Lightly Planted

[mtbdean]

Good Evening All,

I'm having an issue with my tank, Its a 120ltr with fine Gravel / Nearly Sand and have lots of different plants, varying from Amazon Swords, Vallis and a few smaller plants, but I cannot appear to keep them living for long. Most of them turn yellow with holes, and eventually rot (and I remove them)

I've started using API Leaf Zone every week, but is there something else that I need to do?

I don't want to start using C02 though.

Cheers

 

[minnnt]

What kind of light do you have and how long is it on for?

 

[mtbdean]

Its on a fishpod, its running 2 daylight bulbs (15w each) and they are on for around 6 hours a day.

 

[minnnt]

How long have you been dosing the fertiliser? Are you sure it's not just a bit of melt a the plants adjust to water conditions or are they proper dead?

 

[mtbdean]

They properly die, as in yellow, and start falling apart. I've only started doing it in the past few days, but wasnt sure if I should dose anything esle.

On the Bottle it says 5ml for 38ltr, so I have been doing 20ml ?

 

[minnnt]

Try dosing daily with the relevant amount. Is the flow though the tank good enough? Is it everything that dies?

 

[mtbdean]

My Anubias on Bogwood grows very well, as does my "Grass" at the front of the tank, and the vallis, but the Amazon Swords and larger leaved plants die first.

 

[minnnt]

Amazon swords aqe hard to grow for some people. Have you got any crypts?

 

[mtbdean]

Sorry, still quite new to the "Live Plant" scene, how do you mean Crypts?

 

[RadaR]

Sounds like lack of nutrients.
30W over a 120litre isnt going to cause a large demand for CO2.
Once the tank is fully stocked with fish then you may only need a simple trace element fert dosed at once per week or after water changes.
Are you experiencing any algae? Depending on the type it can help diagnose what your plants are missing..

 

[minnnt]

Cryptocoryne mate. Its an easy going plant that once adjusted to your water conditions should thrive! You will probably suffer some melt, but will be a great addition to your tank. Dose a good quality fertiliser aswell and you should be good to go. Anubias, java ferns and moss are all good easy plants to grow in a lower tech setup.

Cryptocoryne mate. Its an easy going plant that once adjusted to your water conditions should thrive! You will probably suffer some melt, but will be a great addition to your tank. Dose a good quality fertiliser aswell and you should be good to go. Anubias, java ferns and moss are all good easy plants to grow in a lower tech setup.

 

[mtbdean]

I'll have to look into Crypts

The tank is stocked quite well, but the larger leaved plants appear to get algae over them, and its not the type that you can just wipe off, its kinda "Hairy"

 

[RadaR]

Take a look at the algae guide in my sig.
Hair algae of some sort points towards CO2 related problem (suprisingly). I wouldnt have thought CO2 would be an issue for 30W over 120litre though.