Trouble with plants

[Spookypapi]

I have 2 brackish tanks, one is 55 gallons and the other is 15 gallons. I want live plants in both tanks and i refuse to have fake but my problem is keeping them alive!!! I have plant food but there is something im obvisously doing wrong. Can anyone give me advice?

 

[molliwopp]

What lighting do you use? What plants are you trying to grow? Java moss, java fern and anubias are hard to get wrong and will grow under low light conditions without ferts.

 

[Spookypapi]

What lighting do you use? What plants are you trying to grow? Java moss, java fern and anubias are hard to get wrong and will grow under low light conditions without ferts.

I have a fluorescent light and i keep them on for at least 8 to 10 hours a day.

 

[molliwopp]

I have a fluorescent light and i keep them on for at least 8 to 10 hours a day.

And what are the plants youre trying to grow? By flurescent light do you mean a t8?

 

[molliwopp]

A t8 isnt really a good light for growing plants other than low lighters. The mentioned 3 would be ok though. If its a t5 look at low to medium light plants.

Are you planting them straight into the substrate or do you have root tabs?

 

[Scottyhorse]

Also, are you buying them from healthy brackish tanks? You can't tank freshwater plants and put them directly into brackish. They need to be very slowly introduced into brackish water.

 

[BBradbury]

Brackish Planted Tanks

I have 2 brackish tanks, one is 55 gallons and the other is 15 gallons. I want live plants in both tanks and i refuse to have fake but my problem is keeping them alive!!! I have plant food but there is something im obvisously doing wrong. Can anyone give me advice?

Hello Spooky...

Aquatic plants grow fine in water with a trace of salt in it. I dose a teaspoon of salt in every 5 gallons of my replacment water for the benefit of my Livebearers and Corydoras and the plants grow very well.

I keep Anaubias, Java fern, Anacharis and Pennywort in my low light, low tech tanks. Here's the skinny: Research your plants. Find out what kind of light they need and provide it. New plants can take weeks to get used to new conditions and will look poorly for some time, even die back a bit. Most will regrow.

Pure water conditions are important. I remove and replace half the water in my planted tanks weekly. This will help maintain levels of phosphate, nitrate and sulfate needed for good plant growth.

Get a good plant fertilizer too. Liquids are easy to use. I like Tetra, Nutrafin and API products, but there are many others. Just dose according to the instructions.

Just a couple of suggestions.

B

 

[Spookypapi]

Im not sure what kind of fluorescent light it is to be honest. The plants i dont know the names of except for the foxtails.

 

[Spookypapi]

Wow thanks guys! The light in my bigger tank is low compared to the light in the smaller tank. I will definitely do more research into plants that sould be better for my tanks rather than just going out and buying whatever looks nice.