Plants don't do so well

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LazyBoy

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
5
Location
Belgium
Yesterday I have added some new plants (Alternanthera Lilacina), and today already they have schredded leaves, this happens everytime I add new plants even when I net all the fish out. My ph level is normal (between 6 and 7). And phosfate and nitrate levels are around 0. I also have co2 injection. And even with co2 injection I don't get the bubble effect on the leaves of any of the plants. Can enyone tell me please what's wrong?
 

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How much light do you have these under? My experience with Alternanthera reineckii is that they require more light than most other plants and they do better when dosing the aquarium with iron.
 
I use a 40W red light tube witch is supposed to be made for better plant growth. Is this enough? P.S.: The tank is 60x30x30.
 
I'll estimate that to be a 120Gal tall.. If you are dosing with CO2 you would need at least 360W of light.. at 40W you are at .33WPG you should have 2.5 Minimum for CO2. AFAIK the CO2 you add will just disipate and cannot be absorbed.

nope, 120XH Tank 60X18X26".... Yours would be around 230Gal.. so 700Watts of light would be what is needed for Co2 8O
 
Whoops a little bit to low on light guess I'd better hurry back to the store and get me some new light bulbs. btw I'm working with the metric system I don't know if this means any diffirence becuase my tank is 60cm long 30cm high and 30cm wide.
 
Unless he was quoting in centimeters which would be around a 20 gal. That would put him at 2w per gallon. Just a thought, I cant imagine a 120 or bigger tank with a 40w light.

humpty
 
yes sorry wasn't thingking you guys waren't working in centimeters. It's a 11,6G tank to be exact sorry for this. :oops:
 
Sounds like you've got plenty of light for an 11.6G tank. You should check your pH and KH to determine the exact concentration of CO2 in your water column. If you're not seeing any pearling it could be a sign that your CO2 is too low. You should also try to run nitrates at at least 5-10 ppm and phosphates at .25 ppm or greater in order to avoid algae outbreaks. What is your water temp?
 
Sorry, about that, seemed a bit big, but ya never know :oops:

I don't do cm to well..

(but a 230Gal with those measurements would be nice :D)
 
Also - often plants are grown emersed and when we put them in our tanks they go through an "adjustment" period and at least in my case sometimes I will lose a bunch of leaves, but the new growth is strong and the plant is fine, assuming there are no light and nutrient issues.
 
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