# Aragonite. Will it support plant life?



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Plants will not flourish without the proper nutrients, so all you have to do is to provide the missing nutrients. 

Test the GH. The aragonite has probably raised it pretty high. I am not sure if this is calcium, magnesium or a combination. Might have to check that out. 

Read the label on the root tabs. Are they a complete fertilizer? Plants need about a dozen elements. 
Some are supplied in some other way, not thought of as fertilizer. 
H, O = water, air.
C = CO2 from air and from decomposing matter, Excel and related materials.
N, P, K are the three macro fertilizers. Plants use these in large amounts. Fish food contains N and P, but you probably won't be adding enough food with just a puffer in there. Fish food is lacking K, so plan on dosing this. 
Ca, Mg = see the comments about aragonite above. Plants use Ca and Mg in a ratio of about 4:1. The water does not have to have exactly that ratio, but something sort of close would be good. If the aragonite only supplies Ca, then you might dose Epsom salt to provide the Mg. 
Fe is usually thought of as a micro fertilizer, but it seems to be the one that plants use enough of, and is in short supply in fish food, so I would dose this, too. 
Micros = all the other minerals that plants use in small amounts. Usually dosed from a single combination product like CSM+B or Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive. 

The plants you list so far are not grown with roots buried in substrate. They grow clinging to rocks or wood. They will not benefit from root tablets, their roots are developed for clinging, not gathering nutrients.


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

Diana said:


> Plants will not flourish without the proper nutrients, so all you have to do is to provide the missing nutrients.
> 
> Test the GH. The aragonite has probably raised it pretty high. I am not sure if this is calcium, magnesium or a combination. Might have to check that out.
> 
> ...


I already have the ferts covered, as I already started dosing the EI method. Ive already added Flourish for the micros. 

Regarding the plants. I mistakenly referred to my Amazon Swords as Java Ferns. Also, the Anubis is attached to a rock already.

I suppose my question is: With all of that in mind, would I need to add minerals that my substrate doesnt give the plants already?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

You are adding micros, that is the minerals they need. 
You are adding the other ferts per EI, that is the elements they need. 

I would go by these tests unless the plant show some deficiency:
NO3 for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as long as you are using the EI method.
GH for Ca and Mg.
Fe as a test for all the micros. 

Watch for holes in the leaves that may start as dark spots. Potassium deficiency often shows like this.


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

Thanks, Diana. Therefore, all the minerals etc that my inert substrate is lacking, can be fully obtained through my dosing of micros?


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*These May Be the Coolest Little Critter Out There*

Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, a _polymorph_ of calcite.

It is popular among reef keepers, people that keep African cichlids, especially the Lake Tanganyika varieties. It is popular because it keeps the alkalinity up, the pH stays high.

Most of our fresh water plants and many of our planted tank critters do not do well in this environment.

Assuming you are talking Carinotetraodon travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer), the only real drawback to Aragonite will be growing plants these little critters like a lots of plants (interrupted sightlines), things to explore, constant change in environments. 

Unlike any other puffer I know of, can be kept in groups, like 14 or 20 and as long as there are plenty of plants, objects caves and so on will do very well. Start raising (if you are not already) snails to feed them along with bloodworms (fresh, easy to raise or frozen).

Great plants for them are Crypts, Swords (depending on size of tank, which ones) and java moss, really any of the mosses.

If you want them to breed include clumps of moss on rocks and such.
 

Joe
FBTB


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

JoeRoun said:


> Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, a _polymorph_ of calcite.
> 
> It is popular among reef keepers, people that keep African cichlids, especially the Lake Tanganyika varieties. It is popular because it keeps the alkalinity up, the pH stays high.
> 
> ...


I already have this tank set up and running...with the Aragonite and silica sand. Will the plants/moss I have added in there, survive even with ferts? 

My PH is between 7.8 and 8. My KH is 5 and my GH is 8.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Most aquarium plants are not very picky. If something does not survive, just replace it with something else, or repeat something that is growing well. Some plants actually do better in somewhat harder water, they are able to use the carbonates as a source of carbon, if there is no CO2 in the tank. Your GH and KH are not very high, plants should do well. 

There are very few aquarium plants that must have soft, acidic water.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*What Diana Said*

What Diana said.

Sorry I probably should not have commented…

More for the thinking about it side…

Though, if I may ask what unit of measure for KH and GH

My concern revolves more around the plus pH 8 ranges.

Joe
FBTB


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

JoeRoun said:


> What Diana said.
> 
> Sorry I probably should not have commented…
> 
> ...


I use the liquid API tests for KH and GH, as well as PH etc.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Your conditions are fine for most plants. Try vals, cambomba, crypts, java ferns, most crypts, and anubias. You just need to dose ferts or use root tabs to feed your plants.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Some plants can draw their carbon from carbonates in the water, so those might be something to try.

I think vals were one of these types, but I'm not certain, and I don't know which other plants off the top of my head.

Also, might want to try any of the more common 'easy' plants.

As to aragonite, I'm fairly certain it's CaCO3, but with a different crystal structure then calcite, and slightly more soluble. I think most of the CaCO3 produced by animals (coral, shells, etc.) is aragonitic. I may be wrong on this, it's been a couple decades...


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## cjstl (Mar 4, 2013)

Several of my tanks have sand mixed with crushed coral as the substrate. I like it because it grows some impressive snails. I haven't noticed an issue with my plants. Dwarf sag will grow in any condition. So will najas, hornwort, java moss, etc.


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

cjstl said:


> Several of my tanks have sand mixed with crushed coral as the substrate. I like it because it grows some impressive snails. I haven't noticed an issue with my plants. Dwarf sag will grow in any condition. So will najas, hornwort, java moss, etc.


After some research I found this article:


_"Another big plus to hard water is that some aquarium plants can use the carbonate salts as a fertiliser. Plants adapted to soft, acidic waters like many Cryptocorynes and some Echinodorus rely on dissolved carbon dioxide as carbon source for photosynthesis. They effectively take the carbon dioxide and turn it into sugars and all the other organic chemicals they need for energy and growth. This is essentially the same thing as land plants do when they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, some aquatic plants can absorb the carbonate salts and strip away the carbon from them, and use that as their carbon supply. 

The list of plants capable of doing this includes many that do very well in aquaria, including Ceratophyllum demersum, Cryptocoryne becketti, Echinodorus bleheri, Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis, and Vallisneria spp -- all popular and easy to obtain species. If you have hard water and don't want to be bogged down with carbon dioxide fertilisation, then these are definitely the plants for you! Admittedly, some of these plants are fussy in other ways. Echinodorus bleheri, for example, needs a rich substrate and good, strong lighting, but Ceratophyllum demersum and most of the Vallisneria are adaptable and easy to keep. If you want to keep livebearers, then Ceratophyllum demersum is difficult to beat as a floating plant that provides a refuge for newly born fry. Egeria densa, on the other hand, is a sturdy, fast-growing species ideally suited to subtropical tanks. Vallisneria spp. are perhaps the most versatile aquarium plants, and few aquarists haven't grown these plants at some point. "
_

I have already ordered some dwarf sag, and will possibly try vals, but it seems they look very similar. I already have anubias and bacopa (which apparently can also thrive in most conditions including harder water). We'll see...

How convenient that this may be prime water for snails, seeing as I am planning on a puffer. 

Thanks for the advice, and knowledge.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*The Gentry Say Polymorph...*



lochaber said:


> As to aragonite, I'm fairly certain it's CaCO3, but with a different crystal structure then calcite, and slightly more soluble. I think most of the CaCO3 produced by animals (coral, shells, etc.) is aragonitic. I may be wrong on this, it's been a couple decades...


 You are indeed correct, Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, a polymorph of calcite. Calcite in turn is the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) aragonite will turn to calcite when heated to 400-470°C (750-880°F). Vaterite is the other polymorph but converts to Calcite when heated to around 60°C (140°F).

There is a good deal of debate as to how much Aragonite sand effects the water column the activity in the substrate isn’t. I think as long as the plants can deal with pH 7.8-8 the Vals and so forth mentioned by Monster Fish before should be fine. 

I, personally would avoid it in a planted tank, African cichlids, no problem, but if it is what you have and you work with it, it will work I am sure.

Joe
FBTB


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

JoeRoun said:


> You are indeed correct, Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, a polymorph of calcite. Calcite in turn is the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) aragonite will turn to calcite when heated to 400-470°C (750-880°F). Vaterite is the other polymorph but converts to Calcite when heated to around 60°C (140°F).
> 
> There is a good deal of debate as to how much Aragonite sand effects the water column the activity in the substrate isn’t. I think as long as the plants can deal with pH 7.8-8 the Vals and so forth mentioned by Monster Fish before should be fine.
> 
> ...


The thing is, I had my heart set on African Cichlids, specifically Neolamprologus multifasciatus. But I couldnt aquire any in my immediate area. So here I am.

I really didnt want to breakdown an already cycled and set-up tank.


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## Vino (Jan 19, 2014)

Update: I finally found my multies and decided to grow only algae on the rocks. Have had this one running a year or more now.














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