Plants are dying

[Rivercats]

If they are holes in the leaves that indicates a potassium deficiency. Your plants need macro and micro ferts. You need to read the fertilizer your using to see if it has macro nutrients in it: nitrate, phosphate, and potassium. I dose with dry fertilizers via the PPS-Pro system daily so I know my plants are getting both macro and micro nutrients. Seachem has a line of liquid ferts that you can get for dosing individual macro nutrients, although they are expensive IMO.

 

[calfishguy]

If they are holes in the leaves that indicates a potassium deficiency. Your plants need macro and micro ferts. You need to read the fertilizer your using to see if it has macro nutrients in it: nitrate, phosphate, and potassium. I dose with dry fertilizers via the PPS-Pro system daily so I know my plants are getting both macro and micro nutrients. Seachem has a line of liquid ferts that you can get for dosing individual macro nutrients, although they are expensive IMO.

It doesn't have any macro nutrients jn it. Should I be buying one.

 

[Rivercats]

It doesn't have any macro nutrients jn it. Should I be buying one.

I would say yes. I don't know alot about liquid ferts since I use dry ferts which are way cheaper but in a small tank liquid ferts are the easiest. Check out the seachem line and ask to see if anyone else knows of a good brand. I know in the seachem lines they sell each macro nutrient seperately.

 

[calfishguy]

I would say yes. I don't know alot about liquid ferts since I use dry ferts which are way cheaper but in a small tank liquid ferts are the easiest. Check out the seachem line and ask to see if anyone else knows of a good brand. I know in the seachem lines they sell each macro nutrient seperately.

Would I need al three from the seachem brand.

 

[Rivercats]

Personally I would start with the Flourish Potassium. Do you have a nitrate and phosphate test kit? Reason I'm asking is you can test your water for both and the results will tell you if you need Flourish Nitrogen (nitrate) and or the Flourish Phosphorus (potassium). Most tanks naturally have nitrates and phosphates from fish waste and food so you depending on your tanks levels you may only need the potassium.

 

[Wroberson]

Too much NO3 and too much PO4 can cause the plants to lock up and have trouble with taking up macronutrients. Check the list of minertals and stop using anything that has NO3. You'll get more than enough from the biofilter. Also, too much Iron will cause the plant to have trouble using nicronutrients.

The crypt situation sound fairly normal. They don;t like being moved very often. They generally come back. The swords can come back after being through tough times. If the sword are in pots, get them out and bare root the plants in the gravel.

I use trace and potassium in small amounts. 5-10 ml every 10-14 days in a 125 gallon tank. I also use flourish iron in even smaller amounts. Plants are doing great.

I suggest placing the plants where you want them feed some trace and potassium (K) and let them alone for a month or two to allow new roots to form making the plants stronger. After 2-3 months you can move them around and repeat.

Good Luck!

 

[calfishguy]

I will try to buy root tabs and flourish potassium next weekend. I can't do it this weekend as I am busy with swimming. Do you think that the plants will survive till then.

 

[Rivercats]

If they aren't too bad they should but they most likely will get worse looking.

 

[Ahisma]

Apologies for my niavity, I am currently trying to balance my pH and I am curious as to how the driftwood would help
Thanks in advance.

It must depend on the type of driftwood because mine did not alter the ph at all either. Some of my plants are beginning to die off as well... Some are doing great...

 

[Dreadz]

It must depend on the type of driftwood because mine did not alter the ph at all either. Some of my plants are beginning to die off as well... Some are doing great...

As I understand it driftwood does nothing for your ph but bogwood will lower ph. It will leach tannins into your water changing its colour to a tea-like brown/red but at the same time lowering ph by the release of tannic acids. The colour change is harmless but running carbon in your filter can help to remove the colour. You can reduce the colouring effect by soaking the wood before you add it to your aquarium.
You could also try alder cones or Indian almond leaves. Both lower ph by the same process of release of tannic acid but the almond leaves are reported to have other helpful properties in that they aid healing and prevent fungal infection in damaged tissues due to the compounds they leach into the water and are reported to also encourage certain species to spawn

 

[Ahisma]

I have read that about Indian almond leaves. It seems like it would take a lot of work to maintain the ph with those though. I'm glad my drift wood doesn't alter the ph.... It leaches a ton of tannins and has been for months now.

 

[calfishguy]

I have read that about Indian almond leaves. It seems like it would take a lot of work to maintain the ph with those though. I'm glad my drift wood doesn't alter the ph.... It leaches a ton of tannins and has been for months now.

If you want to get rid of the tannins purigen by seachem has worked wonders for me.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I concur. Purigen is like magic when it comes to removing tannins.

 

[Kursed]

Glad I came back and read this before I went shopping tomorrow! Was going to go and buy a nice chunk of drift wood to stable my ph. Will look into bog wood now!

I got a bit confused by all of the above... If I do choose to get some drift wood for decorative purposes, will that affect my water in any way?

 

[calfishguy]

Glad I came back and read this before I went shopping tomorrow! Was going to go and buy a nice chunk of drift wood to stable my ph. Will look into bog wood now!

I got a bit confused by all of the above... If I do choose to get some drift wood for decorative purposes, will that affect my water in any way?

Chemically no however esthetics yes you will have tannins.

 

[Kursed]

Chemically no however esthetics yes you will have tannins.

And I can reduce tannins by cleaning and soaking the driftwood first or adding a carbon filter?

 

[Rivercats]

My driftwood has never affected Ph and not all driftwood leeches tannins. But you can either soak it, some boil it, or you can just add it and use carbon or Purgen in your filter to remove tannins from the water.

 

[Kursed]

My driftwood has never affected Ph and not all driftwood leeches tannins. But you can either soak it, some boil it, or you can just add it and use carbon or Purgen in your filter to remove tannins from the water.

Great, thanks

Now to work out where I can source some bog wood

 

[Bearchumjs]

And I can reduce tannins by cleaning and soaking the driftwood first or adding a carbon filter?

Boiling it will remove tannins faster than soaking. What I did with mine was boil it for 10-20 mins, pour off the water, refill it, boil it etc. for 2 days. I let it soak in water over night.

Carbon will help a little but if you want your water really clear and not tea colored at all purigen is the way to go. I had carbon in my filters and it took about 3 days after my weekly pwc for the water to turn tea colored. Plus, purigen can be recharged and reused. The seachem website tells how to do it.

 

[Kursed]

Boiling it will remove tannins faster than soaking. What I did with mine was boil it for 10-20 mins, pour off the water, refill it, boil it etc. for 2 days. I let it soak in water over night.

Carbon will help a little but if you want your water really clear and not tea colored at all purigen is the way to go. I had carbon in my filters and it took about 3 days after my weekly pwc for the water to turn tea colored. Plus, purigen can be recharged and reused. The seachem website tells how to do it.

Great! Thanks! I'm not
Fussed about perfect clear water but I don't want it too brown so will treat as above first

Thank you