Plants in harmony

[carolinyens]

So Ive done planted tanks before but all have been non CO2 and in the past I have just put whatever I like in the tank and let it roll. What I would like to do is get some info on the feeding needs of plants and have everything in the tank not fight for nutrients. I understand that there will be competition for nutrients and CO2 but is there any info on how ravenous a particular species is for specific nutrients and CO2. So that way I can make my placement of different species and them not 'butt heads' so to speak. Im still doing research on the types of plants that I want but I definitely want some crypts. If there are threads already about this, please post them. I have tried searching but I am apparently looking in all the wrong places or wrong key words. thx

[dutchy]

I think you worry too much. If you make sure there is ample nutrients and CO2 in the water column, plants don't need to compete. If there are near deficiencies, one plant will outcompete the other because it can uptake nutrients easier or faster. This can leave the next plant with a serious deficiency.

Another way to prevent local deficiencies is not to overcrowd plants, placing them too close to each other, individual stem as well as entire plant groups.

If you keep these things in mind, you don't need to worry about plant-plant competition.

I don't think there is much, if any, research on plant-plant competition in aquariums. You might find something in lake management, but this has more to do with the growing speed of certain plants which can cause light deprivement of other species.