Struggling with plants.

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

I recently ordered some jungle Val. I knew it may take a while to adjust from being shipped, but it’s going very poorly. Was delivered September 28th. At first, I thought it wasn’t going to melt back or have too many problems, and it started sending runners. Now, everything is dying. The little baby plants are turning transparent, and the big ones shedding brown, dead leaves. The leaves on the big plants are also turning transparent. Can anyone help me figure out why this is happening? I can send a picture within a few hours.

TheTenthDoctor · Nov 10, 2020

Hey!
So can we get some more info on your lighting set up, any fertlizers, your water types, and what kind of substrate you have?

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

TheTenthDoctor said:
Hey!
So can we get some more info on your lighting set up, any fertlizers, your water types, and what kind of substrate you have?

Of course. The tank is a 20 long. Lighting is an Aquanet full spectrum LED, this is the info of the light on Amazon. “
Total of 60LEDs, 1500 lumen
44 pcs 6500K White
8 pcs Actinic Blue
4 pcs Pink
4 pcs Green”

I actually fear it’s too bright, it’s pretty intense. It doesn’t have any dimming settings, and I really don’t know how long to leave it on each day. I’m not sure if it could be dimmed with paper or something. I have Seachem flourish, (not excel) but barely dose any because there is only a small amount of plants. Substrate is just sand. I planted them with roots tabs when I got them. I have well water. At the second, I don’t have a current reading on GH or KH, but I know it’s fairly hard. Let me know if you need any other info. Thanks!

TheTenthDoctor · Nov 10, 2020

How often do you do a water change? For me I have found that water changes help. I don't 100% don't know why, but after I do water changes the plants grow better

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

TheTenthDoctor said:
How often do you do a water change? For me I have found that water changes help. I don't 100% don't know why, but after I do water changes the plants grow better

Once a week, but I normally do all the other tanks first, so sometimes it’s a few days late. How frequently and how much would you recommend?

TheTenthDoctor · Nov 10, 2020

I usually do 75% once or twice a week. Most of my tanks are walstad so they are pretty self sustaining

mbsqw1d · Nov 10, 2020

Everything sounds ok, you've provided root tabs, your water is hard, your light is sufficient... what temp is the tank? How deep is the substrate? What is the nitrate reading?

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

mbsqw1d said:
Everything sounds ok, you've provided root tabs, your water is hard, your light is sufficient... what temp is the tank? How deep is the substrate? What is the nitrate reading?

It’s at 78, sometimes 77. Sand is maybe and inch and a half. I can check the nitrate when I get home.

PheonixKingZ · Nov 10, 2020

Interesting, seems you are doing everything right... :dunno:

Picture of said plants?

mbsqw1d · Nov 10, 2020

How many root tabs did you use for how many plants? What root tabs were they?
I would use 2-3" substrate for vallis, not saying this is the cause, but what I would change. If you can push some more sand towards the vallis and gently pull them slightly so the whole leaf sits above the substrate.
They can take some time to get going, but it is strange that it was happy to send out runners/baby plants, and now its struggling

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

Sorry about the very dirty tank, I’ve been doing water changes but my gravel vacuum broke. :lol:

When I got them, they were really tall, but they’ve been dying back to barely anything. They crypts have been doing fine, and while the dwarf sag actually started with a similar problem, it doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad.

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

mbsqw1d said:
How many root tabs did you use for how many plants? What root tabs were they?
I would use 2-3" substrate for vallis, not saying this is the cause, but what I would change. If you can push some more sand towards the vallis and gently pull them slightly so the whole leaf sits above the substrate.
They can take some time to get going, but it is strange that it was happy to send out runners/baby plants, and now its struggling

mbsqw1d · Nov 10, 2020

i'd recommend checking your water's nitrogen parameters asap - another member on here used root tabs with high ammoniacal nitrogen content and they found that it leached into the water quite quickly. How many tabs did you use? i'm wondering if they have burned the roots out by releasing ferts too fast. can you pull one of the vals out and check the roots?

Colin_T · Nov 10, 2020

Giant Vallis is a crap plant that does not belong in tropical aquariums. It requires deep cool water with a pH above 7.0. It suffers when moved from cold water ponds into tropical tanks. Hornwort is another plant that has this problem.

If you want Vallis, get narrow or twisted Vallis and leave giant Vallis in ponds where it belongs.

-----------------
Plants don't have a problem with bright light, it's low light that causes them trouble.

Aspen35 · Nov 10, 2020

mbsqw1d said:
i'd recommend checking your water's nitrogen parameters asap - another member on here used root tabs with high ammoniacal nitrogen content and they found that it leached into the water quite quickly. How many tabs did you use? i'm wondering if they have burned the roots out by releasing ferts too fast. can you pull one of the vals out and check the roots?

I think you figured it out... because now that I think about it, it was the adult plants with the tabs that went first, then the runners. The crypts, without the tabs, are doing well. Roots were definitely burnt... I ended up removing them, trimming the bad ones, adding more substrate, taking out what was left of the tabs, and replanting.

The last photo shows the difference between the main plant and a runner. I will send a picture of the tank once it clears up.

Hopefully, this helps.

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