forgot that trick! Thanks so much for mentioning for others to read. 😊
Thank you havent used them yet but just got them in the mail
Omg brilliant!!♥️♥️
@@GirlTalksFish no problem. Anything I learn from cory is my duty to pass on.
Poisons the tank.
Really enjoy your videos. As a 67 yr old grandma who has had aquariums off and on for many years, things change, and I have learned so much from your videos, so I subscribed. Keep up the excellent work, and I will review your previous videos and look forward to the next one! By the way, your children are precious.
I've trusted Aquarium Co-Op and Cory for YEARS. Happy to add you to my list of trusted aquarists!
Glad to see im not only person having a trust list. When i was just beginning i literally had it written on a paper
I actually watch MD Fishtanks and other channels you mention that are well developed. But I really appreciate your videos! You make it feel more understandable and achievable for a hobbyist who will have just like 1 or 2 tanks.
For sure I’m wanting to start one tank I bought, but it’s proving to be expensive and confusing.
Pro tip:
You are doing fine going slow. Research...then sit with it.
I started a 4' build project 3 months ago.
I am still buying/procuring/preparing the things I need.
Typically, it takes me 8 months from first purchase to actually getting water in the tank, so I have everything right the first time.
I've kept aquariums since 1975....
Take your time and enjoy it, your plants and fish will thank you... and it will be stress reducing as the hobby was originally intended.
fantastic reminder, thank you for sharing! wonderful to hear that you've been in the hobby so long and are still taking it slow and enjoying :)
I did a LOT of research for what substrate to use for my planted nano tank (15 gal). I chose crushed lava rock for my bottom layer, inert Eco Complete for middle, topped with med course sand. I use root tabs for rooted plants and Easy Green liquid for the floating water column plants. So far quite happy with my results.
It's very important that I watch this. I have absolutely no plans to ever start an aquarium (I'm just not in a stable life position for it) but I need to understand planted aquarium substrates. Why? You ask. Because it's important!
If you're never going to have an aquarium then learning a bunch about aquariums is technically a waste of your time, but it is interesting enough to want to learn just for the sake of knowledge
The method I use for planting is that I dig a shallow pit, then I plant it in the middle of that pit. Then I push the displaced substrate back into the pit, which purposefully buries the plant too deeply in the substrate. Finally, I gently pull on the plant to bring it up to the right height. This really secures the plant in, and it apparently also positions the roots more naturally. It does involve getting both your arms in the tank but I don't mind.
Yes! That's exactly what I do when I use my hands. Thanks for describing it so eloquently. I just wish my 20 gallon high tank wasn't so deep. :P
@@GirlTalksFish I'm barely 5'... all tanks are too deep, lol
@@Lazy_Fish_Keeper haha samee
fishkeeping and aquascaping is really really fun. should've started this hobby many years ago.
I am using the same aquasoil from past 10 years.
Let me share how I did it so far. Please don’t get judgemental on me coz it is just my method of recycling my aquasoil.
1. When I remove the aquasoil I keep it into a bucket & let it get dry under the direct sunlight for a few days.
2. When the aquasoil is drying up, I buy a bag of vermi compost which is very cheap (1-2$ for 5KG).
3. I remove all the solid things from the compost like lumps, leaf, dry wooden materials using a net so that I can get the absolute nutrients of the size of sugar sand.
4. I clean the fine compost few times to remove the excess fertilizers and minerals and let it get dry under direct sunlight till it becomes rocks hard. It usually takes 10-14 days where I live.
5. Once the compost dries solid I smash them into powder again and put them into a bucket full with UV cleaned water.
6. After few days the water in the bucket gets nutrient rich and crystal clear. I change the water 2-3 times to make sure I can get the purest nutrients & I don’t need to change water of my aquarium often before introducing plants and fishes.
7. Once the process is done I remove the clean water from the bucket carefully using a small pipe & pour them into my dried aquasoil.
8. I keep the aquasoil composition for 15-20 days without touching them and I get a completely new aquasoil ready to put into a planted tank for next 2-3 years.
One common thing i did from the internet is to put normal organic potting mix at the bottom and cap it off with a thicc layer of your cheap substrate. Unless you want algae fun-fest, don't let the soil seep to the water column. It works for me, so might as well share it to other peeps who may not know what a dirted tank is.
Good organic Canadian sphagnum peat for the tannin and soft water lovers.
I love the “gravel base, sand topper” tip! I find that sand is really good at keeping new plants in place. Also, I definitely use the 2 tweezer tip!
Haha, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only crazy one using 2 tweezers.
Me too.
💯
I use wooden chop sticks. Can't stand the thought of cold metal pressed against my plants.
I think I'm gonna use that method for my tank
Irene, for the carpeting plants I do something similar to MD. I use a drop of crazy glue to attach the grass to a small pebble and wedge it at soil level. ☺️
Hearing the first tip made me so relieved. I began an aquarium a few weeks ago and as all my plants started rapidly growing, I realised a carpet would just put the whole thing together. Sadly, due to the price, I could only get sand as my substrate and relied on tab and liquid fertilisers. I was told there was no hope in growing a carpet with just sand, but I think now I'm confident to give it a try.
You should make your take like half sand and half gravel so you can grow different stuff
@@favian8435 actually that's a good idea, thanks :)
Excellent excellent excellent. Thanks Irene. I’m having all those problems with tweezers, roots, and root tabs. I’m afraid to grab the root tabs too hard because they break (happened yesterday). I’m afraid to grab the plant stems too hard with the tweezers because it can cut through the stems. Thanks for giving us permission to just use the ultimate tweezers - our fingers!
There was a lot of relief with that one! 😄
Glad to hear MD fish tanks mentioned
To keep plants down, I put a small rock w an elastic to the roots. It's way easier, and wont mess up dirted tank as much. Less damage to the roots too, dont have to keep smushing them back down
Just a note I wanted to share about root tabs floating, I found that sticking a pin hole in the ends helps when I put them in the substrate.
Wish I knew to go deeper with my substrate. Adding more substrate in a fully planted tank is a pain in the backside.
Look at, The Secret History living inside your tank. He have a video on it. 😊
I'm grateful I went deep despite the longer cycling and trickier initial balancing. 'Treat it like a plant.' Now, learn lasagna gardening ABOVE ground- now, you can think of aquascaping!
It's not really that big of a deal.
@@voluntaryismistheanswer I never connected how similar the 2 are!
Thank you for sharing, now I have a better reference when I am teaching people about either.
@@csharpe5787 I will need to check that out. One of the reasons I have usually kept my substrate a bit thinner is to avoid anaerobic pockets. Does the video cover dealing with this problem?
Long time subscriber but I have been watching recently and I really miss your content. So good! From a 😉40 tear Veteran
The great thing about GTF is that she keeps her videos visually interesting, which so many fish videos don't do
Tips for planting a hex tank: put on a bathing suit, stand on a chair, plunge half your body in the water while holding the plant with your hand so you can reach the bottom. Make sure you have towels down so you dont drip all over the floor when you come up for air. 😂
😂 I am at that state and love it so much I'm buying a new one on CL
🤣🤣🤣
So much truth, lol
Thank you! Great tips and so nice of you to mention MD Fish Tanks and Cory of Aquarium Co-op.
Your videos have helped me out so much with my 10 gal.. in about a year my friend is moving away and leaving his 40 gal. with me, that substrate cost will get pretty expensive so where I can cut the costs I probably will.
What substrate are your using for your 10 gal?
Thank you for this, I was gifted a 20 gallon tank and putting a game plan together. I’m going to layer the eco sub with a sand on top or eco where I plant only. Way to may options on what to do with a tank but I usually do a tank with what I have on hand. I got some beautiful colorful rocks and stones from Lake Ontario, driftwood from my Cabin lake in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. Rocks were just cleaned and sanitized, driftwood next.
Great video! Mentioning other You tubers was a great way to utilize other peoples methods, love it!
Yes, there is so much great information out there and I love learning from others. I try to give credit whenever I can remember the source.
Always informative 👍 love the shout out to md
I watched you as a beginner and now that i have had a tank for 4 months I have a much better appreciation of your tanks and tips. Nice work!
I'm that person using soil from my own compost pile mixed with gravel then topped with something decorative to help keep it all in place.
Definitely reccomend many water changes and time before adding animals if doing this! I think I'll be using the frozen dirt idea in future though! I've always relied on liquid aquarium fertilizer as tabs floating away annoys me.
Good video, one thing that's really helped me is plant weights. they're doing well for me in a new tank with Fluval Stratum. It's so lightweight and coarse, it doesn't hold anything in easily. It's REALLY frustrating trying to get rotala or staurogyne to stay in the dirt, I got plant weights from buceplant, very cheap strips of a very soft non reactive metal. I just cut a tiny little strip the size of a brad nail off with scissors, and squeeze it onto the stem. Just a tiny bit of weight reduces the buoyancy so plants won't float away, and the strip of metal acts like an anchor to boot. If you're done playing aquarium plant whack-a-mole, get some weights and be done with it, so glad I found them.
sweet tank, I like how everyone is getting along in peace.
Haha I’m back watching this video for a third time since it was uploaded and yet again taking away newly learned skills. Thanks so much, I just had to comment as this has been a great help!!
Love these videos. I am learning so much as this is my first time planting live plants. My wife doesn’t like them much but I think they look great! Thanks for making these videos!
Finally! someone talks about the difficulty of planting plants!
We went to the river years ago and scope up gravel for my aquariums.
I have used it and reusued it. It works great for plants and fish as that is what is in their natural habitat.
Possibly the most informative video under 10 minutes ever made 🙌🐠🐟🌱‼️
For some plants that end up floating and don't need to be necessarily rooted, I find putting them in a seashell works really well and matches the aesthetic
I like the idea of the carpeting plant being planted into the substrate. Countless hours trying to replant little bunches of hairgrass. The green wool-like stuff the plants come in are ok to leave in the fish tank. . . Indefinitely?
I actually used compost in the bottom of the tank, and just scooped off any of the floating materials after a few days. My tank is a completely crazy biosphere. I did about 2 inches of compost and covered with rock dust and sand. This tank can handle a ungodly amount of fish with minimal amounts of water filtration. I've not done a water change in years. I just refill from evaporation.
I just love listening to you, you cut straight to the point, you really know what you're talking about and you always come about with such great tips and tricks. A huge plus is also your personality and voice, perfect for making videos! You're brilliant :)
😲OMG I've learned so much in just this one video. I have a ten gallon planter and have been having issues. I am subscribing for more, thank you
What wonderful information on a big topic!! I do use some expensive Aqua soils sometimes... I've also gone with capping it with 3 in of sand... It really does wonders ♥️👍
Really great points on the mulm!!
Thank you for covering root tabs and fertilizers!!
And I also love that you covered the different types of plants and how to plant them 👍♥️🌿
Oh my goodness use two sets of tweezers 👍😂 best tip ever!!!!!
Brilliant 😂👍♥️
I aways wondered about the rockwool thanks for that tip too 🤗
Love your videos Irene thank you so much for all you do and share!! I hope you have a very blessed day and a Happy Valentine day!!!♥️👍🌿🐟🌿🙏
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you so much for spending the time to comment on my content. I see how much time and effort you put into writing them, and I'm so happy to know that you like my channel. :)
Love your tshirt. I usually cap my substrate with sand. It’s easier for me to plant in.
Capping is everything lol
I love the pasión of how you explain everything.
Great info again! Love your videos. With root tabs, you can use a plastic tubes a plexiglass rod. Get one that's about the size of the diameter of the gel-tab. Push the gel-tab into the tube, and stab that into the substrate at a 45-degree angle, and use the plexiglass rod to pushed the tab into the substrate.
Another tip. To prevent the gel-tabs from floating by poking a hole in it with a safety pin 🧷
Niiiice! I'm going to have to make one of these and try it out because I use root tabs in all of my tanks.
Thanks for the amazing content.
nice tips on the 2 x Tweazer trick, the 45 degree angle technique, and growing out Monte Carlo carpet grass from anchored spots. Thanks!
All your tank settings are so beautiful! Its like a magical forest vibe. You should add like a fake decor of a redhead mushroom. I think it will look extremely cute
For the algorithm! Keep up the good work. And thanks for the KH help on the CO-OP forum!
Clay balls are another way of getting nutrients to heavy root feeders, they are working great on my Cryptocoryne's and Swords.
Just got myself pearlscale goldfish and im starting my aquascaping after my fish have established. Thanks for all the great tips!💚
Wait what, that's not the right order.
This is my first video of yours I've watched and I found it to be very be informative. I accidentally stumbled across it. I also found comfort with you mentioning Aquarium Co op. I plan on checking out your other videos now too! Thank you so much for taking the time to share.☺️
For planting carpeting plants: get some thin plastic coated gardening wire (garden centres sell them in reels) and cut many 2 inch lengths. Bend the top 5th back around and voila: mini tent pegs that keep your carpeting plants secure until they take root then simply remove. :)
Superb presentation and knowledge 👍🏻🙏🏻
Thanks for uploading a video about what substrate is best 2 hours after I put my substrate in.
Murphy's law 😂
@@GirlTalksFish lol
Amazing tank really beautiful😃👍💖
This is an amazing video- you give your experience and supplement with other experienced fishkeeper's advice. I had a bit of a disaster on my fiest tankmlast night amd this literally addressed every problem!
All ive learned for my aquarium ive learned from you thank you irene
I enjoyed your video... it's nice to see another female in the hobbie! I've had high nutrient substrate for some time now with a heavily planted tank and now thinking of putting the nutrient substrate into mesh media bags and then cover with gravel and top up with natural light sand, as MD does in some of his videos. I'm tired of the algae from the nutrients and I dont have time for water changes very often, especially being a large tank (250L). Thanks for validating the high nutrient soil and algae.
I love your videos ❤ I’m starting with this hobby and it’s been really nice finding girls to follow and learn from ❤
2 pairs of tweezers at once! What genius! Thank you.
Yay, you found it helpful. I was afraid people would think I was crazy. 😂
Very informative as always.❤️
Just the video I was looking for…thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for this video❤ I think I'll do layers of different black substrates.
I superglue rocks to the bottom of my stem plants to get them to stay down. That's only if I don't cap with sand. If you cap with sand, it shifts into place and holds the plant down as you open your tweezers while still in the sand. For carpeting plants, I put them together in little bundles and push that into the substrate. Works fairly well.
Do you find that vacuuming your gravel is necessary? And if so, how do you avoid vacuuming your finer substrates (like if you use sand)?
Great tips, thank you. Also +1 for use of the word 'mulm'! and great to see kuhlii loaches!
thank you! 🙏 you just helped me with my decision, which saved a lot of time 😅
I tend to just use aquarium gravel since its really good for plant root growth and more places for beneficial bacteria to grow. This is really helpful for my future aquascape.
I totally was planning on using gravel for that tank behind me when I got rid of the sand, but decided to use up the rest of my Eco-Complete first. Nothing wrong with gravel!
@@GirlTalksFish is using just gravel ok or should I use a layer of eco complete or organic soil topped with the gravel
5:20 Omg new baby cories?😍 I should buy a school of them too😍
I just found a baby cory swimming around in my tank. Corys are so fun to watch. I was inspired by Irene's cory videos.
Yes, the albino corys are really easy to breed! The babies are just too cute.
Good tips. I wish i had watched it before i started my 60-gallon cube. Oh well, part of becoming good at something is some failure in the beginning. One thing i did is use mesh bags, and besides being difficult to plant things, I'm not sure it's going to work tempted to tear it down and start over.I guess I will see. God bless you!
Cool video! Thanks!🤘🤘
Thanks for this great tutorial, when you say do frequent or daily water changes, how much of the water? 10%, 50%? At the moment I just have regular aquarium gravel and the plants are doing great. Thumbs up as always :)
Thanks for the comment! Depends on how "potent" the substrate is, but I usually do 30-50% daily water for the first 5-7 days, then back off to water changes every 2-3 days for the next week, and then by the 3rd or 4th week I'm closer to the once a week frequency.
Great video! You hit all the points I was curious about.... I started a pandemic 45gal planted tank with guidance from good fish store. I did it right with the substrate, cycle, timed light, co2, liquid fertilizer etc. It was amazing until a few months ago where diff types of plants would either flourish or die off. Plants with biggest root system would do best. I've stayed steady with maintenance. Im thinking my substrate nutrients are used up?.... Just moved so now I get to relaunch the tank properly. Put all the plants in buckets. Have the fish in a 10gal for now using the same filter. I heavily vacuumed the gravel nefore removal and kept 20gal of the old tank water. Do you think fertilizer tabs would revitalize?
That explains why I've been having trouble with all my carpeting plants!
You really do your research. And I enjoy listening to you. Great video. Liked😉
I use Fluval Stratum but when I have fish that can’t tolerate the low ph, I use a mix of gravel and fluorite gravel
Nice! I'm glad you found a mix that works well.
Super cute! great info as well!
All your videos are so helpful!
Thanks for the tweezer tips.
Thank you for this!! I really needed this
This is a great video. Thanks for the tips!
Hundreds of my dirted substrate tanks have lasted for 8 years and more. Please try this system. I promise you will be amazed.
What soil do you use?
How do we clean planted tank substrate? Do you gravel vac it? Do you pre rinse it beforehand?
You cap it lol. What a mess some are!
The answer to this depends on which substrate it is. I use Tropica, for example, which are little soil balls. I don't rinse, but I do add water VERY carefully (initially and at water changes) bc it is very lightweight and moves around a lot. I do gravel vac it, but again, with care. Sometimes I loose a little bit of the soil into the bucket, but it isn't too bad.
For the root tabs I use a needle to poke a hole in either side. It lets the air get out and it doesn’t float
With my plants, I twist my tweezers back and forth before letting go. It gets the gravel to fill in space
Invaluable tips, thank you
Great vid. Thanks!
Thank you for the great advice 😊👍
This is timely well as I'm re working an aquarium and stuck on substrate choices. 🙂👍❤
Great tutorial!
Really love your videos! They are very informative!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤. This was very helpful and informative 👍🏻 👏
I wish I knew how difficult fluval stratum is to keep plants rooted!
Good point! I forgot to mention how some substrate are lighter vs heavier than others, and that can affect how easy it is to plant your plants.
I'm going to scoop a bunch out of a Marineland portrait it's been a mess in, cap it (black sand and ecocomplete), and use a *bit* of it under some new tanks- for actual shrimp substrate there are less sloppy options than Fluval (I'm trying to remember the brand, think spendy, one of those thirty dollars for five pounds volcanic types lol).
@@voluntaryismistheanswer I use the cheap Tractor Supply blasting sand as a cap.
Good ol fashioned organic dirt, generated by our vermiculture bin, works great underneath, and adding the occasional root tab under hungry plants.
Excellent, informative video!
Really helpful ❤️
Good stuff - very informative
The two tweezer method is so simple yet something I have never thought of. I have used both the DIY osmocote root tab and Aquarium Co-op root tabs and in my personal experience, the Co-op root tabs are superior.
Where do you find tweezers that length?
The big pair I got from Amazon ( amzn.to/3jPCqon ) and the small pair I got from Aquarium Co-Op ( www.aquariumcoop.com/products/planting-tweezers ).
@@GirlTalksFish thanks so much, I've been loving your videos by the way!! I'm new here and they're so helpful ☺