I've had a 55 gallon planted tank set up for about 6 months now, and I just can't seem to get my plants to thrive. I keep only beginner plants; the ones that are suppose to grow under almost any conditions (amazon swords, corkscrew val, italian val, jungle val, anubias, java fern, and even a banana plant). And yet, mine refuse to grow, always have brown leaves, and basically look like crap. Even my val (which I was told would grow like wild fire) isn't doing anything. I use flourish and pool filter sand as a substrate and dose flourish excel once a week. My lighting is two 54 watt T5HO bulbs (zoo med ultra sun and flora sun) that are on for 8 hours a day. I do not use CO2 but I have seen a lot of people with beautiful plants that have no CO2 and only have a single T8 for lighting. Does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong?
I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!
- Thread starter KristaM92
- Start date
You only have about two watts of light per gallon. You should leave your lights on longer than eight hours to improve your plant growth. Adding an additional light fixture would also help.
Your plants are hungry. Feed them. Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, micros. Excel provideds a carbon source but you need macro and micro fertilization.
That sounds good. I was mistaken though. I use Seachem Flourish ferts, not excel. Is this still adequate? How often would you recommend dosing? I have an algae problem so that's why I decreased the light to 8 hours. Tonight, I increased the timer to 10 hours. Should I go any higher?
If you have algae, it could need some Co2 whether its from Excel (which i think is a carbon substitute of sorts) or actual Co2 injection...
I know my 200G tank was suffering for a while, then started dosing with ferts and liquid carbon and my plants have really turned around...
I know my 200G tank was suffering for a while, then started dosing with ferts and liquid carbon and my plants have really turned around...
Seachems flourish is good for providing micros but you still need a Nitrogen, Potassium and phosphorus source. Nitrogen can be provided by fish, if the bioload (nitrate) is high enough. Phosphorus will also be provided by the food you feed your fish, if you have enough fish. Potassium needs to be added. Seachem has products to fill this need but dry fertilizers are way cheaper in the long run. So what fish do you have in your tank?
A carbon source will help with the algae. Basically if any one nutrient is missing the plants are limited in growth and this invites algae problems. Providing all the necessary nutrients including a carbon source is the key to a successful planted tank.
Check out this link by Tom Barr on using the Estimative Index for fertilization. It is widely used by many aquascapers to get the stunning plants in their tanks.
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/2819-EI-light-for-those-less-techy-folks
A carbon source will help with the algae. Basically if any one nutrient is missing the plants are limited in growth and this invites algae problems. Providing all the necessary nutrients including a carbon source is the key to a successful planted tank.
Check out this link by Tom Barr on using the Estimative Index for fertilization. It is widely used by many aquascapers to get the stunning plants in their tanks.
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/2819-EI-light-for-those-less-techy-folks
Hello; The sword is a root feeder. In my experience some thing needs to be put into the substrate near the base of the plant. I have kept them in pots with a bit of soil. Currently have one planted in the gravel substrate and put a plant tab in the gravel from time to time.
I pefer a gravel a little coarser than sand, bb or so size. I have tried fine sand but had poor results. I sometimes run the lights more than 12 hours.
I also like to have four inches or more of substrate, another problem when using fine sand.
If you like sand the cheap construction sand can be dry sifted to remove most of the finer stuff. There has always been a variety of particle sizes and it is cheap enough to discard what you do not use. I have sifted sand with kitchen collanders or homemade screens depending on the size particles desired.
I pefer a gravel a little coarser than sand, bb or so size. I have tried fine sand but had poor results. I sometimes run the lights more than 12 hours.
I also like to have four inches or more of substrate, another problem when using fine sand.
If you like sand the cheap construction sand can be dry sifted to remove most of the finer stuff. There has always been a variety of particle sizes and it is cheap enough to discard what you do not use. I have sifted sand with kitchen collanders or homemade screens depending on the size particles desired.
Root tabs will work but the bottom line is your plants are starving for nutrients. Fertilizing the water column will provide nutrients to all the plants, even those with large root systems like the sword plant. Although root tabs work great for these plants and are recommended.
I agree with SKjl47, coarse substrate is prefered. Compacting substrate and the build up of methane can lead to Cyano bacteria and root death. But I use sand and "stir" the sand periodically with a chop stick to release these potential harmful gases from the substrate.
I agree with SKjl47, coarse substrate is prefered. Compacting substrate and the build up of methane can lead to Cyano bacteria and root death. But I use sand and "stir" the sand periodically with a chop stick to release these potential harmful gases from the substrate.
I appreciate all the replies to this thread. 
To answer a few questions...
My stock is a 4" BGK, 5 bolivian rams, 6" jurupari, 5" angelfish, and a 7" farlowella cat. My nitrates are stable at 10 ppm.
I do not use root tabs but I have 3 inches of flourish as a substrate and 2 inches of pool filter sand on top (although over time the flourish has made it's way to the surface). The substrate gets stirred occasionally by myself and my jurupari. lol
So I should try increasing my light and introduce a potassium, phosphorus, and carbon source?
To answer a few questions...
My stock is a 4" BGK, 5 bolivian rams, 6" jurupari, 5" angelfish, and a 7" farlowella cat. My nitrates are stable at 10 ppm.
I do not use root tabs but I have 3 inches of flourish as a substrate and 2 inches of pool filter sand on top (although over time the flourish has made it's way to the surface). The substrate gets stirred occasionally by myself and my jurupari. lol
So I should try increasing my light and introduce a potassium, phosphorus, and carbon source?