help needed with plants in new tank

[mrlukeman]

Hi all new to aquariums and new to this site.


I recently got my first 90L tank after years of putting of buying one. I'm happy with how it's going but I want it to be so much more.

The frog bit on top grew crazy. I had to remove about 20+ a few days ago

I'm having trouble with plant growth... I have some basic small plants at the bottom (I don't know their names as they were given to me) and while they haven't died, they haven't grown either. I also purchased some "Limnophila Sessilflora" and some "water wisteia" both had the problems of turning brown at the base and determinating from there. I have maybe an inch stem of the wisteria left that I'm hoping might grow back. The Limnophila is newer so i still have it but every few days I see it floating at the top.



They are just in (aquarium) sand but have given all the plants root tabs. I also dose with API leaf zone every water change and have just started using API co2. I have seen everyone else on sites with great vibrant plants and I would love to have the same.



Thanks in advance to any help you can give.

 

[Autumnsky]

What does the light bulb say, or is it LED?

What brand tank is it?

[40L is ~23.5G just for those who aren't wanting to look up the gallons.]

It could be a looking at the fish light and not a growing plants light!

Looks like
vallisneria in the back corner


Anubias - likely Nana variety with rocks

Marimo Moss ball

Cryptocoryne Parva the light green plant on the side by the tall dark rock

Crypt wendtii in front of the big rock maybe bronze variety

Amazon Sword behind big rock, Needs root capsules /tabs it is a heavy root feeder

the little green plants sticking up, I can't see if they are, maybe Staurogyne Repens if they are more like leaves.
or Dwarf Sagittaria if they are more like grass and flat leaves.

Dwarf Sag as it is often referred to, has a stem which is round and the flat leaves come off of it. The Dwarf Vallisneria has flat leaves look more like individual leaves coming up off of the rooted area.

Will grow longer with poorer light, due to stretching.

 

[mrlukeman]

Hey thanks for getting back to me. The light is a 7.5w LED that came with the tank. The tank brand is a Fluvial. I'm currently using some eBay basic home made looking fert tabs and that's where I'm thinking I've gone wrong. Can you recommend any good ones?



It's strange. It looks like 2 of my stem plants on the left have rooted and have nearly doubled in size since making this post but the rest havent moved or have died.

 

[TMaier]

What are your nitrates? How often are you doing the water changes and dosing the ferts?

 

[mrlukeman]

Nitrates are low. Water changes once a week around 10/20% and I dose with API leaf zone. I got to say I think recently it's been growing more.

 

[TMaier]

Sometimes the start is tough. They take time to adjust and then they take off. Good luck.