Advice On Plant Roots

[Kipper_Face]

Having just set up my first planted tank, fishless cycled and planted last saturday, I am wondering what the plants are trying to tell me

Is it healthy for the plants to have roots shooting out of every node available?

I have attached a picture demonstrating the amount of roots on most of my plants including stem plants. the white bits are all roots.




(Click on it for a bigger picture)

 

[Jen]

Stem plants are notorious for that. They don't grow lots of roots under the surface. I havn't seen that many on a plant, but I also haven't kept that plant. Have you been fertalizing them at all? It may have sent that many out because it's not getting enought nutrients.

and another tip... with these plants, if you lay it down on it's side and cover the roots, they will start to grow more plants out of the nodes... so instead of one plant say, 8 inches tall, you can create a curtain of plants 8 inches long. Its a cheap way to get a background full of plants. I'm not sure if that works for all plants, but I know it did for my hygro.

 

[Kipper_Face]

Thanks Jen for the reply, yes I wonder if its anything to do with the plant food I am using. Only used one dose so far. Its King British Plant Food which is supposed to contain essential nourishment with trace elements and is nitrate free. I dont know if anyone else uses this but I wondered what commercial products people could recommend that are for sale in the UK?
Unfortunately EI is a bit beyond me at the moment.....

 

[Jen]

How much of that are you adding and how often does the bottle say? How many plants do you have in the tank?

 

[Kipper_Face]

How much of that are you adding and how often does the bottle say? How many plants do you have in the tank?

4ml for every 8 gallons fortnightly or when plants are yellow or dying . It also says if your existing plant food is stimulating algae growth

I have around 90 plants (around 9 different species).

 

[Jen]

I would deffiantely saying you aren't adding enought ferts for the tank. I add 22ml for my 90 gallons every other day.

For that many plants you need a good trace fertalizer at least once a week... i would say twice a week even.

Can you give me some more information about the tank?

How much light? (number of tubes, and wattage)
Do you add co2 to the tank?
Do you have any nutrient rich substrate?

 

[Kipper_Face]

thanks jen, please check my signature for information, tank is 180 litre (39inchx20inchx16inch)

 

[kamel_007]

will, i have root's like this in my plant's,, and wonder why??

 

[Kipper_Face]

will, i have root's like this in my plant's,, and wonder why??

Hi kamel_007,

Do your plants grow quickly and how long have you had them?
Also what plant ferts do you use?

 

[kamel_007]

will, i have root's like this in my plant's,, and wonder why??

Hi kamel_007,

Do your plants grow quickly and how long have you had them?
Also what plant ferts do you use?

Hi i have them from 3 months ago, i use general fertilizer plus NPK..