My Plants And Sand Yarg

[Hallett]

Hey,

I changed my substrate to playsand a few mopnths ago. I trimmed the plants at the time as well because they were growing out of control and I did this once before whilst they were still in the gravel and they grew back at a fast pace. Now their in the sand however they've grown hardly at all. Why is this I thought that plants could grow fairly well in sand yet they seem to be struggling. Anything I can do to help them continue to grow healthily?

 

[tangokitty]

What kinds of plants do you have? Some don't like sand, But I'm not sure which do and which don't.

 

[aaronnorth]

subatrate doesnt make a difference, the only difference maybe is that gravel lets fish waste drop in between and provide nutrients to the roots. Are you dosing root tabs or do you have a nutrient substrate? If not, this may be the problem if this is the only thing you have changed.

 

[Hallett]

I didn't have any nutrient substrate or anything just the gravel. They're struggling on now. Ruins the look of the tank as well to see them growin so badly. If at all. Do I need to purchase some kind of nutrient for them?

 

[Wolfenrook]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the water in that part of the country is pretty soft if I remember correctly? Could well mean that you do indeed need to start dosing a good fertiliser for your plants. I usually recommend Tropica Plant Nutritions for tanks with low to medium lighting that are lightly planted and no CO2, or Tropica Plant Nutrition + for more heavily planted, higher lighting etc. However in hard water areas sometimes you need the extra nitrate and phosphate in the TPN+ as this isn't present in high enough quantities in the tap water.

Ade

 

[Hallett]

Hmm is that something you'd line under the sand..Because disturbing the sands going to be a chore in itself.

 

[aaronnorth]

no, it is a liquid fertiliser.

How long was your plants in the tnk before you changed the substrate? I cant see it being water parameters if they were doing fine before, like i said above, it may be that no waste is getting to the roots? this is the only thing that has changed???

I would still get the fert though as it will help.

 

[Renate]

Did you put anything else under the sand?

Tex Gal at APC told me she put plant spikes in her substrate and she has great plant growth. Seachem has some good plant spikes. They have a good combination of nutrients. Have seen them here, USA, in local pet stores.

 

[Hallett]

Nothing underneath them. Yeh they were in the tank a few months with gravel and growing great had to trim them every couple of weeks just to control the growth. Now they haven't grown at all and just looking dreadful. Might look into the liquid fertilizer then. Unless you think they just need more time to root themselves in the sand properly?

 

[aaronnorth]

did you trim the roots when you replanted?

 

[Hallett]

No I didn't touch the roots.

 

[aaronnorth]

it wont be them trying to re-root themselves the.

 

[Renate]

Nothing underneath them. Yeh they were in the tank a few months with gravel and growing great had to trim them every couple of weeks just to control the growth. Now they haven't grown at all and just looking dreadful. Might look into the liquid fertilizer then. Unless you think they just need more time to root themselves in the sand properly?

I am pretty certain that they need ferts in the dirt, fert spikes would work best. One lady, at one of the forums I visit, puts rabbit poop in the ground by her stem plants. She uses ferts for other plants.