Are My Plants Dying?

[pablothebetta]

I bought some plants the other week, it being the first time going for a fully planted tank. However, the plants don't seem to be doing too well.

I don't currently use any form of CO2, but I do dose some 'King British' ferts. I was thinking of buying some easycarbo, would this be advisable?

I'm sorry the photos aren't the best. The smaller echinodorus have a 'scaly' look to them, similar to snakeskin, where they appear to be turning brown along the 'viens' of the plants.

When I bought the plants, I'm sure they appeared much healthier. I know that the smaller echinodorus did not have any form of 'scaly' look to them.

Many Thanks

 

[stu40]

I don't if this applies to you, but when i first put my amazon swords in, they shed leaves to begin with, and then regrew, more narrow leaves.
Maybe yours were grown emmersed, and are now shedding due to being immersed?

 

[pablothebetta]

Thankyou for the reply. The plants were immersed when I bought them, though I don't know how they were kept previously to that. I did actually try to grow some left over plants in a glass as a little experiment, having heard they could grow emersed, though they just dried up

 

[stu40]

Thankyou for the reply. The plants were immersed when I bought them, though I don't know how they were kept previously to that. I did actually try to grow some left over plants in a glass as a little experiment, having heard they could grow emersed, though they just dried up

Exactly, your LFS will have ordered them in from somewhere.

Maybe try removing some of the dying leaves (pull away from the crown, rather than cutting).It takes more energy to repair than grow new leaves

 

[pablothebetta]

That was my thought. I believe they were a recent order too and hadn't been in the store very long, so I suppose they wouldn't have had time to 'fade' before I bought them.

Would easycarbo be a good idea? The vallis also appears to be turning yellow-brown, could it be a similar situation to the echinodorus species?

 

[stu40]

Vallis can be a tricky one.I think it's one of the true aquatic plants.Some people can grow it and others can't.It seems to prefer hard water.If you go down the liquid carbon route it can be troublesome.

Anecdotal evidence says that Excel kills it.Easycarbo (at recommended doses)seems not to.However it does & will melt when you stop using the carbon (it certainly has for me).

I'm still far from expert in these things.

 

[pablothebetta]

Thanks for the advice. Would you know of any other similar plants I could use instead of the vallis if it doesn't perk up? I'm not sure of my water hardness. I removed a stem today from the vallis that was almost completely brown/yellow, surely that can't be a good sign...