Dying plants :(

[NYYFan19801]

Hello all,

So my planted tank has some very poor looking plants in it, brown dying leaves, etc. I'm wondering what could be the cause. I do have two plants (not sure what they are) that seem to be thriving (in atatched pic the long ones in the back right and the pine tree looking ones in the back left), but most seem to be dying. Now the pH of my water is VERY low (around 5.8), my tap water is pretty acidic. I'm wondering if this could be the cause? Any input is apprecited!

 

[neilanh]

Can you give us some details on your tank?

Size, wattage, ferts, ammonia level?

Some closer in photos/IDs of the dieing plants would help too. Usually this is caused by not having enough light.

 

[NYYFan19801]

Can you give us some details on your tank?

Size, wattage, ferts, ammonia level?

Some closer in photos/IDs of the dieing plants would help too. Usually this is caused by not having enough light.

I'll try and get more pics when I get home from work if needed. but as far as all the other stuff:

The tank is 29 gallons, I use two T-5 HO bulbs on a 12 hour cycle, and I have flourite substrate with a thin layer of blue colored gravel on top. I have a 200 watt Marineland heater and a Tetra EX45 HOB filter. Checked the ammonia yesterday, it was 0. I also do weekly 10-20% water changes. I feel like I'm doing everything right, but my plants are still far from being lush and green like I feel like they should be. I do get light algae, that I usually scrub off the tank glass when I do my water changes, but I from what I've read, that is normal and healthy.

Also, on top of my water pH being low, I do have very hard water too boot. I'm thinking that it may be a water quality issue as far as either pH or hardness (or a little bit of both) goes.

 

[Faile]

Does the water used in your aquarium go through a water softener?
What is the wattage of the T-5 bulbs?

Another possibility is that you have some non aquatics that have finally been submerged too long. Or if the are Crypts, they could be going through Crypt Melt as they adapt to their new environment.

 

[NYYFan19801]

I do not use water softener, I basically take my tap water, add the appropriate amount of Stress Coat+ and put it in my tank. The bulbs I'm using are 2 of these: Zoo Med T-5 HO Flora Sun Max Plant Growth Fluorescent Bulb at PETCO

Looks like they are rated at 24 watts each.

 

[LemurLad]

You've got a fine set up for aquatic plants, I'd say. Trouble is, some of the plants you have in there are not truly aquatic or should be planted differently.

I circled what I can see best from the photo -

#1 - Looks like a some kind of sword plant, I think. That guy is planted well, but he's a heavy root feeder. Hit up your LFS for some Root Tabs. They'll help your growth overall and are a really easy way to fertilize a tank.

#2 - Java Fern, no doubt. These plants are great, really hardy. They'll live in just about any tank as long as they are planted right. The base or kinda 'root structure' thing of Java Ferns is called a rhizome. Any plants with a rhizome need to be planted with their rhizome exposed. Pull that one out of the gravel and tie it to an ornament, it'll flourish that way.

#3 - Probably bought as "Aqua Fern" in one of those Petco/Petsmart tubes. Not an aquarium plant. Very few of the plants that come in those tubes can actually survive underwater. Most of them are bog plants and can have their root structure in water, but the actual leaves/stem of the plant must come out of the water. Here's a list of plants to avoid: Non-Aquatic Plants Commonly Sold as Aquatic Plants

Plant Geek - This site is a really awesome resource for aquatic plants. Check here first if you see some cool plant that you want to put in your tank, it will save you lots of time, money, and especially grief.

 

[NYYFan19801]

Thanks so much! I think you hit the nail on the head with #3, it's funny the only two plants that are thriving in my tank are the two that I didn't buy in one of those Petco tubes. The first picture here is a plant that I bought from "in the water" that seems not to be doing well (I just pruned off all the dead leaves) in this instance, however in the second pic I have the same plant (back right corner) which is doing fine. Also, in that second pic, the plant up front was another one of those plant in a boxes I got. It doesn't seem to be doing horribly, but it hasn't grown either.

 

[LemurLad]

Petco's aquatic plants can be kinda funky because they usually come from their 'less than ideal' tanks. The one in the first pic could still be adapting to your tank, but it could also be the case that you don't have enough nutrients in the tank for all of the plants. Flourite has some good iron content, but it doesn't provide all the fertilizer a plant needs. Again, root tabs can help you out.

That larger-leaved plant in the second picture is another non-aquatic. Best to just pull all the non-aquatics out before they rot in your tank and cause all sorts of horrible problems.

Glad I could help you out. Aquarium plants can be frustrating at first, but as equilibrium establishes in your aquarium, you'll find yourself the owner of a beautiful planted tank.

 

[NYYFan19801]

Thanks a million again. Tossed all the non-aquatic plants, redid the tank the "right" way and added some root tabs, I'm going out of town tomorrow for Christmas so hopefully I'll come home to a lush green tank!

 

[avonsurfernc]

I am having the same problem my plants seem to be dying. though, my ammonia levels are way up, moved my fish to another tank. I am now using an additional filter a Fluval 405 . I have a Aqua clear filter that has been working for several weeks so that should have my beneficial bacteria colonies in it. Gonna do a complete water change and get rid of dead plants. Dying plants raise ammonia levels right?