So I have some bannana plants in my 6'x30"x18" tank and the leaves are turning magenta/red and seem to be dying. My current light is a 200w 4' 4 bulb t5 that hangs about 20" above the tank. Am I burning the bannana plants or am I missing nutrients?
Bannana plants turning red
- Thread starter reddead38
- Start date
So the lights are hanging 20 inches over the top of the tank? T5-HO lights usually are only ideal when they are at least 20 inches from the bottom of the tank. The par rating is probably not enough to reach the banana plant. Try moving the lights lower and closer to the water surface.
Providing a picture would be very helpful in diagnosing the problem. Sometimes, the longer banana plant leaves can turn red as they get closer to the surface. This is a form of protection from brighter light. In contrast, if the lights are too high from the substrate, your plant(s) aren't getting enough light to properly photosynthesize. If you say that they're dying back, there's clearly an imbalance somewhere. How is your dosing regimen for ferts (micros/macros)? Seeing a picture of the tank, and knowing what your maintenance schedule looks like would be helpful.
You might consider lowering the fixture in order to increase PAR. Is this a large fish set up w/ a few plants, or are you going for a densely planted "high growth" aquarium. If you're going for the latter, you will most likely need to adjust the fixture so that more light reaches the substrate. The chart below is a great reference point when determining light strength/intensity in aquariums. *Disclaimer, the image is NOT mine.
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Actually going for the former. Large fish some plants mostly to create some shade since the t5s are insanely bright. I was planning on attaching the bannana plants to some driftwood once it finally sinks and I was also trying to do a couple of dwarf lilies (they seem to be doing better) and right now I have 75% coverage of duckweed. I use a powerhead to keep the duckweed on the opposite side of the tank as the lilies and bannana plants. But eventually if the lilies and bannana plants take off I will remove the duckweed
Mine have a more bronze/gold color leaf than green and are growing fine. If the are newly added they may lose some established growth.
It looks like the Fluval product is primarily a Micro Fert blend. The plants will also require the three Macros (Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphates). In my experience, it isn't too difficult providing the plants Nitrogen and Phosphates (they come from fish food/waste). However, It's probably a good idea to dose some potassium. You can either buy this in dry form online, or pick up some API leaf zone (I believe it has a good amount of potassium). Otherwise, the plants could just still be acclimating. I've found that testing the water weekly is hugely beneficial in regards to knowing which macro ferts are required.
