Sand and stem plants

[Mattfinn]

So In my 5 gal and 10gal I have a river sand substrate in both. I'm able to grow crypts that were in pots, but I haven't been able to get emersed grown crypts to transition.

Also any stem plant I try just dies off from where I planted it and ends up floating....

Is this something to do with my sand being fairly compact or so? I use old medical tweezers for planting.

My 5gal has a desk lamp on for 6 hours a day, and there is a diy co2 rig as well, I use osmocote+ root tabs.


That's the clearest photo (about a month old) I have of the tank. The crypts in the back and front right have grown in more but the small emersed ones you can see at the front have almost died off, they've been there since December

Also my betta has died recently he had issues digesting, even though I feed him small amounts every two days and a pea weekly that he never touched. I'm looking at turning this into a shrimp colony fyi. :/

The sand is just from a local nursery and I got the river variety because I hoped it would be less compact then pfs they were selling as there is a bit of slope to the tank.

 

[Coursair]

Usually Crypts melt and then regrow. That's normal.

What wattage/Kelvin is the light bulb ?

What root tabs ? How often do you replace them?

How deep is the substrate ?


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[wildroseofky]

I had this problem when I first started a planted tank. I narrowed the cause down to not enough light reaching the substrate. I have high light now and the problem has never reoccured. Before I upped my light I had to let stem plants float until they developed roots. Once roots formed I could plant them in the sand. Try that and see if it works.

 

[Mattfinn]

Usually Crypts melt and then regrow. That's normal.

What wattage/Kelvin is the light bulb ?

What root tabs ? How often do you replace them?

How deep is the substrate ?


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Yeah I'm use to crypts melting and regrowing. I've just seen virtually no growth in the emersed crypts. The occasional leaf melts on my other crypts.

As mentioned it's a desk lamp that I've had as a backup. Ive always had it around so I'm unsure on the wattage or kelvin rating. I know I should really buy a light I just don't really have those funds to buy a new fixture. I think it may actually be quite higher wattage then the 5gal needs, as I had BBA and other algae growing and still with reducing the photoperiod I had algae growth. So I raised the light up about 6" and I haven't had a problem.

I use diy osmocote + root tabs like most of us. They are replaced bimonthly.

The sand is about an inch deep at the front and just over two and a bit at the back.

 

[Coursair]

Are you doing weekly water changes ?


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[Mattfinn]

Are you doing weekly water changes ?


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Yes 50%. Although tank is currently not stocked with anything.

 

[Mattfinn]

I'm just curious as to why I haven't been able to get stem plants to root properly and stay in the substrate. I do keep this as a crypt only tank minus the baby sword in the back corner and moss.

This is the tank as of this morning. The emersed crypts I've given up on and have completely rotted into the sand. There's only one in the right corner going strong. The other crypts have as usual lost the odd big leaf, which is why it's a bit bare on the left.

Tank has been more stable last few days as I had to take the co2 rig out and put it on my other tank as the rig there had a leak and needed resealing. Ph is at 6.8 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate is all stable. Just adding flakes once a week as an ammonia source whilst it has no livestock.