Plants need help

[Batgirl]

My plants don't look good I need some advice on how to help them.

I'm not sure what kind of light I have because I bought it with the tank on Craigslist. The light says "Model# 1106 T5 SlimPaq Retrofit NOVA(TM but the TM is tiny and at the top) 48(.. Also tiny and at the top)28w10,000K Daylight.
The light is also blue if that helps.

I'm not sure what plants I have because Petco didn't know. I think I have java fern.

I have NUTRAFIN PLANT GRO micro-nutrients fertilizer but I just got it so I haven't been using it.

I don't have a macro nutrients fertilizer (I'm not sure if that's the right word). Or root tabs. I also don't have a light timer so the light occasionally doesn't come on for a day.
I feel like the above listed are the reasons my plants aren't doing well but I only have 20$ to spend.

What is my biggest problem with my plants?
What is the cheapest way to go about fixing my problems?
What kind of light do I have?
What can I do/move to make my tank look better?
What are my plants?

Thanks in advance for all you guys help!

 

[Batgirl]

Also one of my plants I have going through an upside down pot. The pot was on the bottom of the tank.
Is the reason that plant looks so much worse, than the other plants that look like it, because there wasn't much if any water flow getting to it?

 

[flitabout]

Where to start. I guess I will go with the color. The blue is your first issue you need to have bulbs that are in the 6500k range. Colored bulbs are not meant to grow plants. If you continue to use them your plants are going to die. I would also remove the plant from the pot. If you can't remember to turn the lights on then you need to get a timer. I wouldn't even bother with the ferts until you have proper not colored lighting. You may grow algae instead. But with that lighting I don't even know if you'll be able to grow that.

What is my biggest problem with my plants? The colored lights
What is the cheapest way to go about fixing my problems? new bulbs
What kind of light do I have? T5 I am guessing NOs
What can I do/move to make my tank look better? Better lights It's really hard to tell what you can do until you have better lighting to actually see the tank properly
What are my plants? I see java fern I can't really tell what the other is because it's leaves are all falling out from lack of correct light type. Java fern is good in low light.

 

[Mebbid]

What is my biggest problem with my plants?
What is the cheapest way to go about fixing my problems?
What kind of light do I have?
What can I do/move to make my tank look better?
What are my plants?

1. It's likely that your plants were grown emersed if you bought them from pet co. Aquarium plants generally have 2 different types of growth; one for growing on land and the other for growing under water. The ones that are grown on land are easier to grow and spread so that's what is usually sold. If your plants came in the plastic tubes then this is exactly what you got.

2. I don't think there's a whole lot you can do on a $20 budget to fix the issue at hand.

3. You have a 10000k T8 light. While the light spectrum is okay, the light is a low powered one.

4. It depends on what you decide equipment wise and budget wise.

5. You definitely have a nice looking java fern. In the next picture it looks to be a ludwigia of some sort.



The plant that is losing leaves at the bottom is losing them due to lack of light. If I'm right and that's a ludwigia then it's a medium light plant and there's not much you an do without an upgrade.

With having low light fertilizers aren't something you will need to worry about. Instead choosing the right plants is an absolutely necessary step in having a healthily planted tank. Plants such as Java fern, java moss, anubias, bolbitis, and some crypts such as a bronze wendtii would work well for you.

 

[Batgirl]

Could I stack some rocks up and put the plants that need higher light in a pot on top of the rocks? So they get more light. It would be temporary just so they live until I have more money.

 

[Batgirl]

This is the plant that was in the upside down pot on the ground, I now have the pot propped up and the roots hanging out.

Will the plant recover?
Was the pot the problem?

Also the plants weren't from the tubes.

 

[flitabout]

It's a java fern. It may be ok if you get it under better lighting. The leaf itself is most likely done for. If you only have $20 to spend got to petsmart and get at least 1 good bulb. Take a look at the fixture and see if it's a t5 ho or just a regular t5. Just get it in the 6500k rating.

 

[Mebbid]

A 48" 24w bulb is t8. Also, the 10000k rating bulb over this tank is fine for low light plants. I started my planted tank out with a 10000k and an actinic blue bulb and my plants grew fine. 6500k however is optimal. There I one thing you can do instead of replacing the bulb. There are clip on shop lights that you can buy for $8 - $10. With those you can put spiral CFL bulbs in and they give decent light. I use them for half a dozen different things. Just be sure to get as close to 6500k on bulb temp as you can.

 

[flitabout]

I don't think that is actinic it looks like it's literally a blue bulb. as far as the bulb type the pic is really fuzzy and hard to read. I don't know the intense blue might just be the picture.

 

[Batgirl]

The intense blue is just the picture, I think I dropped my phone one to many times and now the pictures are coming out blue, spotty, or red. I can't get a better picture of the label (camera agein) but I typed it out in the first post.

I don't mind upgrading the lights but I don't want to upgrade the lights twice and already have plans to get a light that I can use to grow med light plants when I have the money.

Is there a way to make the plants that I have now survive until I get the money to upgrade to medium light plants?

Are medium light plants much more expeinsive?

I'm sorry for my long post. Thank you guys for all your help!

 

[flitabout]

That's what we're here for it to help. You can keep plants under actinic but most of the spectrum isn't useable for plants. All but 10% is just wasted. I would still suggest at least 1 new bulb in a roseate to get more of the red side of the spectrum that the plants can use. I like these for plants. Aquarium Lighting T-5 HO Florescent Bulbs: D-D Giesemann Powerchrome Aquaflora T5 Fluorescent Lamps

 

[Batgirl]

Are either of these a good light?

Aqueon floramax plant growth 48" 32 watt lamp t8 freshwater

Aqueon full spectrum daylight 48"L 32 watt lamp t8 freshwater full spectrum daylight

 

[Mebbid]

I guess if you really want the floramax bulb would be your best bet for growing plants. However, as I already pointed out; the intensity of the light is the issue you are having rather than the spectrum. Simply put the light fixture isn't powerful enough for some of the plants that you have. I've also pointed out that I had a lot of growth in my tank using a 10000k bulb which is what you have if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Batgirl]

Those were the only options at PetSupermarket but I'd rather get a good bulb I just need to find one cheaply.

What should I look for as far as intensity goes?

 

[Mebbid]

Those were the only options at PetSupermarket but I'd rather get a good bulb I just need to find one cheaply.

What should I look for as far as intensity goes?

Assuming this is for a 55g tank the t8 bulbs will give you low light levels. The next step up will be a dual t5ho fixture which you can expect to cost about $100. This will give you a medium light level over the tank and is what I use over mine.

 

[Batgirl]

Yes it for a 55 gallon.
About how much would a dual t5ho fixture be for a 10 gallon?

 

[Mebbid]

Dual t5ho would be overkill for a 10g imho. The level of light gets higher the closer to the fixture. So what would be medium light for a 21" tall tank such as the 55g would be high to very high for 12" tall tank.

If you want a medium light level for a 10g tank I would suggest going with AquaVibrant

 

[Batgirl]

Is there anyway I can save the plants while spending around 20$?
Would a windowsill tank work?

 

[Batgirl]

I also got 2 more unknown light fixtures when I got my tank.
One says SYLVANIA Cool White 20W ATTS F20T12/CW.
The other says SYLVANIA Warm White 20W AT28 F20T12/WW/RP.

What are these?
Will these help?

 

[Mebbid]

A 48" 24w bulb is t8. Also, the 10000k rating bulb over this tank is fine for low light plants. I started my planted tank out with a 10000k and an actinic blue bulb and my plants grew fine. 6500k however is optimal. There I one thing you can do instead of replacing the bulb. There are clip on shop lights that you can buy for $8 - $10. With those you can put spiral CFL bulbs in and they give decent light. I use them for half a dozen different things. Just be sure to get as close to 6500k on bulb temp as you can.

Is there anyway I can save the plants while spending around 20$?
Would a windowsill tank work?

See my above post ^

Its the cheapest method but doesn't look very good. You could also write the plants off and go with the low light plants I suggested earlier.