Struggling to get plants to grow healthy

[kschyff]

Hello All,
I have a new tank (60p) which is about 38 days old. I don't have test kits yet, but I know something is very wrong here. Al my plants rooted within the substrate are struggling to grow. In fact they are not growing at all as far as I can see. Having said this, the rhizome plants are doing very well (Java fern, Bolbitis moss). My specs and maintenance are:

1.) 50% water change every week
2.) ADA fertilizers (Brighty mineral and Brighty neutral k - 2ml of each daily)
3.) Seachem Excel every second day (1.25 ml)
4.) Seachem Tidal 55 filter (Seachem matrix, purigen, floss)
5.) x2 AquaEL Leddy Slim plant Led lights (1320 flux) for 5 hours a day
6.) Substrate is Amazonia Aquasoil v2 with the supplied root tabs inserted
7.) No CO2 injection

The plants that are struggling are:

1.) Marsilea Hirsuta
2.) Hydrocortyle tripartita
3.) Hygrophilia Polysperma
4.) Rotala Rotundifolia
5.) Amazon swords

Some of the plants have holes in their leaves (older ones). As if they are deteriorating.

There are 18 fish in the tank (10 neon tetra, 8 rasbora). 5 Amano Shrimp as well.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Having done some research on what plants you have and your set up, there is no obvious reason for not being able to keep those.

You have good substrate, dosing fertilizers, your light has sufficient output for a low tech planted 60 litre tank, and an excellent colour spectrum for plant growth.

My 2 points to raise would be.

- 5 hours lighting period is a little short. 8 to 10 hours would be better. You need to balance between plant growth and the amount of algae you are happy to clean out though. Maybe up it an hour, see how things are for a few weeks, then up it another hour.
- 38 days is a little short a time to be judging plant growth. Commercially sold rooted plants tend to be grown immersed not submerged, so need to adapt to new conditions of being totally underwater. They can lose all their leafs to melt and still survive, with new leaf growth more tolerant to being submerged and then they will establish properly. Are you seeing any new leaf growth?

 

[kschyff]

I am not really seeing new growth to be honest. If there are any they get yellow and deteriorate soon after.