Plants, algae fish and ghost shrimp

[Lars1985]

Sorry I will not be able to attach pictures till tonight and my pictures are not very good anyways so I will best try to explain.

I have 4 anubias bulbs in my 20 gallon tank. It is out of sunlight and gets around 7 hours a day of basic fluorescent lighting. I would probably say 25 watt bulb, but I would have to check when I get home.

I have about 5 ghost shrimp in the tank. It is fully cycled and the first anubias I have had for the longest time is starting to turn brown. I notice some slight algae on the plant as well.

My question I guess is why is my plant turning brown. It is growing new leaves, but I am concern. It seems like one of the other bulb is starting to get brown as well.

My substrate I understand is less than idea and the pet store of course recommended a supplement (Flourish Excel).

I guess my only arguement is that plants do not have supplements in the wild? But I am a noob to raising plants so any advice would be helpful

The ghost shrimp are great tank mates and my final off topic concern is would it be possible to get a side sucker or even a cory to clean the side of the tank without them munching on my shrimp.

Sorry I am attached to $33 cent fish.

 

[bluerose]

If you have algae on the side of your tank, get a Mag-Float- easier than fish (they never seem to clean where you want them to).

Otherwise otos might be a good idea (cories aren't much for algae eating on the walls).

Be careful with the Excel- I had a bit of a tough time with my plants while dosing it. I think that's also the wrong fert- you want regular Flourish 'comprehensive' if you have substrate without nutrients.

 

[neilanh]

You're pictures will help. By brown, do you mean there's an algae growing on them? This is very common with Anubias' because of how slow the leaves grow once they open up. BGA is the algae that's most common, and you can look it up. Nerite snails do a great job on it.

If by brown you mean the leaves are rotting, that's a different issue which is usually indicative of a nutrient deficiency. Anubias, however, aren't heavy feeders, so this would surprise me a little bit - but it is still possible.

By bulb, I assume you mean the Rhizome, which is the long cylinder looking thing that the leaves are growing out of. Anubias' cannot tolerate the rhizome being burried, so if it is, just lift up on the plant until it is completed exposed to the water column. The roots can be buried or forced to attach to rocks or wood, but not the rhizome.

 

[Lars1985]

If you have algae on the side of your tank, get a Mag-Float- easier than fish (they never seem to clean where you want them to).

Otherwise otos might be a good idea (cories aren't much for algae eating on the walls).

Be careful with the Excel- I had a bit of a tough time with my plants while dosing it. I think that's also the wrong fert- you want regular Flourish 'comprehensive' if you have substrate without nutrients.

Do those mag floats really work? I thought they were a gimmick. I got a scrubber. A really nice one for glass tanks. Works good except once i pull the scrubber out it retains water and thus drips everywhere.

If those mag floats are as good as you say though I may pick one up.

My LFS said the Excel Flourish has an anti algae.

Pictures will probably make the most sense. If anything I would say it is the leaves rotting away, but I will have pictures tonight.

 

[sumpnfishy]

I've been using one for years. Even works on my curved front tank (length wise pointed up/down).

If I get a buildup, I use it to clean the glass and then do a water change. Tank looks great within a few hours afterwards.

 

[bluerose]

The Excel does help with some algae IIRC, but can kill plants if they're sensitive to it. The Anubias should be ok but don't overdose heavily. (I have however had great success putting a few drops on the inside Mag-Float and scrubbing away on the glass- algae stayed away for a couple of weeks and is now only coming back right around the driftwood where it touches the glass.)

I brought up the 'comprehensive' because for regular fertilizing Excel won't do the job (unless you're low in carbon, which for Anubias isn't generally the issue I think...)