Plants Dying

[quarryman]

Hello,

I've owned a 70L tank for about 2 years now. Fish are happy and healthy.

The plants on the other hand aren't! Every month or so I end up taking out what's left of them as they all eventually die off. The leaves don't seem to go brown, they just disappear and within a few weeks all i have left is stalks!

I don't bed them down with any fertilizer or soil just place them into the gravel, is this important?

Could a lack of light be a possibility? I have a 15W bulb which is on about 4 hours a day. The aquarium is near a window but never in direct sunlight.

I don't think the fish are eating them, i have 8-10 tetras, 3 platies and some danios.

 

[jacko32]

most likely a lack of both light and nutrients

 

[StandbySetting]

Keep on your lights on for 8 hours a day, and they should begin to pick up, that's not a lot of light over one tank so nutrients shouldn't be an issue.

 

[quarryman]

Keep on your lights on for 8 hours a day, and they should begin to pick up, that's not a lot of light over one tank so nutrients shouldn't be an issue.

ok thanks, this won't have any ill effects on the fish will it?

 

[StandbySetting]

Not at all.

 

[quarryman]

Ok check out some of these pics. This is a plant I added yesterday! All the top leaves are missing already!

 

[PDSimon]

Plants don't die overnight, either your source is awful, or your fish are eating your plants

 

[quarryman]

Plants don't die overnight, either your source is awful, or your fish are eating your plants

I've got the plants from 2 different (reliable) stores.

Assuming it's the fish eating them - does this mean I'm not feeding them enough?

I have some blind cave tetras that are giving them particular attention...

 

[PDSimon]

Nope, when I had hygrophila difformis in my tank, the tetras would nibble on them throughout the day even when they were stupidly full. it seems odd that cardinals would eat them? not sure about the other fish. no idea about the blind ones?

Normally leaves don't just disappear even with hungry fish! all seems odd to me!

Maybe the congos are?

I would recommend putting some more plants in there, e.g. java fern as well as starting with putting the lights on for 6 hours a day and see what the results of that are and increase to 7 or 8 if necessary. I would also try easycarbo and TPN+ if you're interested in helping the plants, only if your willing to increase your plant mass though.

15W for a 70L tank isn't much either. I have about 40W for a 110L tank and thats still a low tech tank. Obviously even if you provide great conditions if leaves are disappearing overnight its not a light or nutrient problem

 

[StandbySetting]

That is a lack of light, plants will grow tall and thin in order to try and receive as much light as possible, shouldn't be any need for ferts or CO2 easy carbo etc, as the light coupled with nutrients from the fish should be sufficient, as long as your photoperiod is long enough, taking it out of the pot will help also.

 

[quarryman]

ok here we are, 48 hours later, almost completely stripped! There's no way this could be due to lack of light could it? I've had it on for 2 days straight!

 

[StandbySetting]

Having the light on for 2 days straight is not a good idea, it's hard to tell from the image what plant it is, it could be that your tank isn't suited to its requirements, try plants like Java fern, Anubias and Crypts, you'll have much more success, also remove them from the pot and insert them into the substrate.

Keep the light on for a maximum of 8 hours a day.

 

[quarryman]

Too little light, too much light - you guys are hard to please

I think I'll just try different plants, I don't think the lack of light is killing them this quick but it's probably not helping. I'll try get something the fish won't eat.

 

[RadaR]

Too little light, too much light - you guys are hard to please

Intensity and duration are two different things.
There are plenty of easy plants that can grow with just 15W bulb.
Try java fern, anubias, java moss, amazon swords, crypts. These are broader leaved plants too, which fish cant destroy easily.
Amazon swords and crypts are hungry plants though and if you arent dosing the water column with ferts then it might be a good idea to put some Tropica capsules into the gravel.

 

[quarryman]

And here we are after 3 days!

I've picked up a wide leaf fern instead that I'm told the fish won't eat and will fair better in low light.