General Questions About Plants

[ClownLurch]

I’m just north of London. Chalk streams everywhere harden our water. 70%+ of the planets chalk streams are in the SE of England.

 

[StevenF]

I keep mine on for 14 hours a day. Some may say that’s ridiculous, but the evidence is clear:

The evidence is clear your Frogbit is suffering from a nutrient deficiency. I say that to make a point. Forbit doesn't car about how much light or CO2 you give it as long as it has enough nutrients. For all floating plants If any leaves are deformed, wrong color, or are melting light and CO2 are not your problem. Nutrients are and you might need to use a fertilizer. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to out of control algae issues.

From your pictures I see evidence of a manganese, nitrogen, and possibly a iron deficiency. Essjay's pictures are what it should look like.

Dwarfhair grass in my experience does best in a sand substrate. It will grow in a gravel substrate but doesn't spread as well if at all.

In my experience nutrient deficiencies are the primary reasons people have plants growth problems. Everyone knows plants need CO2 and light. But many don't think about nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulfur, chloride, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel. If you are just short on one of these nutrients your plant will grow slowly or maybe even stop growing. And they might even die. So if you have any problems growing plants I would look into a fertilizer rather then light or CO2.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I don’t dose any liquid ferts, just light. You may be correct, but my frogbit sure doesn’t think so...

 

[Essjay]

Just for completion, this is what the frogbit looks like in my main tank. This tank is a lot bigger and has more nitrogen in the form of ammonia as there are a lot of fish in this tank not just red cherry shrimps and a nerite snail like the small tank.

 

[ClownLurch]

I use Flourish which apparently isn’t the greatest all round. There’s a lot of it left though so I don’t want to throw it out. Is there another available in the U.K. which would cover the bases that Flourish doesn’t? Would alternating them work better?

 

[Essjay]

Actually, Flourish is one of the better plant fertilisers. It contains more of the trace elements than other brands. But it doesn't contain the macro elements, N P and K. But in a low tech tank fully stocked with fish there is enough N from the ammonia excreted by the fish, and P and K in fish food. It's high tech tanks that may need more than just Flourish (Comprehensive Supplement)

I use Flourish Comprehensive liquid fertiliser and Flourish root tabs for my recently purchased crypts. You can see what my frogbit looks like fed on fish waste and Flourish.


In the UK, for low tech plants TNC Lite is another recommended one, and there's TNC Complete for those who need the macro nutrients as well.

 

[ClownLurch]

Actually, Flourish is one of the better plant fertilisers. It contains more of the trace elements than other brands. But it doesn't contain the macro elements, N P and K. But in a low tech tank fully stocked with fish there is enough N from the ammonia excreted by the fish, and P and K in fish food. It's high tech tanks that may need more than just Flourish (Comprehensive Supplement)

I use Flourish Comprehensive liquid fertiliser and Flourish root tabs for my recently purchased crypts. You can see what my frogbit looks like fed on fish waste and Flourish.


In the UK, for low tech plants TNC Lite is another recommended one, and there's TNC Complete for those who need the macro nutrients as well.

My frogbit’s never looked that good. My valis melts and others are struggling. I think a plant rethink may be in order.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

My frogbit’s never looked that good. My valis melts and others are struggling. I think a plant rethink may be in order.

You wouldn't happen to know anything about substitutions for frogbit, would you?

 

[StevenF]

Actually, Flourish is one of the better plant fertilisers. It contains more of the trace elements than other brands. But it doesn't contain the macro elements, N P and K.

I used Flourish in my 100% RO water tank. It vever worked well due to nutrient deficits. Yes it is short on N and P but it is actuallyrich in K, Fe, and Boron. As to the other nutrients it is short on Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu. and Ni. Flourish assumes your fish supplies NP. It also assumes your tap water supplies Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Ni. For many people that will work but for very soft water or my RO water it didn't.

I ended up solving my problem by making my own fertilizer based on science studies of nutrient levels in plant leaves. It works fare better but it is in now way as simple as buying fertilizer.

In the UK, for low tech plants TNC Lite is another recommended one, and there's TNC Complete for those who need the macro nutrients as well.

When I decided to make my own I didn't know about TNC. Turns out according to this fertilizer calculator it is very close to what I make. I would have used it if it was available. But I haven't found it in the US. Give TNC a try and if it works let us know.