Help. What have I gotten myself into?

[Byron]

I believe I have a plant "melting".
I think it is this plant https://www.modernaquarium.com/jungle-vallisneria-americana-set-of-2-plants/

The leaves have gone yellowish and are all hanging at half mast.

So I guess I wait and see if any new leaves appear? Then trim away the old leaves?

Many plants need time to adjust to different water parameters. Some plants are grown emersed by nurseries because it is much less expensive, and need to develop different leaves (structurally) when submersed. Some plants will be "starving" for nutrients and need more than others initially. The lack of light during transport will have an impact, and here again plants need to adjust to their new environment.

Any of the above may apply. Response of the aquarist is the same no matter which...good light and nutrients (fertilizers here as this is not an established tank with sufficient natural nutrition). Vallisneria is a fast grower, so it needs good light and nutrition. If you are not using a fertilizer, a comprehensive liquid one is needed. Substrate tabs are another option for substrate-rooted plants. Both have to be complete (comprehensive).

When new growth is evident, trim off yellow leaves, agreed.

 

[PADogman]

On the positive side, I have all kinds of new leaves sprouting from the Glossostigma.

 

[PADogman]

Here's what I had left over, sitting under my new light.
View attachment 140978

I seem to be missing a couple items... the Tiger Lotus bulbs. No idea what I did with them. But this should be plenty to scape another tank. More than enough.

And I took off the Tidal 35 and put on a Fluval C3.
Initial thoughts are the Fluval is a lot more fiddly. But it has a downtube inlet and really moves the water compared to the 35. It is also rated to 50gal, so that explains that. I'm hoping the charcoal gives me a filter boost to help clean up the tannins. I also did about a 30% water change and finished planting when the water was low.

It's pushing around either Duckweed or Pennywort. I'm not sure a like a floating plant with a HOB filter, but I can only see it when I'm standing over the tank. I can see it being messy though.
View attachment 140979

Wow. Hard to believe that is how my water looked.
I am now free of tannins and have a bacterial bloom going on.
So happy to see the tannins gone
This Fluval rocks.