My Plants Aren't Doing So Well

[Kelsyann]

Okay I have a 10 gallon that's been established for a little over a month. I changed the substrate to sand and added some live plants ( i had fake before) I have a Java Fern, tied to a rock because they don't like to be planted right? Its starting to turn brownish on some leaves. I also have an Amazon Sword that I noticed yesterday was turning brown at the tips and it had some fuzzy white stuff on it, I moved it to its own little bowl thing because I didn't know if it would hurt the fish. I also have a Corkscrew Val that's turning brown too. The two Water Wisteria I have seem to be doing okay. How can I help my plants? Ive never had live plants before so I'm a little lost. They get about 12-14 hours of light a day. I currently don't fertalize them or anything. Do I need to? They're basically in the tank with a filter and it's kept between 80*-82*F Oh and I found a bunch of baby snails in my tank that must've come from the plants. Personally I love the snails, but will they eat my plants? If they will they have to go

Any help is great!
Thanks!!

 

[nmonks]

By far the commonest reason plants fail is lack of light. It's a sad fact that many all-in-one aquaria have insufficient light for most of the other plant species. A 10-gallon tank is likely to be equipped with a very poky lighting system, and from personal experience I'd recommend you concentrate on Java ferns, Java moss, Anubias, and possibly the tougher Crypts such as Cryptocoryne wendtii. These plants should get by with about 1-1.5 watts per gallon.

All of these save the Crypts are epiphytes and do well if the only fertilisation they receive is liquid fertiliser added to the water. Crypts are a bit fussier, and I think do best in tanks with a rich substrate.

Amazon swords are difficult to grow in tanks without enough light, and water wisteria the same. Vallisneria sometimes tolerates low levels of light for a while, but it rarely prospers.

To a certain degree, it's normal for Java ferns and indeed other plants to die back a bit after being moved.

Small snails tend to have little impact on (healthy) plants, so I'd not worry about them. My planted tanks have snails and shrimps all over the place, and I quite like the "reef tank" look.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Kelsyann]

So should I buy some liquid fertalizer and see if that helps anything? I have 4 corys and a Betta in there, they won't be harmed right? Should I trim the dead leaves off of thr plants? Is the fuzzy amazon sword safe to add back into the tank?

 

[nmonks]

There's no point at all adding fertiliser if there isn't enough light. Be under no misconceptions about this: plants depend on light more than anything else, and you can tweak everything else all you want, and it'll make no difference at all if there isn't enough light. So, look at your aquarium, make a note of the wattage of the bulb, and then compare to the capacity of the tank. If it's less than, say, 1.5 watts per gallon (i.e., lower power than a 15 watt fluorescent tube) then that's your problem right there.

Cheers, Neale

So should I buy some liquid fertalizer and see if that helps anything? I have 4 corys and a Betta in there, they won't be harmed right? Should I trim the dead leaves off of thr plants? Is the fuzzy amazon sword safe to add back into the tank?

 

[Kelsyann]

The tank is 10 gallons and I have two 25 watt bulbs in there. Wouldn't that make the watts per gallon 5?

 

[nmonks]

Two 25 watt fluorescent tubes? Or incandescent bulbs? Bulbs are useless for growing plants: they mostly produce heat, and very little of the wavelengths of light plants need.

The "watts per gallon" rule applies to fluorescent tubes only.

Cheers, Neale

The tank is 10 gallons and I have two 25 watt bulbs in there. Wouldn't that make the watts per gallon 5?

 

[Kelsyann]

I think they're incandescent. I'm going to try to buy flourscent ones today, along with some fertalizer.