more planted aquarium ?'s?

Question

ok so i am drawing up a plan to re-decorate my aquarium after i re-decorate my in late january early febuary. i have a few questions(answer most)
1.}will plants like Riccia Fluitans(crystalwort) grow over other ground cover type plants like Glossostigma elatinoides?(or vice versa)
2.}can anyone tell me more about CO2? & things that will add it to my aquarium[preferably store bought]
3.}has anyone tried a trick to make a "waterfall" in your aquarium using filter floss and sand? also any other "waterfall" making techniques!
4.}will glossostigma or cyrstalwort cover an entire aquarium wildly like java moss? or will stay within the perimeters and not grow over all the rocks?
5.}has anyone heard of letting java moss grow on a peice of cork floating youre aquarium? if yes could it end up getting really big and crowding the tank?(im kinda afraid of moss taking over my aquarium)
6.}i have some plants picked out that i dont think ill find @ petsmart or petco, any places in theDCarea?

Answer 1

1) Riccia will probably grow over Glossotigma a little bit, but it won't strangle it if you have enough light for the gloss. Keep them both trimmed to where you want them, and it shouldn't be a problem.

2) CO2 is one of the elements plants need to grow. So, it makes plants grow better greener and nicer and faster, AND it discourages algae growth because the plants use up so much nutrients with CO2. You can get pressurized CO2 - which is a CO2 canister. However, this is expensive (1-300$) and unnecessary unless you have a tank bigger than 40 gallons. 40 or less, and a Do-It-Yourself is better. You can buy pre-made canisters with air lines and yeast/sugar mix that cost 20-60$, OR you can just do it yourself. Take a 2L bottle, drill a hole in the lid the size of the air tube, and poke the air tube through (so it would be about 1" into the bottle) then seal around the tube with 100% rubber silicone. In the bottle, put 1 litre of warm water and 1 cup of sugar - stir until disolved, and add 1/2 tsp yeast. Close the bottle tightly, and attach the other end of the airline to an airstone or a water pump inside your tank.
3) Yep, you can make a waterfal with filterfloss and sand. It's pretty easy to do, you just have to mess around with it. Start by forming the two outer edges, then just mess around. Another neat effect, if you have sand substrate, is to the expose some of the bottom glass near the back of the tank - it looks like a lake shore! (the glass being the water surface of a lake)
4) Yes, they will overgrow the tank, given adequate nutrients and light. You need to trim your plants regularly to keep everything looking proper.
5) You can tie java moss to anything, floating or not, and it will attach and grow. It won't really overgrow your tank, but you need to trim it to keep it from being wild and bushy (why does it not sound like I'm talking about plants, here???)
6) Can't help you with specific stores, but look for small fish stores, or fish-speciality stores. They usually carry lots of plants and can order them for you if not. Try locating your local fish club - it's a great source for plants that are bigger / nicer / cheaper than at Petsmart.

Answer 2

for one you arent cleansing your tank through the sound of it and that's the fist project 2 you may get vegetation for as decrease priced as a million.50 which isn't high priced and 3 it doesnt sound such as you already know what you're doing when you consider which you havent instructed us any specifics approximately what form of substrate you have or what form of fish you have (as nicely a lifeless pleco which you needless to say didnt understand a thank you to maintain alive) i'm excited by you having a planted tank yet till now you do it you will desire to comprehend that once you plant it particularly is going to become relating to the vegetation and the fish working together in a mini atmosphere no longer in basic terms the fish finding cool on your room p.s. sorry if i sound harsh however the change from a nonplanted to a planted is prett subtancial and in case you arent waiting it could smack you in the face.

Answer 3

hey i strongly recommend you join aquariacentral.com (its free) there are alot more fish people there