Live Plant Journal - Part 4

Here are Sheila's notes from the next morning after she planted the tank.

Well it's the morning after the setup and all is well as you can see by the morning after photo. I will however, have to watch closely for any ammonia or nitrite spike in in my water. Hopefully I will not lose any more of my fish. Here's a nice shot of my centerpiece plant, the Ozelot Sword. I am very pleased with, as it really is a show piece plant.

I would love to add a couple more fish to replace the two that I lost in the process of planting the tank. I think it would be best to hold off for a couple weeks to let things settle down. Shirlie, my question to you is how long should I wait to replace my two dear fish that I lost? Also, is there anything in particular that I need to watch for as far as my fish go, stress and such? I will be sending you a plant layout yet this evening so look for that to come. ~ Sheila

Guide Notes
In spite of a few problems, Sheila has done very well converting to live plants. I'm very impressed with her morning after photos - they are beautiful! Given the fact that she made the transition quickly, and left enough water in the tank to cover the substrate, she probably won't have a major ammonia or nitrite spike. Just to be on the safe side, I'd advise that she wait a week to let things settle down, then test for ammonia and nitrite. If the tests are zero, she can replace the two fish she lost.

In the meantime she should watch for cloudiness in the water, (a sign of bacterial blossom), and changes in the color or behavior in the fish (a sign of possible water quality problems). She should also watch the plants for discolored or dying leaves. The stress of pulling them up, shipping and replanting them may cause the plants to drop a few leaves. As long as she removes any dead or dying leaves, the plants will bounce back in no time at all.

My thanks to Sheila for sharing her journal and to [link ... stay tuned, our series continues when Sheila sends her plant layout, complete with photos.

url=http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/termsandtables/a/donmatakis.htm ]Don Matakis for sending plants and providing Sheila with expert advice.