Plants help

[neil9999]

Hi all,

It’s driving me mad trying to balance this tank.
Does anyone have any idea what is the issue?
I have a Juwel 350 with multilux lights.
The lights are on 10 hours per day.
I am injecting CO2 also 10 hours per day it starts two hours before the lights come one. Around 3 bubbles per second.
I am adding 50ml of fertiliser without phosphate or nitrogen, adding 25ml twice per week. I am also adding 20ml of iron once a week and 15ml of phosphate twice per week.
I am not adding nitrogen as my tap water come out at 32 ppm and the tank is reasoning 50ppm.
Nitrate 50ppm
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Phosphate 0.25

 

[Colin_T]

What are you concerned about, the algae on the Anubias and the rotting leaves on the other plant?

The Anubias are slow growing plants that will get covered in algae if you have bright light and lots of fertiliser. If you can move the Anubias into a shaded area that would help but ideally they should be in a different tank because you have high light plants like the swords (Echinodorus) and medium light plants like the Java Fern.

The small green plant on the front left looks like Lobelia, which is a garden plant. I could be wrong and it might be another Anubias but it's rotting. This can be from too much CO2 or nutrients if it's Anubias, or from being underwater if it's Lobelia.

The Java Fern leaf that is black speckled and wilted over is interesting. That could be a disease, maybe a virus. I would cut that leaf off at the base and see if anymore on that plant develop the same symptoms.

Overall I would say there is too much CO2 and too many nutrients for those particular plants. There's a lot of good sized fish in there (they look really healthy too) and they should be able to provide sufficient CO2 for those plants. The filter bacteria also provide CO2 that the plants can use.

None of the plants are fast growers and don't need the CO2 for that many plants with a tank full of fish. I would turn off the CO2 or reduce the time it's on and monitor the plants over a few weeks to a month. If it's still a problem after a month then reduce the nutrients by 25% and monitor for another month.

You could add some floating plants and have the Anubias under that. The floating plants would use some of the light and nutrients and reduce the algae on the leaves. You can make a loop out of airline or plastic hose and a joiner and put the floating plants in that so they don't spread out too much.

If you don't want to reduce the CO2, then add some more plants but use fast growing true aquatics like Ambulia and Hygrophila polysperma. Plants these along the back and they will use some light and nutrients. You can also use Cryptocorynes where the Anubias are and they should do really well with bright light, CO2 and nutrients.

 

[MattW]

Beautiful Tank btw! Also, what's the flow like towards the front of the tank? I know Anubias prefers slower-moving water. That one on the rock is also in direct light. They prefer shaded areas

 

[MattW]

You could add some floating plants and have the Anubias under that. The floating plants would use some of the light and nutrients and reduce the algae on the leaves. You can make a loop out of airline or plastic hose and a joiner and put the floating plants in that so they don't spread out too much.

I second that. They're great for sucking up excess nutrients and are easy to remove if growing out of control. Just don't get duckweed

 

[neil9999]

What are you concerned about, the algae on the Anubias and the rotting leaves on the other plant?

The Anubias are slow growing plants that will get covered in algae if you have bright light and lots of fertiliser. If you can move the Anubias into a shaded area that would help but ideally they should be in a different tank because you have high light plants like the swords (Echinodorus) and medium light plants like the Java Fern.

The small green plant on the front left looks like Lobelia, which is a garden plant. I could be wrong and it might be another Anubias but it's rotting. This can be from too much CO2 or nutrients if it's Anubias, or from being underwater if it's Lobelia.

The Java Fern leaf that is black speckled and wilted over is interesting. That could be a disease, maybe a virus. I would cut that leaf off at the base and see if anymore on that plant develop the same symptoms.

Overall I would say there is too much CO2 and too many nutrients for those particular plants. There's a lot of good sized fish in there (they look really healthy too) and they should be able to provide sufficient CO2 for those plants. The filter bacteria also provide CO2 that the plants can use.

None of the plants are fast growers and don't need the CO2 for that many plants with a tank full of fish. I would turn off the CO2 or reduce the time it's on and monitor the plants over a few weeks to a month. If it's still a problem after a month then reduce the nutrients by 25% and monitor for another month.

You could add some floating plants and have the Anubias under that. The floating plants would use some of the light and nutrients and reduce the algae on the leaves. You can make a loop out of airline or plastic hose and a joiner and put the floating plants in that so they don't spread out too much.

If you don't want to reduce the CO2, then add some more plants but use fast growing true aquatics like Ambulia and Hygrophila polysperma. Plants these along the back and they will use some light and nutrients. You can also use Cryptocorynes where the Anubias are and they should do really well with bright light, CO2 and nutrients.

Thank you I appreciate your help.
I think I just got blindsided and kept increasing co2 and nutrients to try and make the plants look better. After reading your response it makes perfect sense, these aren’t highly demanding plants.
Originally I did just plan to use the co2 to establish the plant but then kept it on as I feared an algae break out.
I’ll turn the co2 off and reduce the fertiliser. I’ll also put the Anubias in more shade I might even black out a few leds as I down want to reduce the on time.

The smaller plants are a type of anubias. I have had them in the tank for a couple of years. Recently as some of the green spot has died the leaves underneath are pale. I thought this was down to nitrogen as the NT labs test I was using was saying it was low 5ppm. After checking my tap water parameters with the water company who said my tap water was 32ppm I switched to api test. API test is giving me 30ppm tap and 50ppm tank so I stopped adding nitrogen.

One more thing I am running a uv steriliser, would this effect destroy the fertiliser?

 

[neil9999]

Beautiful Tank btw! Also, what's the flow like towards the front of the tank? I know Anubias prefers slower-moving water. That one on the rock is also in direct light. They prefer shaded areas

Thank you. Good point I will shade these plants a little more. I would say a medium flow at the front. It’s most powerful at the back

 

[Colin_T]

One more thing I am running a uv steriliser, would this effect destroy the fertiliser?

A UV steriliser shouldn't affect the fertiliser.

 

[StevenF]

what fertilizer are you using andhwo do you dose itl? My experience with plants and fertilizer is that often the problem is the fertilizer is missing one nutrient plants. How often do you see a new leaf growing. Plants need 14 nutrients to grow (excluding light and CO2). If just one is missing plants will not grow. You have more than enough nitrogen, CO2. You fertilizer don't have phosphate so that could be qn issue but with all the fish that might not ben an issue. Many fertilizer don't have calcium. Do you know what your GH is? that might tells use if there is a GH issue. GH is measure of calcium and magnesium. Bot are essential plant nutrients. And the new leaves on the Anubus might bee showing an iron deficiency. Depending on the fertilizer you have we might have to just your does.

 

[neil9999]

what fertilizer are you using andhwo do you dose itl? My experience with plants and fertilizer is that often the problem is the fertilizer is missing one nutrient plants. How often do you see a new leaf growing. Plants need 14 nutrients to grow (excluding light and CO2). If just one is missing plants will not grow. You have more than enough nitrogen, CO2. You fertilizer don't have phosphate so that could be qn issue but with all the fish that might not ben an issue. Many fertilizer don't have calcium. Do you know what your GH is? that might tells use if there is a GH issue. GH is measure of calcium and magnesium. Bot are essential plant nutrients. And the new leaves on the Anubus might bee showing an iron deficiency. Depending on the fertilizer you have we might have to just your does.

Hi Steven
I use TCN lite 20ml twice per week. I was using TNC all in one but after swapping test kits realised my nitrate was around 80ppm on water change day. My phosphate was also showing low but I just swapped test kit on that too and that is showing a lot higher! I’m am adding 15ml twice per week phosphate but am going to reduce this now. I personally won’t buy an NT labs test kit again.
Nitrate in my tap is 32 ppm. I’m not adding any extra atm but I am keeping an eye on the level before water change. Also I’m adding iron 10ml twice per week. Not sure why tbh just thought it would help my red plant.
I’m not adding any extra potassium, maybe I should?

 

[neil9999]

Thank you all for your help with this, some great suggestions.
The plants are doing fantastic.
I reduced the amount of CO2 right down and halved the fertiliser. I added some fast growing plants and provided some shade for the Anubias and removed the sword.