Plant necrosis

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Merv49

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
8
Location
N. Charleston SC
I've been struggling with a problem that just won't go away in my tank and I can't find out what could be the cause.
I've got a 110 gallon fresh water tank that I've had for about two years now that started off just fine with the plants that I chose. I had fast and slow growing plants and everything was growing like crazy and I was trimming plants every water change for a long time.
Then all of a sudden everything changed. Algae started growing on everything and wouldn't let go. My plant leaves were covered with black algae and the leaves on my ludwigea began falling off all over the place and the roots and stems of other plants began rotting and leaves falling off.
Sorry I don't know the names of all the plants but it's strange that all my fish are doing great, angels and discus have both spawned in the tank while the plants are really suffering. Amazon sword leaves are melting and so are other swords I have planted.
I have even installed a pressurized co2 system with no effect. I set the ph controller at 6.6 and my kh is 4.
Just over here scratching my head and the local fish store haven't given me many solutions either.
HELP!!!!
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Good luck, i wish i could help... Take a look at my thread we have tried everything.


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How long are your lights running ?
Any sun hitting the tank ?
Are you adding ferts ?

Swords need Root Tabs


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I put seachem root tabs in when I put the swords in. The tank gets no sun and the lights are on 9 hours a day. :banghead: All my rocks are green as well as my drift wood. I really can't figure this out.
 
How long have you been running CO2? Did the algae exist prior to CO2?


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Also you didnt say what kind of lights youre running.


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How long have you been running CO2? Did the algae exist prior to CO2?


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Been running co2 for about two months now and I'm using two marineland led plant lights on the tank. The algae was not a problem for the first year I had the tank with no co2 and then it began getting worse, covering everything. I used to use flourish excel before the co2 and everything in the tank grew well.
 
Id dial back the light to about 6 hours. Take the hardscape out, clean it. Use excel and figure out what changed that caused the algae. Look at your ferts. Tanks also have a transition stage right after adding CO2.


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Excel is an algaecide. That might have been what kept your algae at bay. Imho, I would get a gallon of metricide 14 (cheap version of excel that is 2x as strong) and dose that as well as the pressurized co2. The algae is likely choking out the plant leaves causing them to die off.

As for the melting sword, I would invest in better root tabs. I would go either some DIY ones or RU tabs from Peabody's Paradise. The seachem root tabs are junk.

Here is a link to DIY tabs.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/mebbids-diy-root-tabs-308735.html

Metricide 14
http://www.ebay.com/itm/METRICIDE-14-DAY-GALLION-BRAND-NEW-NEVER-OPENED-10-1400-/120964531934
 
How often are you changing water ?
With planted tanks we normally change water weekly. And make sure you're not over feeding.

Light
Overfeeding
Not enough water changes
Poor flow
Unbalanced fertilizers

All contribute to Algae growth.

I use a timer on my lights to make sure I'm not leaving it on extra. Make sure no one else in the house is turning lights on either. That can often be the issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Excel is an algaecide. That might have been what kept your algae at bay. Imho, I would get a gallon of metricide 14 (cheap version of excel that is 2x as strong) and dose that as well as the pressurized co2. The algae is likely choking out the plant leaves causing them to die off.

As for the melting sword, I would invest in better root tabs. I would go either some DIY ones or RU tabs from Peabody's Paradise. The seachem root tabs are junk.

Here is a link to DIY tabs.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/mebbids-diy-root-tabs-308735.html

Metricide 14
Metricide 14 Day Gallion Brand New Never Opened 10 1400 | eBay

Going to try different root tabs from Peabody's and look into the Metricide. Thanks for the suggestions. :)
 
How often are you changing water ?
With planted tanks we normally change water weekly. And make sure you're not over feeding.

Light
Overfeeding
Not enough water changes
Poor flow
Unbalanced fertilizers

All contribute to Algae growth.



I use a timer on my lights to make sure I'm not leaving it on extra. Make sure no one else in the house is turning lights on either. That can often be the issue.
Lights are on timer for 9 hours a day. Water change 30% every week with vacuum. Just installed a 425 gph water circulator besides the output of my two Marineland C360 canister filters. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
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