# tips on 75g angelfish tank



## togman (Dec 24, 2010)

ive been checking out this forum for awhile and decided to join.I have a 75g with 10 1'-2" angels and 1 rino pleco.Its filtered by a eheim 2217 and mperor 400,substate plain gravel.I have java fern,swords,water sprite, java moss and 1 bannna plant.Lighting is catalina 3x54w t5ho.My question is I would like to add some nutients to the susstate either root tabs or something else.I want to avoid changing substrate as not put fish through to much stress.Any help would be appreciated.


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## Aquaticz (Dec 26, 2009)

So you want info on fertilizing the substrate?
You can buy root tabs or make your own. Either way you just stick them in the substrate as low as you can get them 

I use gel caps and osomocote plus a fertilizer available at the home depot


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

i do the same...BUT with Osmocote+ the secret is...less is more


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## togman (Dec 24, 2010)

Thanks for the reply.Does osmocote come in pellet form.Will it affect my fish or should I use seachem root tabs. This is new to me as I have never used ferts before.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

osmocote will release a small amount of ammonia into the water column...which is why less is more

as long as you dont overdo it...youll be fine (which is why less is more) because plants LOVE some ammonia

seachem work better than osmocote in that it doesnt release ferts as fast
...but its significantly higher in price

...i think about $10 for a 6month supply (7tablets) as opposed to $15 buys you a lifetime supply of osmocote (a 4lb jug of osmocote and making icecubes with a little osmocote inside)


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## togman (Dec 24, 2010)

Had some gift cards to petsmart and ended up getting some bags of flora max.Changed everything last night so far so good Whats everyones opinion on floramax. Thanks..


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

I have it in a tank that Im growing a glosso carpet in...

its just as good as any other commercially available substrate (besides Aquasoil) so it will work well for a low-med light tank

if youre going high light...you should dose "extra" ferts anyway


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I would still add the fertilizer tablets. Either the Osmocote in ice cubes or specialty fertilizer tablets for aquarium plants. 

Read the label on the soil. Some come with some fertilizer, so you do not need to start adding ferts right away. 

Mostly though, soil is a holding medium, and does not in itself contribute nutrients to the plants. Even if it started with some fertilizers or minerals these would get used up sooner or later. 

Adding fertilizer replaces what the plants have used. 

In a low tech tank, low light, no CO2 it may be that fish food adds enough nutrients for the plants. Maybe not, though. 

When I started with plants I had about 1 watt per gallon of light, and needed to add potassium and iron. Fish food and water changes supplied everything else. 
When I added more light I needed to add more fertilizer.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I've never personally used Floramax, but from what I've read it's a substrate that disentigrates and doesn't hold up for a long period of time. Run some forum searches and I'm sure you'll find lots of threads about it.


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## togman (Dec 24, 2010)

Maybe I wil add some eco complete on top of the flora max.What would be a good grass or ground cover in the front of the tank for my low tech set up. Bye the way I only use 2 of the 54w bulbs on my light.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

2x54 watts from a Solar T5HO puts you at medium light over a 75gal tank. I run the same fixture over my 90gal (6" taller) and still have to extremely limit my photoperiod (6-7 hours) to avoid algae issues.

You might want to set it up so just 1x 54 is on for most of the day, and run 2x54 only for a very short part of the day. 

Lilaeopsis mauritiana, Echinodorus tenellus, Marselia minuta, and Sagittaria sp. have all done very well for me carpeting at this light level. HM also does surprisingly well.


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

i think you should change the substrate. its pretty easy actually. use a python or a garden hose as a suction and suck out all the gravel. if you cant do it all at once do a lil a day until you get it all sucked out. once its all sucked out just add your desire substrate. simple and no mess at all. and doesnt really stressed out the fish.


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