HELP please!!! My plants...

[Corbo]

My plants are looking terrible! I don't know if I have sufficient lighting... But my plants seem to be almost shredding. Is my water too hot? I have a co2 diffuser now. I have fluorite substrate under black sand. The plants are crypts and they're supposedly low light... I need help! What am I doing wrong?

 

[fort384]

What is sufficient lighting? (type of bulb, wattage, color temperature). What size tank? How long of a photoperiod? Are you dosing any fertilizers?

That being said, meltdown with crypts are very common. Crypts are sensitive to being moved at all, and will often die off substantially in a new tank... they will grow back and be healthy assuming the requirements are met.

 

[Aeo]

What do your ammonia levels look like? High ammonia will literally melt a plant faster than it'll kill a fish.

 

[BigJim]

+1 for fort and the distinct possibility that you're experiencing crypt melt.

 

[Corbo]

Agh! That's the problem. I'm trying to cycle my tank and I've been dosing ammonia. Should have done my research. I have 2 26watt CFLs set up under dome light reflector things in a 30 gallon. This tank is new and I haven't dosed any ferts. Just my fluorite. Is it still possible to cycle my tank without killing my plants? I leave my lights on no longer than 10-12 hours a day

 

[fort384]

What do your ammonia levels look like? High ammonia will literally melt a plant faster than it'll kill a fish.

Have to disagree with this. In my experience, plants never grow better than when the ammonia is relatively high (~2-4ppm). Plants will readily use ammonia as a source of nitrogen. Conversely, any ammonia level above zero is toxic to fish. I suppose if the ammonia was extremely high, it would cause plants to meltdown... but in *normal* levels, plants flourish.

 

[Corbo]

Thank you all so much for prompt feedback by the way!

 

[fort384]

Agh! That's the problem. I'm trying to cycle my tank and I've been dosing ammonia. Should have done my research. I have 2 26watt CFLs set up under dome light reflector things in a 30 gallon. This tank is new and I haven't dosed any ferts. Just my fluorite. Is it still possible to cycle my tank without killing my plants? I leave my lights on no longer than 10-12 hours a day

sounds like a good lighting solution for low to medium light plants. It is absolutely possible to fishless cycle with plants... google "silent cycle". I have cycled many heavily planted tanks. I put plants in before I even add water .

I would keep the light to 8-10 hours a day or algae is going to start to creep up on you.

I would wager a lot of money that what you are experiencing is very normal "crypt melt". Just remove the dead leaves and have some patience... they will come back bigger and better than before.

Good luck!

 

[Corbo]

Fort, you're the bomb! Thank you so much!

 

[Corbo]

Pointless freak out apparently

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yep... and fort is the bomb. He's quite the plant expert IMO

 

[Corbo]

Thank you all for the help very much. time to work out now. And stop worrying about my plants. I want them to be healthy!