Whats Happening To My Plants?

[mattlee]

so are pressurised co2 or expensive dosing of carbon my only options of keeping plants alive in my tank?

are there any low co2/low tech plants available that will be ok?

i dont mind adding ferts but cant see how it would be possible to do pressurised co2 on my set up and i dont really want to spend a small fortune on liquid carbon...

 

[FishFanatic04]

You can lower your lighting. Your plants will adjust and probably begin to thrive. My lower tech tanks are my easiest to keep stable.

 

[willsy]

You can lower your lighting. Your plants will adjust and probably begin to thrive. My lower tech tanks are my easiest to keep stable.

Would you want to lower your light though? Looking at your tank dimensions, you have a total volume of 112 US Gallons. Then 3 X 36W (T8/T12 equivilents) gives a total WPG of 0.96. This is very low isn't it? Almost too low? I'm currently in the process of setting up a tank (which is going to be low tech/non-co2) and am going to use these LED lights. I was going to start off with 2 of these lights to give me 1.33WPG, but also potentially going to add a third to push it up to almost 2WPG. I thought a good place to be for low tech/non-co2 was 1.5WPG to 2WPG?

Maybe you need to dose ferts and this is causing the problem?

Just a thought...

Cheers

Will.

 

[willsy]

You can lower your lighting. Your plants will adjust and probably begin to thrive. My lower tech tanks are my easiest to keep stable.

Would you want to lower your light though? Looking at your tank dimensions, you have a total volume of 112 US Gallons. Then 3 X 36W (T8/T12 equivilents) gives a total WPG of 0.96. This is very low isn't it? Almost too low? I'm currently in the process of setting up a tank (which is going to be low tech/non-co2) and am going to use these LED lights. I was going to start off with 2 of these lights to give me 1.33WPG, but also potentially going to add a third to push it up to almost 2WPG. I thought a good place to be for low tech/non-co2 was 1.5WPG to 2WPG?

Maybe you need to dose ferts and this is causing the problem?

Just a thought...

Cheers

Will.

Also, don't you need to add Excel from about 2WPG to 2.5WPG and add add proper CO2 from about 2.5WPG onwards? Below 2WPG CO2 isn't required normally if you decide not to use it? That was my understanding anyway for T8/T12 (or equivilents as these lights are supposed to be)...

 

[FishFanatic04]

My 46g only has one 30 watt t-8 bulb. That would be .65 wpg. My plants in my signature were thriving and I even had a couple inches of growth a week on my fast stems like cabomba. My swords were throwing out new leaves very quickly.

 

[willsy]

My 46g only has one 30 watt t-8 bulb. That would be .65 wpg. My plants in my signature were thriving and I even had a couple inches of growth a week on my fast stems like cabomba. My swords were throwing out new leaves very quickly.

Yes, I agree that you can get growth using very low light, but not sure why this thread is suggesting the use of CO2 when to fix the hole in leaves problem when < 1WPG is being utilised. There would be no way that CO2 is required in that circumstance? Sureley it's just a ferts issue?

Also, not sure why lower lighting is being suggested when very low lighting is being used already. How could that help?

 

[stu40]

Not 100% but i'm sure that you can't apply the WPG rule to LED lighting.

that not really 'high light', but the plants tell you more than you need to know.

Holes in leaves is usually a sure sign of co2 deficency

 

[FishFanatic04]

If you read the whole thread willsy, Mattlee has two filters running with a lot of surface agitation. The will drive the existing co2 out of the tank. Even in a low tech tank, plants need co2.


I think that was the source of the problem. He didn't want to add carbon so I suggested lowering the lighting.

 

[willsy]

If you read the whole thread willsy, Mattlee has two filters running with a lot of surface agitation. The will drive the existing co2 out of the tank. Even in a low tech tank, plants need co2.


I think that was the source of the problem. He didn't want to add carbon so I suggested lowering the lighting.

I see what you are saying FishFanatic, and that does make some sense, but I still think the lighting levels are very low. Maybe this is just potassium deficiency? I'm certainly no expert, but in my option I would start with some ferts, especially since none are being used at the present time.

Matt, is it that you get pinholes in the old leaves and these holes get bigger? That sounds like potassium difficiency.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I guess that is possible as well. I do toss in some dry ferts a few times a week, which confirmed that my problem was co2. Goodluck Matt lol

 

[mattlee]

If you read the whole thread willsy, Mattlee has two filters running with a lot of surface agitation. The will drive the existing co2 out of the tank. Even in a low tech tank, plants need co2.


I think that was the source of the problem. He didn't want to add carbon so I suggested lowering the lighting.

I see what you are saying FishFanatic, and that does make some sense, but I still think the lighting levels are very low. Maybe this is just potassium deficiency? I'm certainly no expert, but in my option I would start with some ferts, especially since none are being used at the present time.

Matt, is it that you get pinholes in the old leaves and these holes get bigger? That sounds like potassium difficiency.

yes the holes appear small then just get bigger.

so far ive reduced the lighting by removing 1 of the 3 units and reduced the flow and aggitation in the tank.

i did a rescape on saturday and i had a few swords that hadnt been effected by the holes, after moving them the holes appeared the next day!!!!! they are plants that have been in the tank that survived so far. could the deficiency happen this fast? i have spotted pond snails in the tank could it just be these munching them?

ive also added a few crypts and trimmed off all the leaves that had holes in or were looking bad so its looking ok for now. ill keep an eye on the others.

i think im going to start adding ferts. which would you suggest to get? dry ferts would be much cheaper but i have no idea of where to start

 

[DrRob]

Dry ferts are easy. Just set some jeweller's scales and a water bottle. You can get starter kits for EI, but you don't have to use the quantities it suggests if you just want standard fertilisers, but the ratio won't be too far off. At non-EI doses it'll last you ages.

 

[mattlee]

can you point me in the right direction as to where i can buy the kits?

i have a set of digital scales that i used to weigh treatments out for my discus a few years ago

 

[DrRob]

Not used em, but was about to when someone sold a pile on here.

http/www.plantedtanks.co.uk/ei-starter-kit-3947-p.asp

http/www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fertilisers/dry-chemicals/starter-kits.html

My chemicals are from fluid sensor online.

I'm sure there are others.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

now I'm jumping in lol

So this is meant to be a really cost effective way to dose ferts?

When you mix a bottle of this stuff, how long does it last or do you only make what you need per dose?