Keeping Basic Plants Alive

Steve GT

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Hi guys

Just started a planted tank never dine live plants before. Although the plants in there now have lasted about 4 weeks and are still planted a lot of the leaves have started going brown. I put liquid fertilizer in there after every water change and none of the fish in there are eating them so not sure whats going on

As i said im really new to live plants just wondering if anyone has any quick tips on how to keep them nice. How long do lights have to be kept on in day etc?

thanks

steve
 
Hi Steve, welcome to planted; a great aspect of the hobby. Maybe you can give us some more information first? Such as: what are the plants you are currently keeping? What kind of substrate do you have? What is the wattage and Kelvin of your lights? How big and especially how high is your tank? Can you give us the composition or the brand name of your liquid fertilizer?
 
Hi mate

Thanks im really looking forward to doing something good with my tank. Il try provide as much info as i know what iv got so far id also really appreciate any changes or additions you can advise me on to keep plants alive and well just treat me as a complete Noob on this subject :)

The plants im currently keeping are mostly Amazon sword lookalikes. not sure of the exact plants but there very similar if not actual amazons. The only thing on the tank floor at the minute is Small "Pea" Gravel. The tanks a 150L and is 18" high by 40" long. The fertilizer is JBL Ferropol which the LFS sold me with the plants. The bulbs i really dont know. all i can tell you is ones a slight Blueish tint and ones a slight pink tint looking at them. Theres a few numbers on the bulbs i can give you but not sure how much help they will be. There not cheap crappy bulbs though they did cost quite a bit when i first got into fish

As i said though treat me as a noob and assume i know nothing here cause although i know my fair share about fish and fish well being im just starting to get into the plants and plant related equipment side of things so really want to start paying some attention to this

thanks

steve
 
Theres a few numbers on the bulbs i can give you but not sure how much help they will be.
That's a start, the length and the Diameter of them will give clues.

There not cheap crappy bulbs though they did cost quite a bit
That just means you spent too much, but that's ok :lol:

As you're only putting in JBL stuff it might be an idea if you have any Nitrate + Phosphate readings to make sure you have enough :good:
 
Hi Steve, first of all, the JBL is good, but it provides only micronutrients as firearms says. If you have sword type plants, then it might be that they are 'melting'. This is a normal process for rosette plants when they go from emersed to submerged growth. However, when you have rosette plants, it is also better to provide nutrients through the roots as these are root feeders. They uptake fertilizers easier through the roots than through the leaves.

Now, as you only have gravel (which does not provide any nutrients to the plants), there are 2 things that you can do. The easiest one is to buy root tablets and put them at the base of the plants. Another possibility is to buy laterite, take all your plants out and plant them again with a laterite ball around their roots. Of course the 3rd possibility is to put a nutrient rich base under your pea gravel, but that might be a pain.
 
third one would be a pain for now but when i change tanks again il be doing that. so this laterite ball and root tablets. if i cant get any at the LFS can i get them online. wheres est to get them?

How wssential is lighting then? i know its obv vital for plant growth but can you have too much/too little lights? how long should the lights be on for?

cheers for the help lads
 
From your language, I assume you are based in the UK. I can therefore not recommend you any shops. Root tablets or laterite you can get both on-line and in the shops. They are commonly available.

I did not bother about the lights anymore because your plants are low-light. If you have 2 lights over a 180 litres, you should be more than fine with those plants. I would start off with 6 hrs, slowly bringing it up towards 8 - 9 hrs a day. This is to try to limit algae growth. Basically when you are 'feeding' your plants, you can and should have more light so they profit best from the nutrients. If you have nutrients and not enough light, you will get algae growth and vice versa.
 
If you have nutrients and not enough light, you will get algae growth and vice versa.

I don't agree with that. Not that it isn't true, more that it would have to be put in some kind of context.
A bucket of water with nutrient and a lightbulb would be expected to grow algae. No reason a healthy planted tank should tho.
Unless the lack of light actually caused the plants to be sick....as I see it any way
IMO
 

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