My plants are struggling

[Jinx_]

Unless there's going to be a plant soil that I don't have to replace every year? But most of them release so many nutrients and play with water chemistry, so I'd be super scared of using it.

Otherwise I have better top soil and play sand at home (thanks to my tortoise). But then I would be scared of sand going down to the top soil layer when planting plants. But thicker cap I guess.

 

[Jinx_]

Yep, think I will catch any shrimplets and toss them in my canister filter temporarily. Will redo the substrate, got topsoil and play sand already which helps a ton.

Will get a coarse sponge to prevent mix up of soils, then bam. Will also toss some Seachem/API root tabs under the sponge so everything lasts longer, eventually will just top up.

And generally the sand will be better for my pool noodles.

 

[anewbie]

Okie, will send pics later.
Aquarium has been up for nearly 2 years now, water gh is 15.

Will adjust the light, hasn't been easy but will try my best.

Not injecting CO2.

Have the plants you are having issues with been in the aquarium the full 2 years ?

 

[Uberhoust]

I have grown a lot of vals over the years. It seems to me that the older rosettes seem to lose vigor over time regardless of the nutrients in the tank. I will take a runner and place it in the substrate where I want it to grow and after it establishes I remove the parent plant. Most of the time it seems like people remove the runners because they grow outside of where people want them to grow.
I haven't seen any research on this, so it is just my opinion, but most plants have a lifespan and are most vigorous when younger. In the wild the runners are continuously creating new rosettes.

I also use the Seachem fertilizer tabs. They seem help for me. I don't use any other ferts.

 

[Jinx_]

Have the plants you are having issues with been in the aquarium the full 2 years ?

No, except the crypt beckettii, vallis and amazon sword.

 

[Jinx_]

I have grown a lot of vals over the years. It seems to me that the older rosettes seem to lose vigor over time regardless of the nutrients in the tank. I will take a runner and place it in the substrate where I want it to grow and after it establishes I remove the parent plant. Most of the time it seems like people remove the runners because they grow outside of where people want them to grow.
I haven't seen any research on this, so it is just my opinion, but most plants have a lifespan and are most vigorous when younger. In the wild the runners are continuously creating new rosettes.

I also use the Seachem fertilizer tabs. They seem help for me. I don't use any other ferts.

Not sure if that's the case for me if my helathiums are struggling. But I don't know.

I don't know what to do. Rework the substrate adding a top soil layer, coarse sponge in between? Or do I just add sand then use root tabs?

Wish I knew best liquid ferts.

 

[Essjay]

I use the liquid fert that the late Byron highly remommended - Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. Seachem make a range of products under the name Flouirsh, but that's the one to use.
Or TNC Lite.

 

[Jinx_]

I use the liquid fert that the late Byron highly remommended - Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. Seachem make a range of products under the name Flouirsh, but that's the one to use.
Or TNC Lite.

Will look into the Seachem one, thank you. I don't think my current Tropica ferts even do anything.

And would you recommend me reworking the substrate? Using a coarse sponge to prevent soil mixing (or at least to some degree)? Just probably need to catch the shrimplets, as many as I can find

 

[Essjay]

I use just plain sand and Sechem Flourish root tabs for plants like swords and crypts. I have one small sword plants which grows well like this and the crypts have just about filled one side of the tank.
The issue with a lot of these plant substrates is that once the nutrients have been used up they behave the same as plain sand - they need root fertiliser adding to replace the original nutrients.

 

[Jinx_]

I use just plain sand and Sechem Flourish root tabs for plants like swords and crypts. I have one small sword plants which grows well like this and the crypts have just about filled one side of the tank.
The issue with a lot of these plant substrates is that once the nutrients have been used up they behave the same as plain sand - they need root fertiliser adding to replace the original nutrients.

I see, so that would point to being just useless waste of time and resources ahaha.

Thank you, I will just put in my play sand in then just use root tabs.

I just want to ask, how do I put them in and how often? Doesn't sand go anaerobic or something? And is the Seachem Flourish shrimp safe?

 

[Essjay]

I've never had aerobic pockets of gas, if that's what you mean. Any substrate under decor will have anaerobic bacteria in it, but that's not a bad thing as they'll help break down waste that gets in the substrate.

Seachem Flourish root tabs need replacing roughly evey 4 months. Other brands will vary. Be careful about cheap non-branded root tabs from Amazon/eBay - we had one member use these and they caused a nitrite spike. I push one tab into the substrate near a root feeding plant. Stem plants tend to feed more through their leaves and plants attached to decor obviously can't use root tabs. At first I just pushed the tabs in with my finger, then I bought some aquascaping tweezers and I use those now.

 

[Jinx_]

I've never had aerobic pockets of gas, if that's what you mean. Any substrate under decor will have anaerobic bacteria in it, but that's not a bad thing as they'll help break down waste that gets in the substrate.

Seachem Flourish root tabs need replacing roughly evey 4 months. Other brands will vary. Be careful about cheap non-branded root tabs from Amazon/eBay - we had one member use these and they caused a nitrite spike. I push one tab into the substrate near a root feeding plant. Stem plants tend to feed more through their leaves and plants attached to decor obviously can't use root tabs. At first I just pushed the tabs in with my finger, then I bought some aquascaping tweezers and I use those now.

I see. Only asked as I have seen many people complain about anaerobic sand. I'm glad that's actually a good thing.

Thank you, I have the Seachem Flourish and root tabs in my basket. Not cheap, but hey, worth it. Also will probably not pick up so many plants either, depends on what will be available. I have my eyes on some nomaphila species, I think also a bolbitis on lava rock. Two more giant vallis friends for my lonely one

 

[Jinx_]

So I want to remove the current substrate next saturday. Need to dust off our old turkey baster, then pick off any shrimplets I can. Hopefully some will already be in the filter, but I need to save my remaining plants.

 

[Essjay]

I think those anaerobic gas pockets you read about occur in very deep substrate. You'll see photos of tanks with substrate 10 cm deep or more. Less than that, under 7 cm or less, doesn't usually have a problem.

You probably won't remember Byron, a very knowledgable member who passed away before you joined. Here are some quotes from his posts to reassure you.

anaerobic patches are part of a healthy substrate, but not to excess.

Sand is overall the best substrate. Plants grow well in it, and it does no harm to fish. Anaerobic zones will exist under chunks of rock or wood, do not move these, leave them alone. This is all part of a healthy substrate, but it cannot be interfered with; same holds for gravel too.

I never moved wood or rock, or cleaned under them. These areas are anaerobic but they are useful in the balance of the water chemistry, not harmful. But don't move the wood/rock or you can have problems. I had tanks running for 4, 5 maybe 6 years straight with no problems from doing this.

 

[MattW]

Talking of substarte. I have found that a mixture of inert sand/gravel with Rootabs has given me better results than my tank that uses topsoil and a gravel cap. If I rescape any tank in the future, I'm going to try something new. I plan on copying MDFishtanks' substrate method of aquatic compost + coarse gravel with sand cap. After growing in, his tanks look healthy, even if there is algae. So I plan to see if this works for me also