Dying plants whilst trying to cycle

[Littlenilz]

Hi, I'm totally new to this forum. I have been reading and taking in advice for a week but only just registered.
Anyway, I have a 12 gallon tank and bought 3 plants from my LFS. Their leaves seem to be wilting and dying one leave at a time. I am 11 days into my fishless cycle. Can anyone tell me if that will slow down my cycling process and if I should remove the plants. I want to keep angels and anything else that will be compatible with it.
Thanks

 

[jetajockey]

welcome to the forum. What type of plants are they? Have any pics? What kind of lighting do you have?

Unfortunately angels are a bit too large to stock into a tank that size.

 

[Littlenilz]

One is Vallisneria spiralis and the one next to it in pix is alive and well. The other , I don't know what it's called.
Oh no I set my heart out on angel!!! Anything else I can get that looks similar that I can keep? What if I only get 3 or 4?

 

[Littlenilz]

Sorry I forgot, tube light came with tank hood. It says 1x 15w. If that helps. But during the cycle I was keeping tank light off.

 

[Retired_AF]

I learned the hard way that plants need light, and the lights that come with aquariums are rarely adequate. Just because you can see the plants doesnt mean they are getting adequate lighting. Also, there are different categories of plants (low-light, med-light, high-light) and you have to plan accordingly. (I learned this the hard way and am still learning.) The best advice I would give from my experience is not to try to cut corners and get what you need right off the bat.

Apparently, what happens is the water absorbs/blocks part of the light spectrum. If the plants dont get what they need to grow (food, light, etc) then they start dying off. 15 watts is probably not adequate for a planted tank your size. It seems the general rule is 2-3X the gallons for the wattage needed. You can also get lights that are made for specific applications like plant growth, full sunlight, and a whole list of others. You can get fixtures that will allow you a combination and I found that my planted tank thrives under them. Keeping them turned off is definately the wrong thing to do. No lights and the plants can't photosynthesize. I would leave them on for 6 - 8 hours per day.

Someone else may have a better explanation, but this is what I have learned along the way.

Good luck!

 

[Littlenilz]

Thanks, that makes sense. I only kept the light off so that bacteria gets a chance to grow. Now I see there is a fine line I need to tread. So will these plants hinder the cycle and should I remove them?

 

[jenatron]

The bacteria will grow with the lights on. It's recommended to keep the lights off to help prevent algae growth.
Plants won't hinder your cycle; People cycle with plants all the time.
You can't have any amount of angels in this size tank.

 

[Littlenilz]

Thanks, you guys are breaking my heart but I'll take your advice and not get angels .

 

[Ches]

15 watts would be adequate if it was the right type of fluorescent bulb with the right spectrum etc. I have a 15 watt Aqua-Glo bulb on my 10 gallon and the plants are thriving. You need to add fertilizer to ensure proper plant growth. Root tablets might help. Plants need 10-12 hours of light per day. They will only HELP not HINDER your cycling because they carry beneficial bacteria too.

Sorry that you can't keep angels in such a small tank but I have a perfect solution for you: a small group of dwarf honey gouramis! Search 'em up online, they look stunning and they stay small. You could keep 2-3 in a 10 gallon!

Also, I noticed from your photo you didn't remove the weights from your plants. To ensure better growth, take off the weights and separate the individual plants and plant them separately. You'll need at least 2 inches of gravel...Tear off the dying leaves so the plants have a chance to grow new, healthy leaves. Hope this helps...sorry the answer was so long...

 

[Littlenilz]

Thanks ches, all good advice. I'll seperate and get plant food for the plants. The good news is my tank is nearly cycled ( I think) so probably fish this weekend.
Your idea about the dwaf honey gouramis is good. They are pretty but can't I get a mix instead of just one type? I'll defo get 1 or 2 gourami's hope I can find something pretty.
Can I also get a betta and tetra's with that? And an alge eater?
Ps- your post wasn't long

 

[Ches]

Dwarf gouramis are considered peaceful but you can't house them with betta fish. Since they both have labyrinth organs they will fight each other. You can add 6 neon tetras (or other small tetras) and 2 gouramis tops in a 10 gallon. Or you can just do 4 gouramis, a few shrimp/snails...Try not to overstock. Less fish is better, especially in a small tank. Good luck!