In need of plant advice

[Bacom]

Hi
U need to share more information about your tank as I said so we can advice U properly.
All plants will require complete liquid fertiliser when planted in plain sand in my oppinion. How much deppends on the strenght of your lights and the lenght of your photoperiod.
How long the tank have been setup?

Hi what more info do you need? I didn't add the plants that long ago but the tank had been running for months now


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[PARAGUAY]

As you have this option its something I would do{T8} ,you still have the T5s for later should you go high ,tech at the same time keep on top of maintenance w/c etc as recommended root tablets and daily water column dosing and see how it goes Something like Tropica premium, TNC light, nuetro would do

 

[G H Nelson]

Purchase some floating plants....these will reduce the T5 lighting and give you a indication of the aquarium health.
Incorporate a fertilizer regime immediately as Paraguay stated.
Remove the discoloured/dying leaves....soon as possible.....do a large water change!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Getting sick of looking at these plants now... was wondering should I remove the leaves. I'm guessing these are emersed leaves?

Yes they are, you can remove them.

If you have a shorter photo-period you can carry on using the T5 lights.

Try some floating plants, they will diffuse the light, and aren't CO2 limited. If they show deficiency symptoms you know it is a mineral nutrient and not lack of CO2.

Is your water soft?

cheers Darrel

 

[Silviu Man]

Please, check this. Do you see anything that looks like on your plants?

 

[Bacom]

As you have this option its something I would do{T8} ,you still have the T5s for later should you go high ,tech at the same time keep on top of maintenance w/c etc as recommended root tablets and daily water column dosing and see how it goes Something like Tropica premium, TNC light, nuetro would do

Yes I will change back to the t8 when I get home, I can't get any fertiliser until I get paid. I'm using tnc plugs for root tabs. Last water change was on Sunday about 25%


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[Bacom]

Purchase some floating plants....these will reduce the T5 lighting and give you a indication of the aquarium health.
Incorporate a fertilizer regime immediately as Paraguay stated.
Remove the discoloured/dying leaves....soon as possible.....do a large water change!

Thank you I did have frogbit but my water flow kept pushing them under water so currently have them sat in a bowl growing out again.


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[Bacom]

Please, check this. Do you see anything that looks like on your plants?

What I see on my plants is the leaves browning and yellowing and some torn etc, I'm gong to remove these today although I don't think il have a lot of plant left


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[Bacom]

It's worth mentioning to everyone that I do have one Amazon sword that seems to be doing well, it's in the corner of the tank and the bulbs don't stretch end to end so it's not getting so much light


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[Bacom]

Hi all,Yes they are, you can remove them.

If you have a shorter photo-period you can carry on using the T5 lights.

Try some floating plants, they will diffuse the light, and aren't CO2 limited. If they show deficiency symptoms you know it is a mineral nutrient and not lack of CO2.

Is your water soft?

cheers Darrel

Thanks il remove the leaves, problem is I like being able to see my fish so will go back to the t8 for now. My water is moderately hard


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[Bacom]

This is the sword that seems to be doing the best, obviously there are leaves that need to be removed still but it's the best looking in there


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[dw1305]

Hi all,

My water is moderately hard

This is the sword that seems to be doing the best, obviously there are leaves that need to be removed still but it's the best looking in there

OK, I think that probably gives us enough to go on.

If you look at the new leaves on the Amazon Sword ("Echinodorus bleheri?") in the image you can see that the new leaves (in the centre of the plant) are very pale, and then if you look at the deficiency diagram @Silviu Man posted, it says that iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) deficiencies effect new leaves, because these nutrients aren't mobile within the plant.

If you have hard water you haven't got a deficiency of calcium, but iron is much less available in hard water than in soft water and causes the symptoms you see. Iron is <"difficult to keep in solution"> and you need to add it via a chelator like Fe DTPA or Fe EDDHA.

The yellow leaves you have won't green up after iron addition, but new leaves should be greener.

Have a search on the forum for <"Duckweed index">, <"Liebig's law of the minimum"> and have a look at the <"Rotala rotundifolia growth issues"> thread.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bacom]

Hi all,OK, I think that probably gives us enough to go on.

If you look at the new leaves on the Amazon Sword ("Echinodorus bleheri?") in the image you can see that the new leaves (in the centre of the plant) are very pale, and then if you look at the deficiency diagram @Silviu Man posted, it says that iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) deficiencies effect new leaves, because these nutrients aren't mobile within the plant.

If you have hard water you haven't got a deficiency of calcium, but iron is much less available in hard water than in soft water and causes the symptoms you see. Iron is <"difficult to keep in solution"> and you need to add it via a chelator like Fe DTPA or Fe EDDHA.

The yellow leaves you have won't green up after iron addition, but new leaves should be greener.

Have a search on the forum for <"Duckweed index">, <"Liebig's law of the minimum"> and have a look at the <"Rotala rotundifolia growth issues"> thread.

cheers Darrel

Ok thanks, so the plan is to replace the
Light, trim off bad leaves and then add iron? Would I be better going for an aquarium liquid fertiliser or what you suggested?


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[Coys]

Your setup is very similar to mine including size of aquarium (240l), substrate (fine gravel), plants and even fish (I like Congos too). When I set it up about three years ago it looked great. Initially the plants semed to be growing fine, but then I started to see all of the problems I see in your plants; browning, spots, holes, twisted and/or stunted and/or pale new growth, more leaves dying than new ones growing, etc. Initially I put it down to a lack of ferts and carbon, so I started dosing with Flourish Excel (liquid carbon), Flourish (ferts) and root tabs. Results were slightly better, but the Excel melted the Vallis (a known problem) and the Flourish was expensive, so I switched to EI ferts plus root tabs and extra iron, invested in a pressurised Co2 system and also replaced the T5 tubes with LEDs.

The results were astounding; plant growth went mad and I now trim and thin the plants weekly through choice rather than having to remove dead leaves and plants. Carpet plants which appeared to be dormant went wild too and now cover the bottom.

 

[Bacom]

Your setup is very similar to mine including size of aquarium (240l), substrate (fine gravel), plants and even fish (I like Congos too). When I set it up about three years ago it looked great. Initially the plants semed to be growing fine, but then I started to see all of the problems I see in your plants; browning, spots, holes, twisted and/or stunted and/or pale new growth, more leaves dying than new ones growing, etc. Initially I put it down to a lack of ferts and carbon, so I started dosing with Flourish Excel (liquid carbon), Flourish (ferts) and root tabs. Results were slightly better, but the Excel melted the Vallis (a known problem) and the Flourish was expensive, so I switched to EI ferts plus root tabs and extra iron, invested in a pressurised Co2 system and also replaced the T5 tubes with LEDs.

The results were astounding; plant growth went mad and I now trim and thin the plants weekly through choice rather than having to remove dead leaves and plants. Carpet plants which appeared to be dormant went wild too and now cover the bottom.

That's good to know, but I haven't got the money to invest in pressurised co2 or leds right now 🙁 thing is I thought these plants were easy and didn't require all that?


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[Bacom]

So the t8 unit I have is a 25/30 watt unit, will a single 30w t8 be okay for my size tank?


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[Coys]

That's good to know, but I haven't got the money to invest in pressurised co2 or leds right now 🙁 thing is I thought these plants were easy and didn't require all that?

I'd say easyish or easyier when compared to some other plants. In the end no plants will grow without sufficient nutrients and light and a source of carbon. Once those are depleted, then the plants will die.

 

[Silviu Man]

Your setup is very similar to mine including size of aquarium (240l), substrate (fine gravel), plants and even fish (I like Congos too). When I set it up about three years ago it looked great. Initially the plants semed to be growing fine, but then I started to see all of the problems I see in your plants; browning, spots, holes, twisted and/or stunted and/or pale new growth, more leaves dying than new ones growing, etc. Initially I put it down to a lack of ferts and carbon, so I started dosing with Flourish Excel (liquid carbon), Flourish (ferts) and root tabs. Results were slightly better, but the Excel melted the Vallis (a known problem) and the Flourish was expensive, so I switched to EI ferts plus root tabs and extra iron, invested in a pressurised Co2 system and also replaced the T5 tubes with LEDs.

The results were astounding; plant growth went mad and I now trim and thin the plants weekly through choice rather than having to remove dead leaves and plants. Carpet plants which appeared to be dormant went wild too and now cover the bottom.

+1

 

[Silviu Man]

I'd say easyish or easyier when compared to some other plants. In the end no plants will grow without sufficient nutrients and light and a source of carbon. Once those are depleted, then the plants will die.

+1

 

[Silviu Man]

In the end of the day, all is about getting the balance between fertilization + CO2 + light intensity/program. Is very difficult to give a receipt. All tanks are different in size, plants, fish, ... so too many variable to be able to extract a roule. You have to try and try again, using our advices but, more than this, your experience and step by step observation. This hobby require money and time. We all know this. So, it depends of how much money and time you are prepared to spend.