Tips to grow Hemianthus calitrichooide 'CUBA' successfully

 It is relatively hard to plant Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" and it takes
a longer time for it to take root because of its short roots.  Hemianthus
callitrichoides "cuba", a plant that prefers slightly alkaline, medium-hard water,
 is often found decayed just a few days after it is planted in an aquarium using commercial soil, which makes the aquarium water soft and acidic.  The decay is caused by
such a water quality problem, combined with the damage caused to the plant during
the planting process.  You have to be prepared, to a certain extent, for the loss
of plants after the initial planting work.  To minimize this, you can try the
following planting method designed for reducing the damage caused to the plants
and therefore minimizing the loss of plants.
Firstly, use very fine granules of 0.5 mm to 1 mm granule soil type to hold the thin, short roots of Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" more tightly and effectively. 
Secondly, plant Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" a little deeper until its leaves can barely be seen.  This planting method can help Hemianthus
callitrichoides "cuba" to take root easily and develop more new leaves.
The critical period for the planting of Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" lasts until it takes root.  If the leaves fade or decay, it is advisable to trim off
the affected part of the plant immediately and replant only the healthy, dark-colored part around the terminal bud in the substrate.
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THE GENERAL CARE FOR PLANTED AQUARIUM

Planted aquarium general maintenance
1) Changing approx. 25% of the water every week prevents the accumulation of hazardous substances in the aquarium and limits the algae growth.

2) Waste products in the form of dead plant matter etc. should be removed as soon as possible. Their breakdown uses oxygen and produces nutrients that destroys the balance and promotes algae growth.

3) Check the aquarium equipment regularly in order to make sure that any faults and defects will be rectified and that a stable environment will be maintained.

4) The plant growth is now in full swing and a liquid fertiliser has to be added. Start carefully and with a dose smaller than the recommended. Increase the dose gradually according to the plants' reaction to the fertiliser. A good rule of thumb is that leaves or plants become lighter/transparent when they lack fertiliser.

5) Check for algae on a regular basis. The first sign is unclear water, accumulations on the glass, leaves or decorative materials, or possibly fine threads. If the algae become visible, it will be much more difficult to suppress them! Algae are reduced by changing the water, reducing the amount of fertiliser, introducing more fast-growing plants and algae-eaters.

Time for Introducing fish in planted aquarium

In the case where a new aquarium was set up using brand-new filter media, fish should be added after three to four weeks when the environment within the tank is stabilized and aquatic plants grow almost up to the water's surface.
If an existing filter media already colonized with bacteria is used, it is possible to add fish to the aquarium when ammonia is no longer generated, i.e., about one week after the setup, as long as no algae is observed in the tank.

It is advised to add fish in about two phases, since the balanced self-purification process within the tank can be affected by adding a large
number of fish at the same time.  You might want to add fish as soon as possible once the planted aquarium is done, but it is, for the sake of fish,
better for you to wait until the environment is adequately stabilized (i.e., the condition in which water is clear and sparkling, no algal growth is
observed and aquatic plants grow lush and healthy).
Keep in mind that overpopulation of fish must be avoided to prevent growth of algae.  Adding a relatively small number of fish and feeding easily
digestible and absorbable food  are a key to
maintaining a beautiful planted aquarium.

HOW TO CONTROL COMBAT ALGAE IN PLANTED AQUARIUM

The control and removal of algae is certainly one of the serious issues we have
to deal with when taking care of planted aquariums.  There are many different
types of algae; each type has its own growth pattern and requires a special
attention using the most suitable method of removal.

-Green algae on glass surfaces

They are most commonly seen on the inside walls of aquarium tanks.  Green algae
develop during the initial installation period of an aquarium as well as on the
glass surface and white diffusion filter of Co2 diffusers in a mature aquarium.

Remove the algae growing on aquarium tank walls with a shaving blade, and then
change the aquarium water.  When you use a shaving blade near the substrate area of
the layout, be cautious not to let sand get in between the blade and the glass
surface.  Otherwise the sand scratches the glass surface and leave ugly scratch
marks as you move the blade.
You can remove green algae accumulated on the diffusion filter of a Co2 diffusers
with bleach,

- Beard algae on Anubias

Slow-growing aquatic plants are more vulnerable to the algae problem than the
fast growing kinds.  A group of plants in the Anubias family is a good example.
When diatom algae, which are often seen on Anubias' leaf surfaces during the
initial aquarium installation period, are not removed properly, green algae
may start spreading over the diatom algae.  In case a large amount of beard
algae grows around leaf margins of Anubias, apply dilute hydrogen peroxide solution
using a painting brush.
*Do NOT apply hydrogen peroxide to any other aquatic plants.

- Black beard algae on layout stones and driftwood

Black and tough beard-like algae growing on stones and driftwood can be seen
in the aquarium with a high nitrate level.  Please pay close attention and
take care of them before they become unmanageable.
After scraping off algae with hard tooth brush, release Siamese Flying Fox and
Caridina babuati in the aquarium.  If the condition is critical, remove
water from the aquarium, and cover the affected area of stones / driftwood
with a paper towel, soaked with several drops of hydrogen peroxide , overnight.
Then, fill the aquarium with water in a usual manner.

- Foul smelling blue-green algae covering over the undergrowth

They are considered as a type of Cyanobacteria, easily caused by excess
nutrients in the aquarium water.  They are also found in places, such as
densely-growing undergrowth of aquatic plants, where water flow hardly passes
through.  If you see them in your planted aquarium, you must act quickly as
they spread over so fast!
Suck out blue-green algae using a small hose, and sprinkle Beneficial bacteria over
the area.  Then release some Black Molly in the aquarium.

If you experience an outbreak of algae in your aquarium, you might be
over-feeding your fish.  Uneaten, left over fish food is an excellent food
source for algae growth because it causes excess nutrients in the water.
Watch fish carefully every time you feed them and adjust their servings.
Uneaten food should be removed from the aquarium after each feeding session
to minimize water contamination. 

Algae control using invertebrates
--

We  recommends the use of Caridina babuati (wood shrimp), Otocinclus and
Siamese Flying Fox for algae control.

Tips to purchase aquatic plants

Tips when you purchase aquatic plants

If we have to choose either one of them, we recommend you to purchase the
plant in emersed form and grow it in the aquarium to develop submersed leaves,
since it is easier for the plant to adapt to the aquarium environment and
therefore the risk of unsuccessful growth is minimized.

In general, submersed leaves can easily get damaged during transportation and
they may often be unable to adapt to the changing environment.  The submersed
leaves grown from a plant in emersed form usually grow vigorously because of
the plant's nature to keep up with the sudden change in environment.
Furthermore, the chance of having the trouble of a melted bottom stem is lower
in the emersed form of stemmed plants.  When you use imported aquatic plants
sold in emersed form, you have to be careful of residual pesticide.

WHY WE NEED TO AERATE PLANTED AQUARIUM DURING NIGHT TIME

As you know, aquatic plants perform photosynthesis using light and carbon
dioxide during the day while they respire at night by taking in oxygen and
releasing carbon dioxide. Particularly in a planted aquarium with a lot of stem
plants, the oxygen consumption by the plants during their respiration process
at night is high and this may cause lack of oxygen to the shrimps and fish.
In the case of an excessively low oxygen level, it can be observed that the
shrimps are inactive near the water surface. A lower dissolved oxygen level at
night also leads to an extremely low oxygen level within the filter, which
affects the beneficial bacteria in it. As a result, the balanced environment in
the tank will eventually be lost resulting in slightly cloudy water and
excessive algal growth. To avoid such a situation, it is advisable to perform
aeration during night for the planted aquarium.
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How to grow red stem plants successfully in planted aquarium

Red stem plants are regarded as difficult to grow for the following reasons:
1. Red stem plants prefer mildly-acidic soft water.
2. Requires high light conditions and accordingly, sufficient CO2 injection.
3. Requires continuous iron supplementation to maintain the plant's leaf color.
When we make diy substrate sand  as the main substrate material,
it is difficult to prepare and maintain mildly-acidic soft water.
In addition to this, growing red stem plants was also a tough job because these plants are
demanding in terms of light, CO2 and nutrient conditions. Now, it is no longer
very difficult since the water quality issue can be resolved by the use of commercially available planted aquarium soil  like ADA AQUASOIL, PLATINUM SOIL, with which you can have mildly-acidic aquarium water just by placing
it on the substrate. Among red stem plants, Rotala Macranda is one of the most
difficult species. It is because the plant very often melts and wilts except
the terminal bud portion if the plant is sold in poor condition; and it is
therefore very hard for it to develop submersed leaves adapted to the aquarium
environment. Pogostemon stellatus and Gratiola sp. have vivid red tint when
grown under high light condition and supplemented with IRON or other types of
additives containing rich iron, but they lose their beautiful red color
significantly with low light or insufficient iron supplementation.  If you
wish to maintain the red color of stem plants, you need to add iron
supplements on a continual basis.