Crypt tank upgrade troubles

[Papillo]

A couple of months ago I upgraded an 8 year old 80 litre low tech jungle style aquarium that had a gravel substrate with a small amount of peat and laterite, was lit by 2 old T8's, filtered with a Fluval 2 internal, and with no ferts or CO2. This aquarium was planted with various Cryptocorynes, Anubias, Java fern and moss all of which were thriving.
The substrate was replaced with ADA powersand and Amazon soil, the lighting with an Aquaray Grobeam 500, and the filter with an JBL Cristal profi 80. I transferred all the Crypts and added several new species, hairgrass, and hygrophila polysperma as a fast growing filler. I have been fertilising daily with seachem flourish and liquid carbon. The trouble is that while the Hygrophila has been growing fine all the Crypts and the hairgrass are extremley stunted, the hairgrass, C. parva and x willisii are no more than 10-15 mm tall; the various C. wendtii varieties and other species no more than 5 cm. All the leaves look otherwise healthy with good colour.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what has happened here and how I can restore my Crypts to their previous robust health?

 

[Ady34]

Hi,
often when moving/replanting/rehoming plants its adviseable to trim some of the root mass back to encourage new growth. Crypts are a little sensitive and maybe just adjusting to the changes. They should settle and resume normal growth. If they are not melting than things should be ok.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[awtong]

A bit like Ady has stated In my low tech tank when I add new crypts or move some of them they always seem to have a period where they seem to be rooting. After a while this changes over to leaf growth and leaf production.

I would give them a few more weeks to settle and see what happens.

 

[Mike Singh]

How long is ''a couple of months ago''? Are you dosing any macro fertilizer?
Mike

 

[Papillo]

Thanks for the replies.
I have replanted Crypts many times before, sometimes get some melt but I have never seen new growth looking so stunted for so long. The leaves are very small and narrow and the hairgrass would make a good bowling green! It was actually the end of Jan that I replanted , so getting on for three months now. I've not added any macros - I didn't think I would need to what with slow growing root feeders planted in a much more nutritious substrate than previously.
Is it possible that there is too much light for this setup? I dont have a controller for the AquRay so it is on full blast 8 hrs a day - certainly much brighter than the old T8's but subjectively not too different from my 240 litre aquarium lit with three T5's in which I have a few large clumps of C. wentii 'Mi Oya'.