Hi, my plants suffer from stunted growth, I always had this problem but I really want to solve it to have a nice jungle aquarium. When I noticed a new leaf on my anubias, it made my day lol. I dose about 6 ml of seachem flourish/week and my plants are anubias, java fern, Hydroctyle leucocephala, vallisneria, Hygrophila polysperma, cryptocoryne and amazon frogbit. I only have one theory that my amazon frogbit takes all the nutrients but I don't know what else it could be. Also I have root tabs for the vallisneria and I have low to medium lighting. If anyone has an idea what I could be I would like to know!
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Probably the light. Light intensity drives photosynthesis, and each species of plant has slightly different requirements for intesity of the light. It must also be the right spectrum. Without this (suitable intensity/spectrum) the plants will not thrive.
Anubias, Java Fern and Cryptocoryne are low/moderate light (Crypts more demanding than the other two) and Anubias and Java Fern actually do best under floating plants because they do not like bright overhead light. The other plants mentioned are moderate to high light requiring.
Adding more nutrients is more likely to encourage problem algae, if the light is not sufficient to balance for the plants' needs. Data on your light, tank size, and if possible a photo of the plants so we can see the issue would help.
Anubias, Java Fern and Cryptocoryne are low/moderate light (Crypts more demanding than the other two) and Anubias and Java Fern actually do best under floating plants because they do not like bright overhead light. The other plants mentioned are moderate to high light requiring.
Adding more nutrients is more likely to encourage problem algae, if the light is not sufficient to balance for the plants' needs. Data on your light, tank size, and if possible a photo of the plants so we can see the issue would help.
If the light is LED, I'm not sure what its "life" may be. Fluorescent light does wqeaken the longer it burns, and T8 and T5 tubes need to be replaced roughly every 12 months assuming a normal photoperiod of 8-10 hours a day. I use T8 tubes and find that once they are past 12-13 months there is a noticeable change...the plants do not respond as well and problem algae is more likely to increase. No idea about the spectrum here, is there any data printed at one end of the light fixture? If it is fluorescent tube, there will be something at one end of the tube.
It is LED lights but I can't find any more information on it
There are two options. One is to get new lighting, and select what is good for this situation. That's a topic in itself so I'll just mention it and move on.
Second option is to work with what you have (lighting). The plants in the photos are not all that bad frankly. The faster growing plants are having the most difficulty which is to be expected because they are higher light plants. The tiny holes in leaves is something I see and I know in my case it is due to light. Stay with what works. The Anubias and Java Fern and floating plants should be fine. Vallisneria does best not only with brighter light (it is fast growing) but also hardish water, I had both issues with my Vallisneria. Amazon sword plants would probably do well here, with a Flourish Tab. My tanks all have low to moderate lighting and I have had thriving sword plants for more than 25 years. What works I keep, what doesn't I forget.
I would dose Flourish Comprehensive Supplement once a week, the amount as recommended on the label. A second dose might help, but I doubt it because I do think light is likely the issue. And more ferts could mean algae problems. Don't know the light photoperiod now, but 7-8 hours might be best. I have found this to be the case when it comes to lighting being on the minimal side. Use a dimmer so it is consistent, helps fish as well as plants.
I will continue with that light for now and move the Hygrophyla polysperma to my 10 gallon. I will stick to Anubias, Java fern, and amazon sword for the next plants I will buy.. Thank you
I don't think the light is the problem, I just found that it is the fluval light that comes with the 55 gallon fluval kit that I have. It is 1890 lumens and also my LFS has the lowest light imaginable on their demo tank and vallisneria grew to the top of it. I am thinking it could be a lack of macro nutrients because flourish comprehensive doesn't have a lot of it but honestly I don't know a lot about this topic so I would like to know what you think because the light is probably not the problem. @Byron
My 55G gets around 2 ml per week.
Seriously? I don't understand what is wrong then. Maybe my plants are still adapting or I don't have enough nitrogen because my tank is still understock
I don’t dose fertilizers at all. And my plants have never been stunted. (Except when I first started out)
There are two things going on here... 1(Your light, or 2(They haven’t had enough time to establish themselves.
Is your light LED or Fluorescent? When did you add your plants in?
There are two things going on here... 1(Your light, or 2(They haven’t had enough time to establish themselves.
Is your light LED or Fluorescent? When did you add your plants in?
It is a LED and some plants have been in this tank for 1 month and a half aproximativly and other like the vallisneria have been in this tank since 2 weeks but have not grown 1 cm. I have Hygrophila polysperma that is suppose to grow super fast but it did not grow as well in more than a month. You can go check the light if you want, search 55 gallon fluval kit I think
You may just need to be patient. My vals, hygrophila, swords and crypts sat there for what seemed like months doing absolutely nothing. Then suddenly they took off and went mad. I decided to move some of these and they had really massive root structures. So they could still be settling in, or doing most of their growing underground. Anubias grow really slowly anyway. Just make sure you replenish the root tabs as necessary.
I agree. Patience is the key. I bet it took my Anacharis at least 2 months to take off in my 29g tank. 
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