Neptun
Discus and aquarium plants seem like difficult concepts to combine. Nevertheless, there are some tricks to help try on these neighbors.
Discus are some of the most beautiful and fastidious species of fish. And in connection with what conditions are required for their happy life, there are many questions about the plants that can neighbor with them. Indeed, a herb garden with discus requires a certain amount of experience from the aquarist. Therefore, it will be useful to know the basic aspects of keeping such an aquarium.
The first rule is that success in growing plants should not be to the detriment of the discus. Nothing should be to their detriment. Therefore, it is necessary to match the plants to the conditions in the aquarium. And do not adjust the water parameters to the grass, forgetting about the fish.
Discus and aquarium plants what kind of water do I need?
The composition of water in different cities can differ. This is no secret for those who have been involved in aquaristics for more than a year. And there are many solutions to this problem. For example, if the water is initially hard, you can try to correct this with the help of osmosis. It is worth noting that the osmosis membrane passes through itself only water. And all impurities (harmful and useful) do not get into the aquarium.
Aquarium plants cannot live in water after osmosis treatment. Therefore, it is better to use water treatment systems with replaceable cartridges. They can be selected independently, based on the goals set. To increase the content of iron, chlorine, salts or organics in the water, it is enough to choose the appropriate cartridge.
As a rule, for herb gardens with fish use mineralization osmosis – enrichment of water with salts. Then the water can be changed to the necessary parameters, comfortable for fish and plants.For a successful neighborhood with discus, it is best to maintain mild acidic water. Where pH = 6-6.5, kH = 1, and gH = 2-3. Water changes should be done 1-2 times a week. 10% of the volume of the aquarium. The temperature, of course, should not fall below 30 degrees.
Discus and aquarium plants: lighting
The fact that the temperature in the aquarium will be constantly high, causes the need for increased nutrition. The main part of the energy supply of which should be filled by light. Therefore, it is necessary to take the issue of lighting seriously. Since lamps with a power of 0.5-0.6 W/l will not be quite enough. With such lighting can already appear greenery on the glass. But for plants it will not be enough. Although much depends on the size parameters of the aquarium. And the aquarist will have to look for a suitable combination of lighting power and daylight hours.
The choice of lamps should not end with color temperature parameters, because there are also color rendering indices. If these parameters are also taken into account, the plants will be more comfortable. This will have a favorable effect on their appearance.
Soil in the pot
The main soil properties required for plants are neutrality and fines. For small species, it is better to choose from a range of 2-4 mm. In this way, food residues will not fall through. This will make siphon cleaning much less frequent.
Questions of feeding should be solved very carefully.It should be kept in mind that there are discus in the aquarium. They leave behind a lot of waste from their life activities. If there is a lot of nutrition, plants will constantly grow out of control. In addition, there is a possibility of algae proliferation. If there is a lack of nutrition, the herb garden will look unnatural.
For plants that feed by means of a root system, like cryptocoryne or nymphaea, an occasional application of clay balls as fertilizer will suffice.
Suitable aquarium plant species
Species composition of plants even in the aquarium with discus can be diverse. Many plants grow well in such a neighborhood. For example: maika, tonina, staurogi, rotala wallicha, blixa and many others. In the process, you can add new species to the aquarium and remove old ones. Based on design considerations and practical growing experience.
To summarize, we can say that growing aquarium plants in the company of discus is not much more difficult than when growing in a conventional herbivore. Because of the increased temperature regime plants grow very quickly. That always pleases the aquarist. And regular weeding and care can constantly change the appearance, improving the design of the aquarium as a whole.
