Leaves browning and dying

galacticfern · Aug 31, 2020

Hey all- the plants in my 20g (5 months old) have been getting brown, presumably with diatoms, but I can only scrub off the surface build up. The brown has been embedding into my anubias and killing the leaves. I have lost four other plants completely to the same thing. Rooted plants are planted in Carib-Sea eco-complete substrate, but I don't use CO2 or ferts. Lights 8 hours a day. 0 amm, 0 nitrite 20 nitrate, pH 8.2, don't have a kh or gh test kit yet. I am at a loss of what to do. Any clue as to how I can fix this, or what may be happening? Want to keep my plants healthy! I'm planning to start dosing liquid CO2 soon.

Byron · Aug 31, 2020

Several issues to note here.

Algae is one issue, caused by an imbalance in the light/nutrients. Too much or too little light, not sufficient or too many nutrients, to provide just what the plants need. Different plants have differing needs; slow growers (Anubias) need less light and nutrients than would fast growers (swords, floating plants, stem plants). Anubias is best under lower light or shaded by overhanging plants or floating plants.

There is also signs of nutrient issues. You will need a comprehensive fertilizer. Eco-complete, notwithstanding their claims, will not provide this adequately. You would be better with an inert substrate of a plain sand, and then you can dose liquid and substrate tab fertilizers as needed.

Light is a major factor, intensity and spectrum. Duration can be troublesome if the intensity/spectrum is otherwise OK.

Liquid CO@ is not recommended if you intend fish. These products contain glutaraldehyde, a highly toxic disinfectant. CO2 is not really an issue anyway, unless you have mega light, high-tech plant needs...and then diffused CO2. But al this is also not ideal for fish.

galacticfern · Sep 3, 2020

Byron said:
Several issues to note here.

Algae is one issue, caused by an imbalance in the light/nutrients. Too much or too little light, not sufficient or too many nutrients, to provide just what the plants need. Different plants have differing needs; slow growers (Anubias) need less light and nutrients than would fast growers (swords, floating plants, stem plants). Anubias is best under lower light or shaded by overhanging plants or floating plants.

There is also signs of nutrient issues. You will need a comprehensive fertilizer. Eco-complete, notwithstanding their claims, will not provide this adequately. You would be better with an inert substrate of a plain sand, and then you can dose liquid and substrate tab fertilizers as needed.

Light is a major factor, intensity and spectrum. Duration can be troublesome if the intensity/spectrum is otherwise OK.

Liquid CO@ is not recommended if you intend fish. These products contain glutaraldehyde, a highly toxic disinfectant. CO2 is not really an issue anyway, unless you have mega light, high-tech plant needs...and then diffused CO2. But al this is also not ideal for fish.

Thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful! As for the root tabs and liquid ferts, do you have a certain kind or brand you recommend? And the intensity of my lighting is ok, but I have reduced to 6 hours a day and shaded my anubias. Do you think that will be sufficient, or should I move it to my other tank? That is the only non-stem plant in this tank.

Byron · Sep 3, 2020

galacticfern said:
Thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful! As for the root tabs and liquid ferts, do you have a certain kind or brand you recommend? And the intensity of my lighting is ok, but I have reduced to 6 hours a day and shaded my anubias. Do you think that will be sufficient, or should I move it to my other tank? That is the only non-stem plant in this tank.

You can leave the Anubias for now and see what develops. The goal is to not have the algae increasing on the leaves; what is already there is not going anywhere, but if it does not increase, the change may be adequate.

On the ferts, as you are in the US, there is Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium and Flourish Tabs. Only these two products in the "Flourish" line, the others are unnecessary of downright dangerous. I use these and have for over a decade now.

Another basically identical product is Brightwell Aquatics' Florin Multi (the liquid). I think they make a substrate tab, not sure. I've not tried these as no one locally has ever carried them, but from the info the liquid seems identical in what matters.

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