Plants kinda wilting?

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Mustangman11224

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Mar 12, 2013
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Any ideas as to why my plants are wilting. I added plant food I took a pix of the bottle below. My lights are on from 6am to 11pm .. My tank consists of 5 guppies 3 neon tetra and one pleco.. My water is pretty good with the exception of high ph. Should I feed the plants something els?
Thanks for the help
Dan
 

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Any ideas as to why my plants are wilting. I added plant food I took a pix of the bottle below. My lights are on from 6am to 11pm .. My tank consists of 5 guppies 3 neon tetra and one pleco.. My water is pretty good with the exception of high ph. Should I feed the plants something els?
Thanks for the help
Dan

We need more info tank size lights substrate params.
 
A few questions to help others help you.

1. Are you new to live plants in an aquarium?
2. How big is your tank? Looks pretty big.
3. What kind of gravel is that? It looks like pretty standard aquarium gravel.
4. What kind of light are you using? Sounds like your running them for 14+ hours a day. If they were light designed for plants, you would probably have an algae outbreak.

A couple of guesses-
Your lights:
1. Probably not the the right brightness/spectrum for plants... Particularly in what appears to be a pretty deep tank.
2. If they are good for plants, they are on too long. Even if this isn't the issue now, plants need to rest-crazy as that sounds.

Plant Food
1. If you are new to plants in the tank, then I gotta tell you-you are in to learn a lot! I can't believe how difficult it can be-but it's a ton of fun!
2. Looks like at least 1 of the plants was a root plant. I didn't really notice the other. I would recommend getting a pack of Seacham root tabs and stick 1 kinda deep Ito the gravel near the root. I would start with just per rooted plant, though. Don't use API, they start dissolving before you can get thin into the gravel!

If you are planning on having a full fledged planted tank, find you some lights that are made for growing plants. There are a lot out there, but I really like my aquatic life fixtures.
 
By my math that's 17 hours a day, first thing first is cut that in half with whatever kind of light you're using or you will have an algae problem eventually, it also looks like you have an air stone running in the tank, that's a big no no in a planted tank as it will drive out Co2 which could be making the plants suffer.
 
Ok yes this is my first try with aquatic plants lol.. My tank is a 36 gal tank. The gravel is regular aquarium gravel. The light is regular florescent... Do I need a diff one for plants? I will cut my timer... I'll set the on time for 7 and my off time for 7. Do they make different brightness for florescent lights, that was the light that came with the tank and it is kind of dull.. So I probably need a brighter one. I will take a trip to the pet store and look for root tabs... And my fish without the Air stone on in the back would not go to the bottom they stayed by the top of the tank so I turned the stone on because I thought they were oxygen deprived.... I have to leave for work now, but when I get home I'll turn it off, so that I can monitor them... Maybe I'll try turning the air strip in the back off, and turning on one of the little small air stones on low... If they start going back to the top... I don't have alot of fish, but they have always been in an aerated tank and I think they are used to alot of oxygen... But I'll deff try to cut out the air stones.. The permitters are normal except my ph is above 7.6 and my high range ph is between 8.0 and 8.2. My nitrates spike a little when I add the iron enriched liquid food for the plants and it goes up to 10-20 ppm. Thanks for all this help... I'm A noob to aquatic plants lol
 
Your Plants

Hello Dan...

Plants take time to get used to new water conditions. They'll look poorly for a while and parts will die back. If you have the lighting the plants need, then they'll typically recover.

A high pH (basic water) isn't ideal for plants. They prefer more acidic water (lower pH). But, most plants adapt to most public water supplies.

Research the lighting needs of the plants you have and provide it. Large, weekly water changes will maintain healthy levels of nitrate, phosphate and sulfate the plants need.

Nutrafin is a good product. I like to change the liquids every few weeks. It gives the plants a variety. Some other good liquids are Tetra Flora Pride, API Leaf Zone with CO2 Booster, Earth Juice and Standard Hydroponics.

You could look into some very easy plants to get the hang of keeping a planted tank. Varieties of Anubias, Java fern, mosses, and floating plants like Anacharis and Pennywort are good starters.

Just a couple of ideas.

B
 
Airstones in planted tanks isn't that big of an issue, especially if you're doing some less demanding plants. The issue I see is that I believe what you have is a peacock fern(not an aquatic plant) and a java fern that has been buried(rhizome plants should be attached to something or only bury the roots, making sure the rhizome is out of the substrate.
 
Based on what I've learned over the last few months, I would say you have a big decision. Do you want a set-up that will allow you to grow a variety of plants, or did you just want to decorate with a couple of live plants. If your not going "full-fledge planted," then I would say you should just find some nice low-light plants. Then, you might be able to get away with your light. If you are going for a full planted tank, then you really do need a different light. There is an UNBELIEVABLE variety in lighting options, but they are kinda pricey. It won't be the $60 to $70 fixtures you may see at the store. I haven't actually seen a store that carries them, they generally order them upon request. You can also buy on-line.

If you do decide on new lights, post the info on here 1st to get opinions. There are a lot of lousy products that look like good ones.

Your options are T5, LED, and metal hilide. T5 is probably your best bet. LED is more energy efficient, though, so will save electricity in the long run.

T5 is just a type of fluorescent bulb. The "T5" just refers to the diameter of the bulb. You would look for one specially designed for planted freshwater. Mine have a white bulb and a roseate bulb, both play a different part in the health of the plants.

LED is cool because it very slim in its design and most good ones have some programming available to transition from regular light to blue "moonlight." Some T5 have this as well, but to get to that level, your probably looking at too much light for you tank (my opinion).

Metal hilide- cost prohibitive and hot. Unless you just want to spend money, I wouldn't factor into your decision making process.

There is much more to consider, but this gives you a starting point. If you DO want do take the plunge and buy new lights, then we can get into light spectrums, Kelvin ratings and all that.
 
From what I can see in the pic's- picture number 2 and 3 are both not aquatic plants. Which means they will continue to deteriorate and eventually die if left in the tank. Picture 4 is an anubia which you have the rhizome buried in the substrate. Anubia can be grown in the substrate but IMO grows best when attached to a rock or DW. If you want to leave it in the substrate you need to gently pull the plant upwards until the rhizome, which is shaped like a pencil and has roots growing out the bottom of it and leaves growing out the top of it, is sitting on top of the substrate. Only the white roots should be in the substrate.

If you eventually want to add more plants upgrading your lighting will need to be done. But if for right now all you plan on having is the one anubia then your light is okay. It is very low light so don't expect the anubia which is normally a slow grower anyway, to grow much if at all.

Also you only need to run lights about 8 hours a day. With your lighting you might try 9 hours max but eventually algae is going to become an issue.
 
I tend to disagree a little here. Yes their are many many varieties of lighting out there but I think most people in this hobby over think things when it comes to lighting and what will and won't work. You don't have to have a fancy/expensive system to grow majority of plants. I use only 1 T8 6500k bulb over all my tanks ( 55g,29g and 20g long) and grow up to medium light plants for my supposedly low light fixture that I'm only suppose to be able to grow very low light plants.

I understand every tank is different but one thing trumps all and that is balance, if you have that you're going to have success. I will point out that my plants to grow much slower but grow healthy and with me having lower lighting I don't have to deal with algae or constant pruning. I think most in the hobby get impatient when their plants don't grow 5 inches in one week and start to think they have a lighting/fertilizer issue. I know because I was one of those people when I first started a planted tank. It's much more simple to have a successful planted tank than we make it. I always teach people to always start off with as minimal lighting as one needs for the plants you have. It kind if drives me crazy when I hear people say they need 3-4 watts of lighting to have a successful planted tank,it's just not true as I have less than 1 on all 3 of my tanks.
 
I tend to disagree a little here. Yes their are many many varieties of lighting out there but I think most people in this hobby over think things when it comes to lighting and what will and won't work. You don't have to have a fancy/expensive system to grow majority of plants. I use only 1 T8 6500k bulb over all my tanks ( 55g,29g and 20g long) and grow up to medium light plants for my supposedly low light fixture that I'm only suppose to be able to grow very low light plants.

I understand every tank is different but one thing trumps all and that is balance, if you have that you're going to have success. I will point out that my plants to grow much slower but grow healthy and with me having lower lighting I don't have to deal with algae or constant pruning. I think most in the hobby get impatient when their plants don't grow 5 inches in one week and start to think they have a lighting/fertilizer issue. I know because I was one of those people when I first started a planted tank. It's much more simple to have a successful planted tank than we make it. I always teach people to always start off with as minimal lighting as one needs for the plants you have. It kind if drives me crazy when I hear people say they need 3-4 watts of lighting to have a successful planted tank,it's just not true as I have less than 1 on all 3 of my tanks.

+1. Balance is definitely key. And even if you wanted to upgrade lighting it doesn't have to cost a lot. Petsmarts carry a t5 fixture that would fit that tank for like $50
 
Ok well petco sux lol... Those plants I got from them and they said they would do great in my 36 gal tank... So obviously they no nothing... As for lighting, I am going to have to wait to upgrade so I'll look around, I really just want to try to find a brighter bulb for the tank... As far and the plant that need to be out of the gravel... Can I put that in a crack of my driftwood log??? That might look cool. I was really only going with plants for my fish... I really wasn't that into growing big ones or anything... I was just told fish like live plants and it makes them feel more at home so I put them in...also when they have me the plants they were in this aquarium gel I took them out and rinsed them off soo.. Thanks for all this help!!!
 
I tend to disagree a little here. Yes their are many many varieties of lighting out there but I think most people in this hobby over think things when it comes to lighting and what will and won't work. You don't have to have a fancy/expensive system to grow majority of plants. I use only 1 T8 6500k bulb over all my tanks ( 55g,29g and 20g long) and grow up to medium light plants for my supposedly low light fixture that I'm only suppose to be able to grow very low light plants.

I understand every tank is different but one thing trumps all and that is balance, if you have that you're going to have success. I will point out that my plants to grow much slower but grow healthy and with me having lower lighting I don't have to deal with algae or constant pruning. I think most in the hobby get impatient when their plants don't grow 5 inches in one week and start to think they have a lighting/fertilizer issue. I know because I was one of those people when I first started a planted tank. It's much more simple to have a successful planted tank than we make it. I always teach people to always start off with as minimal lighting as one needs for the plants you have. It kind if drives me crazy when I hear people say they need 3-4 watts of lighting to have a successful planted tank,it's just not true as I have less than 1 on all 3 of my tanks.

+1, I have a 0.5 wpg T8 bulb with 18" to substrate and I grew a melon sword completely out of my tank within a few months (from a baby. It's suppose to be a medium light plant).
 
Yes you can put it in a crack in the DW or tie it on with some cotton string. It will eventually attach itself.

If your bulb is older getting a new bulb in 6500-6700K color range will be good.

As for light I too grow what is considered mediumish light plants such as Ambulia in my low LED Fluval Edge 6g tanks but it doesn't grow as full and leaves are much much finer. It isn't thriving like in my higher light tanks. Many plants can be kept below their recommened light levels but many of these plants won't thrive as they would in the preferred light range. Also there are just a ton of plants that simply can't survive in low light. So lighting is actually a very important factor in planted tanks and it boils down to what the individual hobbiest is wanting to achieve in their tanks and how much work they want to put into it. I have planted tanks from the highest end of the light range with Metal Halide and T5HO combination to very low light LED's. But I choose plants that are suited to each type of tank lighting which is the key.
 
Ok... Thanks for all the help everyone!!!! this really helps.... Hey how often do you feed the plants.... Once a week... That's what I have been doing....
 
Feeding Aquatic Plants

Hello again Dan...

Attached is a pic of a 55 G with beginner plants fed a little liquid once a week. The lighting is subdued to moderate and I change half the tank water every week and dose the plants then. I'm a water change fanatic and I think the plants do much better in pure water conditions. The fish seem to like a lot of pure treated, tap water flushed through the tank too.

B
 
It says to buy a test kit for plants and monitor that way.... Does anyone no where to get a test kit for plants? Also I relocated te plant I'll post pix how does this look... Waters low... I was doing a water change. Also I called petco and they guaranteed those plants and said they are aquatic and if they die I should bring the plant and a water sample and they'll give me diff ones... Here's a pix
 

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Here are the directions which are quite clear on dosage....

5 ml per 10 us gallons. We recommend using the NutraFin Iron Test Kit to regularly monitor chelated iron levels to ensure maximum results when using NutraFin Plant Gro.

You don't need to monitor iron so you don't need to buy a test kit.
 
I relocated te plant I'll post pix how does this look... Waters low... I was doing a water change. Also I called petco and they guaranteed those plants and said they are aquatic and if they die I should bring the plant and a water sample and they'll give me diff ones... Here's a pix
 

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