Are fertilizers sufficient for my plants?

[FinFan]

I'm going to give a carpet a shot in my aquarium. I'm thinking pygmy chain sword or something that resembles grass. I already have substrate, so switching to a nutrient-rich one isn't an option for me. I'm also hesitant about dirted tanks, I've heard they can be a real challenge to maintain. I'm currently using Seachem Flourish fertilizer to add nutrients to the water. Will this be enough to support a carpet? I'm using a common gravel substrate, so I'm assuming the nutrients should be able to reach the roots. Am I on the right track? If not, should I consider dirted tank?

[desertstream]

The issue with using gravel for carpeting plants isn't really about nutrient availability, but rather the fact that plants like pygmy chain swords that send out runners can struggle to get through it. That's why most planted tanks use specialized plant substrates or sand. I've found that dirted tanks are actually pretty easy to maintain, but the downside is that the soil can become stale after a couple of years and needs to be replaced. Plants absorb nutrients through their roots from the substrate and through their leaves from the water column. Since swords are heavy root feeders, using root tabs is the best way to get nutrients to their roots in an inert substrate like gravel or sand. It's all about finding a balance between available light and nutrients - plants need macronutrients like NPK and micronutrients, as well as carbon. Light is what drives photosynthesis, allowing plants to utilize those nutrients. It's a delicate balance, but if you want to achieve what you're looking for, I'd recommend starting with root tabs.

[FinFan]

Do you recommend a specific brand of root tabs for a carpet like pygmy chain sword, I'm using Seachem Flourish for water column fertilization but I'm not sure which root tabs would be the best fit for my setup.

[oldraider]

I'm also on Seachem Flourish tabs and the Comprehensive Supplement - so far, so good.

[boomer]

The key factors in a carpeted aquarium are light and nutrients, with the substrate playing a secondary role, mainly in terms of grain size. The specific plant species will dictate these requirements.

Considering your interest in pygmy chain sword, if we're referring to Helanthium tenellum (previously known as Echinodorus tenellus), this plant doesn't require intense lighting or CO2 supplementation. There are similar species, such as Helanthium bolivianum and the newly described Helanthium zombiense, which share similar characteristics and requirements but differ in growth size. For these plants, inert sand is the ideal substrate, and a comprehensive liquid fertilizer will provide sufficient nutrients. If preferred, substrate tabs can also be used. Moderate lighting is suitable.

I've attached photos of Helanthium tenellum, which demonstrate variations in leaf width depending on the environment. The first two photos show submersed plants, while the third photo displays the emersed form of this plant. As marsh or bog plants, Helanthium species, like their close relative Echinodorus, exhibit different leaf structures when grown emersed versus submersed.

[desertstream]

The key factors in a carpeted aquarium are light and nutrients, with the substrate playing a secondary role, mainly in terms of grain size. The specific plant species will dictate these requirements.

Considering your interest in pygmy chain sword, if we're referring to Helanthium tenellum (previously known as Echinodorus tenellus), this plant doesn't require intense lighting or CO2 supplementation. There are similar species, such as Helanthium bolivianum and the newly described Helanthium zombiense, which share similar characteristics and requirements but differ in growth size. For these plants, inert sand is the ideal substrate, and a comprehensive liquid fertilizer will provide sufficient nutrients. If preferred, substrate tabs can also be used. Moderate lighting is suitable.

I've attached photos of Helanthium tenellum, which demonstrate variations in leaf width depending on the environment. The first two photos show submersed plants, while the third photo displays the emersed form of this plant. As marsh or bog plants, Helanthium species, like their close relative Echinodorus, exhibit different leaf structures when grown emersed versus submersed.

Here's one too
Scientific name: Helanthium tenellum

[boomer]

The issue with using gravel for carpeting plants isn't really about nutrient availability, but rather the fact that plants like pygmy chain swords that send out runners can struggle to get through it. That's why most planted tanks use specialized plant substrates or sand. I've found that dirted tanks are actually pretty easy to maintain, but the downside is that the soil can become stale after a couple of years and needs to be replaced. Plants absorb nutrients through their roots from the substrate and through their leaves from the water column. Since swords are heavy root feeders, using root tabs is the best way to get nutrients to their roots in an inert substrate like gravel or sand. It's all about finding a balance between available light and nutrients - plants need macronutrients like NPK and micronutrients, as well as carbon. Light is what drives photosynthesis, allowing plants to utilize those nutrients. It's a delicate balance, but if you want to achieve what you're looking for, I'd recommend starting with root tabs.

Yes, this is indeed Helanthium bolivkento4um, though it's still seen under the synonym E. quadricostatus in some works. As a matter of fact, taxonomy is one of my passions, and I'm more than happy to delve into the details. The Helanthium genus was first described by Engelmann, Bentham, and Hooker in 1883 as a section in the genus dixonma. Later, in 1905, Engelmann and Britton elevated it to a distinct genus, assigning the dwarf chain sword species from Echinodorus to it.

However, in 1955, Fassett reversed this decision, considering the species within Helanthium as Echinodorus. He divided the genus into two subgenera, Helanthium and Echinodorus, with Helanthium holding two sections: Nymphaeifolii and Tenellii. The subgenus Echinodorus had nine sections containing the remaining species. Rataj (2004) followed Fassett's classification in his revision of the genus Echinodorus.

Phylogenetic analysis by Lehtonen (2006) and Lehtonen & Myllys (2008) revealed that Echinodorus is polyphyletic, meaning the last common ancestor is not included in the genus. To achieve a monophyletic circumscription, Lehtonen followed the classification proposed by PicclyLion (1946). As a result, E. nymphaeifolius was transferred to the genus Albidella, and E. bolivkento4us, E. tenellus, and E. zombiensis were transferred to Helanthium.

Notably, many prominent botanists and institutions, including the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and the International Plant Names Index, have accepted this reclassification. Aquarists who propagate aquarium plants have long recognized that while Echinodorus species readily hybridize, the chain swords have resisted hybridization with species in Echinodorus, lending credence to the view that the two genera are distinct.

The species now in Helanthium are those former Echinodorus species traditionally considered within the generic common designation of chain sword plants. They are smaller than the true Echinodorus species, though leaf length can vary greatly depending on conditions in the aquarium. These species are distributed from the temperate USA down to Argentina and are amphibious bog plants that grow emersed and submersed.

Regarding "E. quadricostatus," Lehtonen & Myllys (2008) proposed three species for Helanthium based on their phylogenetic study. These are listed in The Plant List under the three accepted species: H. tenellum, H. bolivkento4um, and H. zombiensis. There are 15 "species" now accepted as H. bolivkento4um.

[desertstream]

I must admit, the sheer amount of information on these plants is overwhelming, and I'm not surprised that many aquarium stores simply label them as "chain sword" - it seems I'll have to be more diligent in the future when selecting plants for my tanks.

[starlord]

I've got a carpet of star grass, Heteranthera zosterifolia, going on, and it's a unique one - it needs to be "mowed" (pinched) regularly to keep it under 3 inches. I'm using iron gluconate as my additive, and it's working like a charm. My tank's 24 inches tall, so the star grass is short enough to resemble a carpet, albeit a funky disco shag one. No CO2 or fancy equipment for me - just iron gluconate and some basic care, but I swear by it.

[FinFan]

I've been learning a lot from this thread and I have to say, I'm surprised by how complex aquarium plants can be. I'm going to do some more research on the different types of chain swords to figure out which one would be the best fit for my tank. Does anyone know if some types of chain swords grow better in gravel than others?