Plant help

[Kevin78]

About a little over a week into my new planted tank and getting it cycled for fish, my plants have progressively gotten worse.

Day 3 of the cycle, I over did it on the ammonia. Day 4 when I tested, it took a few water changes to get it down to 4ppm. Not sure if that caused this or not.

The first week, the plants had a very underpowered led light on them until my finnex planted 24/7hcl arrived.

I've put some roots tabs in the substrate along with dosing of aquarium coop ap fertilizer every few days and when I did my water changes, I did half doses.

I'm not sure if this is melting or plain dying.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Aiken Drum]

Plants melting when they first go into a tank is normal. New growth should be tolerant of being submerged, so give some time first.

 

[Kevin78]

Ok. They just look terrible and it's definitely disheartening.
I did order some carbon and iron from aquarium coop to have on hand. When they come in, should I add either, both or neither?

 

[Aiken Drum]

I think its a bit early to tell if there are specific deficiencies. The root tabs and fertiliser will help them long term, but they need to acclaimate to their new conditions. They will have been cultivated immersed rather than submerged, and had readily available CO2 from the atmosphere that has suddenly disappeared. Its possible you will lose all the original growth, but look out for new growth in the next few weeks.

 

[Kevin78]

So all the ones that look dead, when/if should I trim the dead off?

 

[Aiken Drum]

If it looks dead trim it off. You want the plant concentrating on new growth rather than supporting dead and dying growth. As long as there is something there the plant is viable. Ive even known plants to melt right down to the root and recover.

 

[Kevin78]

Yeah, some do look dead right down to the substrate.

 

[Aiken Drum]

What you will find is that some plants will thrive and others will not do so well. Personally i dont go looking for solutions for the plants that dont do well. I simply remove them and concentrate on the plants that do well in my set up.

Sticking to low tech plants like java fern, java moss, amazon swords, crypts, anubias, etc give you the best chances of success with low tech set ups.

 

[Kevin78]

I'm surprised the anubias Nana petite is looking rough.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Are they planted in the substrate?

 

[Kevin78]

The anubias is glued to rock and driftwood

 

[Aiken Drum]

Just make sure the rhyzome isnt buried or covered by substrate after you place the driftwood/rock. Ive stopped gluing rhyzome plants now and tie wrap them to plant weights and drop them in place with a rock or something in front to hide the roots/plant weight. Makes it easier to take out for periodic plant maintenance if i dont have to pull out whatever the plant is attached to as well.

 

[Kevin78]

I made sure they are well above the substrate.