New guy LF advice on planted

[Dainius56]

Well hello everyone! Just registered for the site and love the community so far. I have been doing a lot of research on here regarding planted tanks and figured what the heck, might as well ask!

I've had my 55 gallon for a few years but never had any plants so little over a week ago decided what am I waiting for!. I'm looking for some advice on current condition of the plants. Some of them have started to perk up but not too sure about the others. I don't even know the names of them since I was all excited. Equipment is as follows:

48" twin tube T5 with 6700k and 10000k bulbs. Both 28w
Penguin bio wheel 350 filter
Substrate is just gravel since never expected to have plants

I'm looking for advice on keeping them healthier looking. I run light for 12 hours a day and do 20% water changes weekly. The new plants I got recently also came with hair algae which I'm fighting as we speak. I have done some research and will be dry dosing macro micro mix from aquarium fert .com

Any other recommendations? Just doesn't seem too healthy from pics I'll post when I'm done. I did install some root tabs and use liquid fert for now till dry fert arrives... Do I need more lighting since I'm technically at 1wpg I guess?
Thanks for the heads up!

 

[misterc007]

Looks like the plants livened up your tank a bit. Looks pretty good! Sounds like your on the right track for now. Are you going to get into CO2 as well?

 

[Dainius56]

as of right now not considering CO2 but maybe down the line. Of course unless of course someone down the line thinks that may be part of my problem, but I don't think it is. Pretty sure I chose pretty low maintenance plants I think. I'm personally thinking I need to get better lighting but I will wait for someone to chime in.
Driving me crazy why half my plants are yellowish lol

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Everything sounds about right and looks good... only thing missing is a carbon source. I highly recommend you start dosing excel or glut (generic equivalent to excel). Glut will save you more money than excel. It's usually purchased under the names of Metricide 14 or Omnicide 14. Just run a couple of searches of how to dose glut in a planted tank. Or excel versus glut. Not only will it help the plants grow, it should take care of that hair algae as it has the side benefit of being an algaecide.

Edit: welcome to AA!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Oh and you might want to cut that photoperiod to less than 12 hours if your algae persists or gets worse.

 

[Dainius56]

Ok ty for the replies. I ordered a API Master kit for testing and some Metricide 14 for cost saving. Curious if the lighting seems to be ok or do I need stronger? Not really looking to spend a lot right now on lighting since the one I have now was overpriced lol but will consider in the end.

 

[trinifella]

No experience with plants personally, and I'm now starting out myself, but from my reading up on the subject of Co2, iirc, it really only becomes an issue when entering the real of medium to high lighting. But again, no experience whatsoever

 

[Fishfur]

Wpg is an outdated concept, that only really applies to the old T12 bulbs. And 12 hours is a very long time to have lights on. I think the average is more like 8 hours, and if the light is very strong, maybe only six hours.

The 10,000 k bulb is more typically used for marine tanks, it's meant to grow corals. You may have better luck if you change it for another 6700 K tube, and it may help the algae problem as well.. that intensity of light may be contributing to the algae growth along with the length of time.

 

[trinifella]

Agreed, wpg is done away with

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Ok ty for the replies. I ordered a API Master kit for testing and some Metricide 14 for cost saving. Curious if the lighting seems to be ok or do I need stronger? Not really looking to spend a lot right now on lighting since the one I have now was overpriced lol but will consider in the end.

Make sure to toss the activator bottle away that comes with the metricide. It's not to be used.

Are your lights t5 or t5ho? Reflectors?

Oh... Is that a jungle Val in the back?

 

[Dainius56]

Ya know I'm not too sure if that's a Jungle Val or not... I'm headed to the local fish store soon and I'll see if I can ID it. From what I know I've got the Water Wisteria to the left and right. Hornwort middle front, and Amazon sword back left. The sword is not doing too well so I'm trying to figure out what to do. Half the Wisteria is dying but the other half is Growing rapidly and Hornwort, OMG growing like a weed lol

 

[Dainius56]

Oh and the lights are the Solarmax HE ballast with one 6700k and one 10k bulb. T5 not HO's