I have fairly new plants purchased online. Well the val I ordered doesn't look good i keep having to trim it back hoping it will start growing. But I've noticed this mess on my plants and some decorations. At first I was thinking its just from the plant not doing well through transport in the heat but I'm becoming concerned about fungus or something else going on. I also have some telanthera rosefolia that is getting kind of a darker hue to it. Maybe im paranoid and I just need to keep cleaning the tank until the plants adjust and recover but I would like yalls opinion bc i would hate for something else to be going on and my fish be at risk
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- Thread starter RNbowmom
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A few possibilities can help you. Too much light. Too much flake food, not enough water changing.
Plants are frequently grown in a greenhouse environment in the air, not in water. It takes time for the plants to adjust from the change.
New leaves will grow.
If you have any really fuzzy leaves from algae or yellowing from the change in environment, just pinch it off. The leaves wouldn't be helping the plant.
Try setting a timer for on and off times. One way of setting it is 3-5 hours on, then off for a couple or few hours (a siesta), then back on again in the evening, or while you are enjoying them in the evening.
You might want to see if the light bulb has a listing of what the K (Kelvin) rating is. K ratings generally around 5000K or above seem to be the better ones for growing plants. The color spectrum of the light has to do with it as well, but most often the daylight spectrum has less yellow and green. (Much more info to know and a big generalization).
Some aquarium lights are made just to give the tank some light to see the fish, and some are created with a color spectrum for growing plants.
Not all but many flake foods are full of fillers also seem to have phosphates which help fuel algae growth. Feeding strategies would be less food, in divided feedings like 2 per day, or 3 times a day if young fish. This helps make sure the fish eat what they get and little food is wasted.
Changing the water frequently will help.
Article for keeping fish. Check out the articles for growing plants too!
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/planted-tank-basics/
Plants are frequently grown in a greenhouse environment in the air, not in water. It takes time for the plants to adjust from the change.
New leaves will grow.
If you have any really fuzzy leaves from algae or yellowing from the change in environment, just pinch it off. The leaves wouldn't be helping the plant.
Try setting a timer for on and off times. One way of setting it is 3-5 hours on, then off for a couple or few hours (a siesta), then back on again in the evening, or while you are enjoying them in the evening.
You might want to see if the light bulb has a listing of what the K (Kelvin) rating is. K ratings generally around 5000K or above seem to be the better ones for growing plants. The color spectrum of the light has to do with it as well, but most often the daylight spectrum has less yellow and green. (Much more info to know and a big generalization).
Some aquarium lights are made just to give the tank some light to see the fish, and some are created with a color spectrum for growing plants.
Not all but many flake foods are full of fillers also seem to have phosphates which help fuel algae growth. Feeding strategies would be less food, in divided feedings like 2 per day, or 3 times a day if young fish. This helps make sure the fish eat what they get and little food is wasted.
Changing the water frequently will help.
Article for keeping fish. Check out the articles for growing plants too!
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/planted-tank-basics/
oops, forgot this one
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/so-you-want-a-planted-aquarium/
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/so-you-want-a-planted-aquarium/
I'm not sure what Kelvin my light is but its 1984 lumens and is full spectrum. My tank gets co2. Couldn't tell you how much honestly it is diy but I go off their response and my sprites and rosefolia took off as soon as I finished rebuilding my system on both sides of the tank. I go off growth, ph change, and how well my plants are respirating. My fertilizer is flourite my tank is mildly planted i would say. Oh my light phases on starting at 730am and fades out at 630pm. I have a hygger here are the specs:
①LIGHT SIZE:60*10*2.2cm. ②APPLICATION: 24~30inch. ③INPUT VOTAGE: AC100-240V. ④OUTPUT VOTAGE
C15V. ⑥LED QUANTITY:112PCS. ⑦RENDERING INDEX:89. ⑧LUMENS:1984. ⑨Color temp:6500-10000K.
This is a 30 gallon I have two juvenile rainbowfish and am saving for a larger tank so I hope I can propagate these plants well. I bought them from aquarium plants and the ones not doing well arrived looking crummy. Maybe I should trim them more significantly?
①LIGHT SIZE:60*10*2.2cm. ②APPLICATION: 24~30inch. ③INPUT VOTAGE: AC100-240V. ④OUTPUT VOTAGE
C15V. ⑥LED QUANTITY:112PCS. ⑦RENDERING INDEX:89. ⑧LUMENS:1984. ⑨Color temp:6500-10000K.This is a 30 gallon I have two juvenile rainbowfish and am saving for a larger tank so I hope I can propagate these plants well. I bought them from aquarium plants and the ones not doing well arrived looking crummy. Maybe I should trim them more significantly?
I'm not sure what Kelvin my light is but its 1984 lumens and is full spectrum. My tank gets co2. Couldn't tell you how much honestly it is diy but I go off their response and my sprites and rosefolia took off as soon as I finished rebuilding my system on both sides of the tank. I go off growth, ph change, and how well my plants are respirating. My fertilizer is flourite my tank is mildly planted i would say. Oh my light phases on starting at 730am and fades out at 630pm. I have a hygger here are the specs:
①LIGHT SIZE:60*10*2.2cm. ②APPLICATION: 24~30inch. ③INPUT VOTAGE: AC100-240V. ④OUTPUT VOTAGE
This is a 30 gallon I have two juvenile rainbowfish and am saving for a larger tank so I hope I can propagate these plants well. I bought them from aquarium plants and the ones not doing well arrived looking crummy. Maybe I should trim them more significantly?
The K / Kelvin rating is at the end of your light description [⑨Color temp:6500-10000K]! The color is good, as you say it is a full spectrum which is also helpful. Better color according to when I glanced at the Hygger color spectrum chart.
I would still suggest a siesta if you can program it that way, it is said to disrupt the algae growing cycle.
Plants pearling /respirating is also good! The CO2 might be a little low or you just need more plants. I don't use CO2 (know a little but not very much), someone with better knowledge and experience hopefully will chime in for that. As well as fertilizing with CO2.
What about your feeding?
In regards to trimming the plants, any deadish, brownish, transparent yellow leaves aren't actively growing and can not help the plant grow bigger or better.
Just saw a video at Dustins Fishtanks. You can fast forward to the pertinent parts...
They have a cute turtle at minute 4:53, but what I saw was the part which starts at 6:12 which talks about the differences and growing habits of new and challenged plants.
One point is that the roots should be growing after a couple to few weeks, and then growing new leaves! It is nice to see examples of how it can get better!
In the video the Elodea you can see poor looking stems growing new healthy green plant stems and leaves!
Thx so much I will try the break. It is programmed to fade in over a couple hours and fade out by 630. It is highly customizable though. Looks like I need to do more drastic trimming as I think it was damaged in transport. The other plants I received were fine but all my val was like rotting when I got it. Hope I can save it. Oh BTW tank maintenance I vacuum once in the middle of the week and do a 33%-ish water change each weekend. Obviously I do a little when I vacuum during the week too and top it back up with aged water. Not long after I got them maybe five days I had to clean my filter intake and change my floss. Well i changed one and rinsed the other as well i could in the aquarium water from vacuuming. I was feeding flakes. My little boy rainbow is a jerk and hogs the food. The flakes she has more chance to eat. I have since switched back to mostly brine shrimp and blood worms.
I do have some algea which I expected with a well nourished tank and not having a lot of plants yet. I mostly find it on the tank walls and after three weeks or a month I'll get some on decorations. I stay pretty well on top of cleaning it i thought. I dont notice any on my healthy plant leaves. Reducing light time will help im sure. Thanks for your advice and videos and such. Really helpful
I do have some algea which I expected with a well nourished tank and not having a lot of plants yet. I mostly find it on the tank walls and after three weeks or a month I'll get some on decorations. I stay pretty well on top of cleaning it i thought. I dont notice any on my healthy plant leaves. Reducing light time will help im sure. Thanks for your advice and videos and such. Really helpful
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