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Hi all, Not in terms of "carpets lead to spike in ammonia" they don't and they can't. Not something I've ever really tried either. This is what Tropica say <"Hemianthus micranthemoides Pearlweed, pear weed - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are right, it doesn't make sense. It all started with <"Dr Kevin Novak">, and <"he is not a reputable source"> of information. <"Ammonia Time Bomb Carpet">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No other "fertilisers"? So would I. and a longer photoperiod, at least 8 hours? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I sort of agree with @ElleDee, it would make much more sense to have a plant that is happy with low light, but not necessarily a stem. <"Bolbitis heudelotii"> or a Cryptocoryne sp. would do. How about <"Cryptocoryne beckettii 'Petchii'> - <"Best crypt for very low light?">. cheers...

Hi all, He is a <"considerable loss to the forum">. He never officially said good-bye, but I assume he retired from Tropica and no longer felt the need to visit. I assume that <"he is still keeping fish"> in planted tanks. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, I just got fed up with them in the end, and the seed became <"commercially unavailable in the UK">, meaning that it is no longer a practical (stomatal peel <"Stomatal Opening Is Induced in Epidermal Peels of Commelina communis L. by GTP Analogs or Pertussis Toxin.">) that schools...

Hi all, There probably is somewhere (<"Guide to non-aquatic plants - INJAF">?), unfortunately it will be a long list and getting ever longer. The plants I have in mind aren't really the <"Fittonia, Dracaena spp. and Ophiopogon spp.,"> that can never be grown under water successfully, but more...

Hi all, It could be <"iron (Fe) deficiency">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> You can't as easily tell with <"Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)"> (because of the leaf hairs), but are the new leaves on the submerged plants pale and yellow? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not entirely sure it isn't (at least partially) <"a nutrient issue">. I've found, with Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) that often the <"first sign of nutrient deficiency"> is that the snails start eating the leaves, something they don't do when they are healthy. Do the Crypts...

Hi all, Yes, it is just <"horses for courses">. If I really like the look of a plant, and think it <"should be suitable for my tanks">, I usually work on the <"three strikes and your out"> principle. Some plants are really <"difficult to kill"> and they are going to survive in <"nearly all...

Hi all, That is what I do as well, find plants that <"like me and grow them">. It doesn't sound <"very exciting">, but you can always try new plants and some of them will "stick". The problem with a lot of the newer <"aquarium plants"> is that they aren't really plants that will live long...

Hi all, They are just plants that are going to grow more quickly than the Anubias and Java Fern. The Frogbit colour would suggest there probably isn't any nutrient deficiency, but floating plants have access to atmospheric CO2 and first dibs on the light. Stems won't have those advantages...

Hi all, There wasn't even that much iron. That is the <"limit of detection">, so it just means that the maximum value was less than 0.52 ug / l or 5.2 x 10-9 g / L (Fe). @ElleDee is right. and again. Same for me. Have a look at @G H Nelson 's <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start...

Hi all, Fine if you keep it maintained, my problem is that I'm not a very conscientious filter cleaner, so I just like to have <"non-clog media in the filter body">, because, for me, <"out of sight can quickly become forgotten about">. <"Perfect">, emergent plants have the <"aerial advantage">...

Hi all, That is my problem, I'm a <"cheapskate, lazy and shoddy aquarist">, who always takes the route of <"least resistance">......... Rotala spp. are probably the plants that appear most frequently in the <"iron induced chlorosis"> threads. I like @Kezzab 's bog garden <"Rotala...

Hi all, Not a fertiliser............ You could try a floating plant as <"net curtain">. I know that Goldfish love Duckweed (Lemna minor), but they don't eat Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), although they might "worry" the roots. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Personally I'd take the floss pad out of the Eheim. I've used a <"couple of Ecco filters"> and opening them is always a worry, mainly because of <"the handle design">. You can get an Eheim <"pre-filter for them">, although I prefer a <"big sponge block">. I'm going to assume that that...

Hi all, What does she have? Are they all Phalaenopsis? Have a look at <"Show your orchids!"> Bromeliad? Tillandsia capitata (and T. usneoides) or one of the epiphytic cacti? The Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis baccifera) should do. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. How is your emergent plant growing? And, can we have a FTS? Which one? It might seem a strange question, but bizarrely a lot of <"Aquarium fertilisers"> aren't really plant food. I'm not sure, I think it is mainly <"Stagshorn"> algae (Compsopogon). @Orandalover could...

Hi all, I really don't see any point in <"struggling to grow plants"> that just aren't happy in the conditions <"that you can offer them">. My suggestion is always find plants (and livestock) <"that like your conditions">, and grow / keep them. As an example @ElleDee had <"life intrude on her...

Hi all, Assuming the new leaves really are as pale as they look in the photo? It is likely to be a problem with iron (Fe) availability, something most often seen in hard water and <"common with Rotala spp">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. removing CO2 deficiency...

Hi all, You can do either. I usually dry dose <"Help! plant deficiency or toxicity ? ( new pics)"> It does. If it is magnesium (Mg) deficiency you should get a rapid re-greening of the chlorotic leaves. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What @hypnogogia says. <"Interveinal chlorosis"> in older leaves is likely to be <"magnesium (Mg) deficiency">. Have a look at <"MG/FE deficiency in S. Repens and Rotala Indica">. I'll add in @sidscapes to find out whether things improved in his thread. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Despite what people try to tell / sell you, there isn't really a "dwarf form", they are just <"small plants of Pistia stratiotes">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I should have done this bit as well. As well as the direct toxic effects of copper (Cu++) ions in the water column, you have the potential for <"insoluble compounds to form and precipitate into the substrate">. In the short term this reduces and / or removes them from the water column...

Hi all, I broadly agree. I think there are times when you may need to medicate (<"mainly for parasites">), but that should be the course of last resort with a <"known problem and a known cure">. Personally I'm not going to recommend that any-one uses broad spectrum biocides, or the regular...

Hi all, I'd stop straight away, it is quite important, because the added copper (Cu) will have <"long term, deleterious, effects on your tank">. It will definitely "work", but here the cure is much more damaging, in the longer term, than the affliction. I'd have to say I'm beyond cynical...

Hi all, I wondered about that as well, but @Badjester1 mentions that it was really hard to clean from the leaves. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Honestly don't, you run the <"real risk"> of not providing enough light intensity (PAR) or light duration for your plants. Plant growth looks good at the moment and that really is the most important thing. Edit, what @bazz says. Humans are incredibly poor at <"judging light...

Hi all, I'd guess they will probably be all right. Get them out of the containers asap, and then gently pinch of any dead and melting leaves. Don't be too rigorous, and if you aren't sure? Leave it. Get them into some water (ideally something fairly shallow) and give them bright, but subdued...

Hi all, That one. Have a look at <"http://www.aquaticdesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aquatic-mosses.pdf"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, they just fall off. Moss naming is a real mine-field, unfortunately people just call them what they like and then apportion a fairly random "scientific name" to them. In some cases we know that a moss is sold <"under the wrong name">, but in most cases, when you buy a moss, it...

Hi all, Absolutely fine, as @ElleDee says. In fact it looks really healthy. It doesn't matter at all, in terms of it role in the tank , but that probably isn't Java Moss (<"Taxiphyllum barbieri">) and the reason is...... Java moss very rarely produces spores <"Vesicularia dubyana - Java...

Hi all, Yes. Yes, ideally really need one where the nitrogen source is mainly nitrate (NO3-), or urea (CO(NH2)2), rather <"than ammonia / ammonium (NH3 / NH4+)">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"TNC complete"> or <"Tropica Specialised Nutrition">? There is <"nothing wrong with these">, but I'm not going to take part in the <"World's most Expensive water"> contest, so I use <"a hydroponic fertiliser">. I'm not sure what is available to you in Sweden. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Looks like it may be magnesium (Mg) deficiency, which causes <"interveinal chlorosis"> on older leaves. Has anything changed recently, like a <"different water supply"> or fertiliser regime? If it has? I'd go back to what you were doing before. Because these are mobile nutrients (any...

Hi all, That one really, <"grow the plants that want to grow">, rather than struggling with the "plants you want to grow". The type form <"mainly survives with me">, other than that I think the only one I have left is "Narrow" (from @Wookii ?). I think with <"harder water"> and <"some more...

Hi all, It depends a little bit on the plant. Something like a floating plant shouldn't really, it hasn't changed in growing conditions. It is different for a plant that <"has been grown emersed"> and then submerged, it is likely to shed its leaves etc. @G H Nelson has written a tutorial for...

Hi all, What @castle says just snip off the brown bits for now. If it was drying damage? The rest of the leaf should stay green and carry on photosynthesising. If the whole leaf gets browner? Snip it off. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks like it might have <"dried out">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Schismatiglottis prietoi">? Most moss, Cryptocoryne x willisii. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm really not sure, I would definitely try and place them somewhere <"with lesser light intensity">. <"Bolbitis heudelotii"> is naturally a really dark green and <"Microsorum pteropus"> a mid green. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Were all the leaves green when the plant went in the tank? If they were? It maybe an excess of light. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They should be that dark green, it is the white bits that are worrying. In the case of the Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) the new growth is a <"dark translucent green"> - <"microsorum problems">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It isn't melting as such, more bleaching. Can we have a full plant shot? I assume it is Bolbitis heudelotii, but <"it does look a little strange">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It honestly looks OK. Moss carpet? It looks like Bristlenose (Ancistrus) damage to Anubias & Bucephalandra. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks like Heteranthera zosterifolia. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it, just below a node (where the axillary buds are), and then trim the cut stem back to the next node <"The Art of Nature Aquarium">., removing the "snag" of tissue (the section above the node). Plant the cutting (the bit with the apical bud) and the axillary buds should then...

Hi all, They honestly look quite different - <"Hydrocharitaceae | NatureSpot">. You can see the leaf whorls in Elodea spp. in the link. If you find a plant that <"looks like this">? It is Lagarosiphon major. cheers Darrel

Hi all, "Curly leaves" is the easy way, but there are differences in the number of leaves in a whorl etc. The linked posts cover it in some detail. There are moves to legalise species that are unlikely to be invasive in the UK, but I'm guessing that "unlikely" could become "more likely" with...

Hi all, <"Tropica Premium"> doesn't contain any nitrogen (N) or phosphate (PO4---). Because these are two of the nutrients that <"plants require most of"> and because of this we usually recommend a fertiliser that does contain them. I'm going to say that may well be where your problem lies...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, Unfortunately this is <"quite a common finding">, but I'm going to say you are now in the right place now. When you have time read through: <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. In terms of plants have a look at the <"Tropica Easy"> range, they are likely...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. It is very likely to be. Have a look at <"Curly Waterweed | NatureSpot"> & <"Curly Waterweed » NNSS">. I'm originally from nr. Kington. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not really, but I only have <"Hygrophila corymbosa"> and normally they've gone from submersed to emersed, before flowering and dying. I've always had a few still submerged, and they seem to tick over from year to year without any problem. I bought the original plant ~20 years ago. I...

Hi all, It is not very useful, but "very gently" would be the answer. I might be tempted to let them grow a bit before you tried to attach them? And then tie them on, but with cotton, rather than nylon. I'd be wary of <"cyanoacrylate super glue"> (while they were still very young and soft). I...

Hi all, Water Mint, (Mentha aquatica). Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you have some <"iron (Fe) availability issues"> and also that @simon_the_plant_nerd is right. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I had the <"same problems with them">. A lot of people <"have done much better">, so it is definitely sub-optimal growing conditions. Try a <"bit more nitrogen (N)">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, If they have <"Dracaena">, <"Fittonia">, Selaginella, Hypoestes, <"Ophiopogon">, <"Hemigraphis"> etc. as "aquatic plants" I just tell them that is what they are and ask if could they remove them? Often they claim ignorance, deny that they aren't aquatic or say "people like them" or...

Hi all, I like his tanks. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. It is a Selaginella sp., and even though they are <"sold for aquariums"> they aren't aquatic plants, which explains why it isn't doing well. I'll be honest, it <"really p*sses me off">. Edit what @The Miniaturist says. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It should have a little pink "Tradescantia" flower <"marsh dewflower (Murdannia keisak)">. It is described as an annual, so I assume flowering initiates plant death (looks likely from the plant below), that is definitely what happens in Commelina communis, which is similar <"Stomatal...

Hi all, If it gets above the surface it will be fine (but probably lose all of its submerged leaves) <"marsh dewflower (Murdannia keisak)">, you could try floating it? <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. I think the problem is that the companies that produce "aquarium...

Hi all, I think a lot of the issue is just because it is <"Murdannia keisak"> and <"doesn't really like being underwater"> - <"Murdannia Keisak Struggling">. This belongs to the category of plant that <"will survive underwater">, but isn't really suitable for long term aquarium cultivation...

Hi all, Interesting, you shouldn't have iron (Fe) issues at this point. Manganese (Mn) deficiency would be an option, but it is really rare. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That definitely looks to be an iron (Fe) deficiency, small, pale (chlorotic), new leaves are <"pretty diagnostic">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that might be <"iron (Fe) deficiency">, it is only really iron, and manganese (Mn), deficiency that causes pale new leaves. I'm still away from home, but look up <"Ivory allure"> on UKAPS. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, They look pretty healthy. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks pretty good. Soft water makes things easier, mainly because it is <"much simpler to add things to water">, rather than take them away. You will need to swap to <"complete fertiliser"> at some point, <"Tropical Specialised"> would do. As you have <"floating plants"> already...

Hi all, Fair play to @George Farmer and <"Tropica">, it is an interesting "warts and all" video. I see that we <"share the same opinion"> about <"variegated plants"> like "Anubias barteri "Pinto". <"Anubias barteri var. nana ’Pinto’ - Tropica Aquarium Plants"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, My initial thought was that it might be a <"low light issue too">, but it is really difficult to judge light levels by eye. Could you give us a picture of the tank? and tell us about your fertiliser regime etc. It will help us by giving a bigger picture. Final question do you know...

Hi all, I wouldn't reduce the plant mass any. Plant health look fine, but I'm going to guess that you have more light and nutrients than your plants fully utilise. So you need either more plant mass or less light intensity. I always have <"more plants">, but I have <"no sense of aesthetics">...

Hi all, Have a look at @GHNelson 's tutorial <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is my choice for a bomb-proof plant - <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I was thinking about Pogostemon stellatus, right colour, wrong flower <"https://www.guitarfish.org/category/emersed-plants">. It sounds like a composite (Asteraceae), but I can't think of a suitable one. Ageratum spp. have a suitable flower, but it is in a terminal raceme etc. Eclipta...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. It looks like Gratiola sp. <"https://idtools.org/appw/index.cfm?packageID=2197&entityID=10317">. but the flower description would seem to indicate an Alternanthera sp. <"https://idtools.org/appw/index.cfm?packageID=2197&entityID=10276">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. It looks good and healthy. It is a Ceratophyllum sp. It it is either <"Hornwort" (C. demersum)">, or "Soft Hornwort" (C.submersum submersum). It doesn't really matter which you have, but C. submersum branches more frequently and has a "fluffier" look. You see C...

Hi all, It is one of the mobile nutrients (plants can move it to new leaves, that is why they are green). Most nutrients are mobile within the plant, which makes diagnosis more difficult. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I pick up any aquatic moss that I find. I'll be honest they mainly have dwindled away over time, possibly because the tanks are too warm and possibly because all our local streams are calcareous and the tanks are rainwater. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks to be somewhere near <"https://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Drepanocladus_aduncus"> or <"https://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Leptodictyum_riparium">. Moss naming is problematic, you really need an <"idea of the leaf"> (microphyll) cell structure and ideally a capsule as well. A...

Hi all, It looks all right, I think @GHNelson may be right. It looks like a deficiency symptom on the Hydrocotyle. Plants can only make use of the added CO2 if other <"nutrients aren't deficient">. It is very likely to be nitrogen (N), purely because that is the macronutrients you aren't...

Hi all, Honestly you need to offer them supplementary vegetables all the time, they need to eat pretty much constantly or they become moribund and die. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks like the plants have been iron (Fe) and/or magnesium (Mg) deficient in the past and the new foliage is healthier. <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about? - When the Duckweed Index breaks down."> cheers Darrel

Hi all, They <"only really eat diatoms">, so much of the algae isn't really of any interest to them. This is also why you need to supplementary feed them with vegetables etc. Snails are more efficient at <"browsing the biofilm">. I like <"Red Ramshorn (Planorbella duryi) snails">, they are...

Hi all, It isn't over-watering. I think it is a combination of <"fertiliser burn"> and the opportunistic "fungal" disease caused by Pythium <"damping off disease">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, that belongs to @Parablennius. Personally I'm still suffering from "Frogbit Envy" cheers Darrel

Hi all, Plants can only make use of the extra CO2 if none of the mineral nutrients are limiting plant growth. The water change is reset, that removes the organic compounds, waxes etc. that plants create, as well as any "excess" nutrients. In the long term that isn't sustainable situation. You...

Hi all, What do you mean? <"Talking sh*te"> is my unique selling point. The one I really object to is companies <"deliberately aiming to mislead"> when the actually do know the answer. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is why I needed a floating plant for the <"Duckweed Index"> it takes CO2 (and, nearly always, light) out of the equation. Once you've excluded them? That only leaves the mineral nutrients. If you end up with this <"C02 ISSUES">? You know that you are supplying all the nutrients...

Hi all, The problem is that they aren't supplying all the nutrients that plants need. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, We will try to help you. Plants can only make use of extra CO2, if all the other nutrients required for plant growth are available I'm guessing that this is your problem. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not necessarily a bad thing. @ElleDee found similar while she did <"less tank maintenance than usual">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. <"Cryptocoryne x willisii">? I really like <"Bolbitis heudelotii">, it will get big eventually, but only really slowly. Over time I've got rid of all my stem plants, and I just use a floating plant <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> as my "stem" for...

Hi all, Perfect, that <"looks like a light issue">. Try the light for another hour (eight in total) at 100%. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I might try something that is tolerant of lower light. It isn't exactly a carpeting plant, but <"Cryptocoryne x willisii"> is fairly small and <"shade tolerant">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Plant health looks OK. I'm guessing the algae is the early growth of <"Black Brush Algae (BBA)". Do your Acaras eat snails? I going to assume they do, but if they don't? Red Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella duryi) will control BBA growth <"in the longer term">. Specialised or Premium...

Hi all, The same as the others really, I guess it is either <"Cryptocoryne parva"> or <"C. x willisii">. The <"deep green colour"> probably makes the latter more likely. Have a look at <"Cryptocoryne Parva Carpet">. This is Cryptocoryne parva, from that thread and I think it is always "leaf...

Hi all, They are fine long term as an emergent, they will also persist on very lean rations. <" This is 2021">, you can just see the Epipremnum plant stem behind the light (it runs along the window sill behind the tank) and this is the <"same plant in 2024">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd see what happens, but I don't think it is a potassium (K) issue or that there is any reason to get a test kit. If you were really interested in a value? You could get a <"potassium (K) value from a lab. via ICP">. If you still wanted a test kit, you need the LaMotte one, from...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. The diatoms (brown patches) are really common in new set-up and will decline over time. The pearling green algae is actually a good sign, <"green algae are plants"> and it just shows that they are fairly happy. Your tap water is really good. I'd guess it is from a...