What’s wrong with my planted tank

[rayoddballfish]

Your jungle Val is acting similar to my jungle Val, but my Italian Val sent runners. Since these plants are low light plants you won’t need to add a brighter light, though it could help for faster growth. More ferts like root tabs should help.

Sounds good. Just dosed more frets!

 

[Red Cichlids]

It looks to me like you have hard water. The hygro plants look quite yellow, which is a result of a shortage of iron due to too much calcium and phosphorus in the water. I have very hard water, but my crypts and anubias thrive. The val plants I tried always faded away over time.

Four ideas:
1. if you want to grow more types of plants, including val, try using 75% reverse osmosis water
2. Fertilize with iron only
3. increase your light to 12 hours a day
4. Get some small algae eaters like bristlenose plecostomus.

Here is a planted tank with very hard water using the parameters above. I have four light fixtures on it, but use tap water and no CO2.

 

[rayoddballfish]

It looks to me like you have hard water. The hygro plants look quite yellow, which is a result of a shortage of iron due to too much calcium and phosphorus in the water. I have very hard water, but my crypts and anubias thrive. The val plants I tried always faded away over time.

Three ideas:
1. if you want to grow more types of plants, including val, try using 75% reverse osmosis water
2. Fertilize with iron only
3. increase your light to 12 hours a day

Here is a planted tank with very hard water using the parameters above. I have four light fixtures on it, but use tap water and no CO2.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I’m in NJ so my water is pretty hard. I don’t think RO water is a viable option for me since I don’t have a RO system and honestly don’t want to spend money on water lol. I think I will probably dose iron and increase lighting. Thanks for advice!

 

[deeda]

The Vals need to be planted so the crowns are above the substrate otherwise they won't do well and may rot.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

The Vals need to be planted so the crowns are above the substrate otherwise they won't do well and may rot.

Pretty much like anubias and Java fern. The thick chunky part needs to be able to breathe otherwise it'll choke out the plant. The roots themselves are fine under the sand or gravel but the thick horizontal stem like part can't be buried completely.

I had to learn all this out the hard way myself lol can't believe how many plants I've accidently killed just because of poor research.

 

[rayoddballfish]

The Vals need to be planted so the crowns are above the substrate otherwise they won't do well and may rot.

Thanks for the input. Only thought this was true for swords and crypts lol. Will bring the Val up ASAP!!

 

[rayoddballfish]

It looks to me like you have hard water. The hygro plants look quite yellow, which is a result of a shortage of iron due to too much calcium and phosphorus in the water. I have very hard water, but my crypts and anubias thrive. The val plants I tried always faded away over time.

Four ideas:
1. if you want to grow more types of plants, including val, try using 75% reverse osmosis water
2. Fertilize with iron only
3. increase your light to 12 hours a day
4. Get some small algae eaters like bristlenose plecostomus.

Here is a planted tank with very hard water using the parameters above. I have four light fixtures on it, but use tap water and no CO2.
View attachment 1422453View attachment 1422454

Great tank btw!!

 

[Niki_up]

I can see no one has suggested this and I think it’s worth a try....stop dosing the flourish excel...it is famous for killing vals.

my vals do best with root tabs (2x a year), higher temperatures (80-82), and a good 6500k light. That’s it that’s all, given a bit of time they will over run your tank.

If your fish can’t handle higher temperatures then obviously you should t raise the temp.

I keep mine in hard water with No problems.

 

[Bluesandtwo]

Perhaps some CO2..? Wouldn't necessarily need a mega expensive pressurised tank.. There are plenty of cheap biological reaction setups put there - I've just set one up myself and very happy with it.

 

[rayoddballfish]

I can see no one has suggested this and I think it’s worth a try....stop dosing the flourish excel...it is famous for killing vals.

my vals do best with root tabs (2x a year), higher temperatures (80-82), and a good 6500k light. That’s it that’s all, given a bit of time they will over run your tank.

If your fish can’t handle higher temperatures then obviously you should t raise the temp.

I keep mine in hard water with No problems.

I can see no one has suggested this and I think it’s worth a try....stop dosing the flourish excel...it is famous for killing vals.

my vals do best with root tabs (2x a year), higher temperatures (80-82), and a good 6500k light. That’s it that’s all, given a bit of time they will over run your tank.
So I know that flourish excel is known to kill Val, but I only dose it since my Val has looked the
If your fish can’t handle higher temperatures then obviously you should t raise the temp.

I keep mine in hard water with No problems.

Thanks for the reply! I know that excel can melt Val and I’ve dozed very little: half the recommended amount. I’ll be more wary with it tho! I think temp may be a great point. Since no fish are in the tank yet, I have no heater, so temp are around 65-70 F. I’ll def being temp up and see if it makes a diff.