I am killing my java moss>??> update, with pics

[imrandome1]

OK so i have java moss, about 1month to 1 and half old, it has not grown much, only a cm, and its going brown, all the vails? in the tank, are not growing upward at all, but are spreading like crazy, if you understand, is in there are lots of new shoots, but it wont grow upwards, i have a very low wpg, i have 2x30 watt over a 45 gallon tank, the lights are "Nitri grow plant lamp" its a high intensity fluorescent light, i have 2 reflectors as well, to increase the amount of light, is it the lack of wpg the answer to the lack of plant growth and the new shoots as well as the brown java moss???

Thanks for your help

 

[Tong]

I doubt its your lighting. To me, that level of light should be fine for java moss. I'm not familiar with your exact brand of bulbs but if its anything like the GE plant & aquarium bulb you should be fine.

I'm not a dosing expert but I get the feeling you may be lacking nutrients. Possibly potassium and/or iron. Someone who is more knowledgable can chime in.

 

[rich311k]

Are the older leaves turning brown and rotting? What is you Nitrate levels? I tend to think you need to add some K as well.

 

[imrandome1]

Are the older leaves turning brown and rotting?

Yep bingo, they are!!!

What is you Nitrate levels

Its always around 20, as my tap water is....

I dont now about the K?? how do u measure it, another test kit??( and how do u add it??)

Thanks for the help

 

[rich311k]

I would try adding some K. It looks like you have enough light for the plants you selected.

 

[imrandome1]

ops, sorry i for got to say, i do add some "tetraPlant" to it, but it dose not do much or anything, how do you add K? is it sold in lfs, sorry about this, i now nothing about plants !"!

 

[rich311k]

Flourish has a potassium product.

You can buy the dry potassium sulfate from Gregwatson.com, but you are in the UK. I think he will ship overseas. That could get expensive.

You can get KCL at your local food store. It is sold as a salt replacement, here in the US they have a brand called "NoSalt" which is what I use.

 

[imrandome1]

I'll have a look around and give you an update, Thanks for your help Rich!!

 

[Tong]

Last ditch option. Buy sulfur of potash from a gardening store. This is unrefined postassium sulfate and as such it has some insolubility issues. You have to filter out the insoluble parts out first. Also, there is really no way of knowing how much you've dosed...but then again...you can't overdose potassium so its okay so to speak.

I've never actually tried this. Just read about it and thought about it before I learned of gregwatsons. I'd try Flourish Potassium, KCL, or just about anything before I'd try this method. But some people have done it with okay success.

 

[imrandome1]

Well, i was thinking about my dieing moss, yet to found any type of k for the plants, (have not gone to a super market for the no salt thing yet) anyway i think the plants have got worse since i added a air stone, it runs during the day and is switched of at night ( i do now it should be the other way round lol) anyway could the air stone effect the plant in anyway perhaps getting ride of any co2? and do i really need it, i just spent around £40 on one, but i have a fluvel 405 running with the 45 gal tank, so its way over filtered is this enough water movement to get ride of the air stone, or will the air stone make any difference to the plants anyway. sorry for the stupid Q its just a thought! i h8 being 16 and having such a small amount of knowledge of this subject, ( and fish in general or anything to do with it LOL although i do now a heck of a lot more than i did when i started this hobby)makes me feel so stupid!! This should be taught at school, its good knowledge to have!! lol im in a chatty random mood 2 night lol

 

[Tong]

You don't really need the airstone. If you find your fish gasping for air in the morning then yes, you should leave it on at night but there is absolutely no reason to run it during the day...well...if you are very overstocked but that is another issue. The airstone shouldn't affect your plants beyond driving off whatever CO2 you have in your tank. And, as you are not injecting CO2 anyways...it really shouldn't matter much.

I have never tried this...and have never heard of anyone else trying this...but some road/sidewalk salt (the stuff used to melt snow and ice) is potassium chloride. I would guess this is pretty unrefined as well. Just a thought. Don't blame me if fish die.

 

[Purrbox]

The only way that the airstone would be a problem is if you are injecting CO2. The airstone would gas off the excess CO2 returning the water to ambient levels. In a non CO2 injected tank, it will actually help replace the CO2 that the plants use bring levels back up to ambient levels faster.

 

[imrandome1]

you should leave it on at night but there is absolutely no reason to run it during the day...

dang it, lol, i cant run it at night, even the silent 1 keep me awake, sooo i guess i wasted £40 bummer...

The only way that the airstone would be a problem is if you are injecting CO2. The airstone would gas off the excess CO2 returning the water to ambient levels. In a non CO2 injected tank, it will actually help replace the CO2 that the plants use bring levels back up to ambient levels faster.

cool, may as well keep it on then but.. still i guess its not doing much, if its off in the night, oh well.

Thanks for your help, Tong and Purrbox

 

[Tong]

Just thought of this. Are you using activated carbon in your filter? I read some where some time ago that one of the things activated carbon takes out is potassium...among other nutrients and not so good stuff. I think most people here will agree with me when I say that planted tanks don't need activated carbon as it is.

 

[imrandome1]

Just thought of this. Are you using activated carbon in your filter? I read some where some time ago that one of the things activated carbon takes out is potassium...among other nutrients and not so good stuff. I think most people here will agree with me when I say that planted tanks don't need activated carbon as it is.

I do use carbon in my non planted tank, but i Dont in the planted, it will absorb the nutrients as well as any fertilizer you put in the tank, its only used to get rid of brown water from bog wood, as the colour leeks or if you have been using a med, as it will absorb any traces of it, as some fish dont like some meds, such as gourami's and Pimafix or Malifix, i cant remember lol, thanks for the thought, i'll let you now how i get along with finding some K thanks for your help Tong.






Update pic of the plants, you can see all the new shoot's as well as the dead ends of the valls/vills?? whatever....... and the java moss BTW i h8 the gravel too, but its in both tanks now, and all is rooted so, i cant be bothered to change it lol