Need Plant Help...

[GIZMOSPAZZ]

My boyfriend and I are about to take a sledgehammer to our 55g tank. We can't keep plants alive.

We have natural looking brown gravel as our substrate, that we really don't want to change. We have 2 AquaClear 70 filters, a Tetra Whisper 60 with 2 airstones, a dual T5HO light (2x54w), a Zoo Med Flora Sun Max Plant Growth 5000k 54w bulb, a Zoo Med Ultra Sun Super Daylight 6500k 54w bulb, and a sizeable piece of driftwood that spans the middle of the tank.

We dose Seachem Flourish and Seachem Flourish Excel according to the directions for a 55g aquarium. We keep the light on for about 10-12 hours per day.

The tank is fully cycled after 2 months of fishless cycling. No fish in the tank.
Ammonia: 0 Nitrites: 0 Nitrates: 10 Ph: 7.5 Temp: 72°F-73°F

The plants we have managed to kill thus far:
Anacharis(expected since we dose excel), Anubias Nana, Anubias Barteri, and Water Wisteria.

The plants we have now that are about to die:
Amazon Swords, Anubias Hastifolia, Moneywort, Red Wendtii Crypts, Anubias Nana, Floating Water Sprite, and Wisteria.

How our plants die:
The leaves turn transparent or brown and fall off. The exception was the 2 anubias that died. The leaves were still very vibrant, but we found them floating all over the tank. When we looked at the rhizome, it had gotten mushy and dissolved away. The Java Fern leaves are covered in what looks like a dark green algae that just rubs off between your fingers. Underneath the algae some parts look vibrant. There are also deep forest green bumps on one leaf of the Java Fern that we -think- might be mini plantlets growing. The Anubias Hastafolia has brown spots on the leaves. The swords have brown tips. The crypts are losing their leaves. The Moneywort is turning transparent and withering away along with the Water Wisteria. The Water Sprite is turning brown.

We have ordered Seachem root tabs that should be here by Friday. Maybe that will help.

Some of our plants have great roots. Our swords have nice long roots. The Water Wisteria has roots coming off of every part of the plant growing down into the gravel. The Java Fern and Anubias are secured to the driftwood but have not taken hold yet. About a week ago, we started to get green hair algae in the tank. This was at the end of our cycle, so we had a bunch of nitrates in the water. After a 50% initial water change and a few 20% water changes, the algae doesn't seem to be increasing in volume. However, it's still there. We don't want to blackout the tank though since our plants are doing so badly.

We can't afford the up front cost of a co2 system, plus that would be counteracted by the air stones. We really want to keep our gravel only substrate. We bought plants from multiple local fish stores. Unfortunately, we ended up with snails. Only a couple have surfaced in the past 3 weeks though. A snail trap with lettuce in it has yielded no more snails.

Any help is welcomed and greatly appreciated! Our next tank investment is going to be a sledgehammer if we can't figure out how to keep a few plant species alive. If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to ask.

 

[Rivercats]

First off you only need to run lights for about 8 hours. I'm surprised you don't have algae running them as long as you do.

Next problem is you don't have the proper ferts. What your dosing is basically a bit of micro nutrients each week. Do you check your nitrate and phosphate levels weekly? If so what are they? These are the ferts you need, which will last well over a year for your size tank... Estimative Index | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums

You also would need 3 dosing bottles. They are at the bottom of this page... Aquarium Plant Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums.

Here is a thread about dosing them. Only read the opening post, not all the comments afterwards... Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central. The only thing I do differently is I mix nitrates in one bottle, phosphates and potassium in one bottle, and the micros in the 3rd bottle. The recipe also calls for MgSO4, magnesium sulfate, which you don't need unless you have very soft tap water.

As for using Excel... you can buy a gallon of Metricide 14 Day Solution for about $27 shipped. Be sure to shop around as some places try to charge $40 a gallon. You mix the Metricide 14 at a 1:1 ratio with RO or Distilled Water to get 2 gallons for under $30. That is super cheap compared to excel. You also want to be using 1ml of Glut (metricide 14) for every 5 gallons of water. Down the road you can dose up to 1ml Glut to every 2 gallons of tank water. If you go this route save your Excel bottle so you can mix up just enough solution to fill it as needed.

The reason the Anacharis died is because of using Excel which it is sensitive to.

The crypts and swords need root tabs on a regular basis as they are root feeders.

Since you have hair algae you need to run lights only 6 hours until it's gone then no longer than 8 after that and possibly less if the algae begins to come back.

You can spot treat the algae with hydrogen peroxide 3%. Turn off your filters, pull up 1-3ml of peroxide for every gallon of tank water in a syringe. Slowly squirt the algae by holding the syringe almost right against it. Leave filters off 20 minutes. If you have a lot of algae you will have to spot treat an area a day. Usually algae begins to die off within 24 hours.

 

[GIZMOSPAZZ]

Thank you for responding in such a timely manner! We know we need to cut down on the amount of time the lights are on, but we keep forgetting to pick up a timer when we get to go anywhere. (My boyfriend and I both work night shift, so it's hard to get to stores when they're open since we are sleeping.)

As for ferts... Would it be easier on us to buy the Seachem line of liquid ferts and follow their dosing chart?

We check our nitrate levels, but those are just recently stabilizing after 2 months of fishless cycling. I believe I listed what it is currently at in my original post. Can't recall at the moment though.. We have never tested for phosphate. The only test kit we have is the API Freshwater Master Kit.

I'm a bit concerned about Metricide 14. I did a bit of research online, and it seems to have mixed reviews. It is a sterilizer and disinfectant if I am looking at the same product. Some say it does not last as long in the aquarium as excel. I also read that it could kill bb. Do you use this product in your tank?

We just received our root tabs today and placed 10 into the tank. It instructed that we place one every 4-6 inches, so I think we got it covered. Hopefully that saves our swords and crypts. This might just be wishful thinking, but I could've sworn I saw a bit of pearling going on after we placed the tabs in the substrate. We've never seen any sorry of pearling in our tank.

I wonder if a place that is open 24 hours a day, like Walmart, would have light timers... Looks like we will be looking for a few pipettes or syringes while we are there and hydrogen peroxide as well.

Thanks again for your help! I really hope we can bring our plants back to life and start enjoying a planted tank instead of constantly being disappointed with dead plants.

 

[tiger terror]

The seachem line is a good one but will cost several times more than dry ferts...the green fert package I purchased for $20 has lasted well over a year&provides the total nutrients needed for healthy plants...

 

[Rivercats]

API CO2 booster, Excel, and Metricide 14 are all glutaraldehyde. I've used Metricide 14 for years. ALL liquid carbons last 12 to 24 hours in solution which is why you have to dose them daily. So basically you can pay for a name brand or use the generic Metricide. Also Metricide comes with an "activator" bottle which you throw away. It is the activator bottle that makes it a 14 day sterilizing solution. I've been in the hobby over 30 years and you can check out my tanks here..... Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Albums. I use Glut (Metricide 14) in all my tanks. What determines how long liquid carbon stays in solution in a tank depends on your stocking levels (the higher the bioload the faster it breaks down) and how many plants and the type of plants you use. I wouldn't suggest using a product that isn't safe. Tons of people on this forum use Metricide 14.

Sure you can use Seachem's line but it's going to cost you a lot of money in that size tank. Using the dry ferts is not only cheaper but easier since after you mix your solutions you dose the same amount daily unlike the Seachem line which you have to dose various ones only a certain amount of times each week. Plus using dry ferts you get all the macro and micro nutrients plants need.

Root tabs only need to be used next to the Crypts, Swords, or bulb plants in your tank. They do not need to be placed throughout the entire substrate. Then you add new root tabs to the plants every 45 to 60 days or as the directions say to add them.

 

[Lady_Alia]

How do you know which plants feed through the roots and which feed through the leaves?

What is pearling?

I have rams, so I can't use anything that raises nitrates, can I?

If I use the powder (which I'm all for cheaper), I have to dose every day?

I just got plants two days ago so it's almost like ya are speaking French. I'm so overwhelmed!

 

[GIZMOSPAZZ]

Thank you, Rivercats! We will definitely get some of those ferts and think of replacing the Glut product when the Excel is empty. You have been very informative!!
Lady_Alia:
A little bit of research with Google will fill you in on whether your plants are root feeders or not.
Pearling is when plants get those tiny bubbles on them that rise to the top of the tank. It's a sign of them being healthy. If I'm not mistaken, it is the oxygen being released.
I don't know anything about Rams, and I'm quite a newbie myself with plants. I'm just trying to read up as much as I can on plant nutrients. Google and forums with people sharing their experiences are your best friends!
From what I understand, you have to dose ferts every day. Maybe not the same ferts each day though. This is just what I'm gathering from research and Rivercats.
My boyfriend and I have been trying to keep plants alive for around 5 months now. We failed to keep anacharis alive in our 10g tank. We tried over and over again, but we never could keep it alive. It's quite frustrating when some people say that it's so easy to grow, it would probably grow in the back of the toilet. We never dosed the 10g and had one T8 bulb though. Now we are failing to keep a variety of plants alive in our newly cycled 55g.
Good luck with your new plants.

Thanks again, Rivercats, for your advice!

 

[Lady_Alia]

Thank you, Rivercats! We will definitely get some of those ferts and think of replacing the Glut product when the Excel is empty. You have been very informative!!
Lady_Alia:
A little bit of research with Google will fill you in on whether your plants are root feeders or not.
Pearling is when plants get those tiny bubbles on them that rise to the top of the tank. It's a sign of them being healthy. If I'm not mistaken, it is the oxygen being released.
I don't know anything about Rams, and I'm quite a newbie myself with plants. I'm just trying to read up as much as I can on plant nutrients. Google and forums with people sharing their experiences are your best friends!
From what I understand, you have to dose ferts every day. Maybe not the same ferts each day though. This is just what I'm gathering from research and Rivercats.
My boyfriend and I have been trying to keep plants alive for around 5 months now. We failed to keep anacharis alive in our 10g tank. We tried over and over again, but we never could keep it alive. It's quite frustrating when some people say that it's so easy to grow, it would probably grow in the back of the toilet. We never dosed the 10g and had one T8 bulb though. Now we are failing to keep a variety of plants alive in our newly cycled 55g.
Good luck with your new plants.

Thanks again, Rivercats, for your advice!

Good luck to you as well.

I've researched on google and true to the Internet am getting conflicting text. Heck, I showed a pic of one of my plants to 3 different people and got three different answers lol. It's hard knowing what's fact and what isn't.