Need Help With My Plant Growth (ei)

[mantis147]

I just need a bit of help with my plants, they are growing but slowly & some leaves seem to die off then grow back Im not sure if ive got too much lighting or im not dosing EI properly. My lighting is T5 power compact twin 55watt unit one white bulb & one pink. Tank is a Juwel Rekord 96litre tank.

Following the recommended EI dosing from the fertilizer supplier I do a 50% water change per week then add 10ml potassium nitrate 3 times per week , 5ml potassium phosphate & 40ml potassium sulphate. Trace elements added are Seachem flourish 1 capful per week & Seachem flourish Excel 1/2 capful everyday.

Co2 is measured around 30-35ppm.
PH = 6.6
Ammonia = 0
Nitrate = 15ppm
phosphates = 1.5ppm
KH = 4

The tank bed is gravel & sand with a few root tabs added in.

I cant seem to get rid of the algae also! My thoughts are the light is too strong as my smaller tank with the nutrafin Co2 unit and 11 watt lighting grows the plants better with no algae in the tank.

Any thoughts would be very helpful!

 

[Themuleous]

What plants do you have?

 

[mantis147]

Not really sure of all the names, vallis is one of them heres a pic.

 

[Themuleous]

Sorry and what is the question? I think I missed it in your first post?

 

[mantis147]

Plant growth has slowed and a lot of leaves keep dying back and then re-growing. Just a bit puzzled by it.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

It depends on your plants, I would recommend doing your research on what you have, take a good look at your plants and go through to the tropica website and see what it says in there. It could be that the plants that are doing what you describe are having a natural cycle ( just a guess) it could be down to allelochemicals ( thats chemical war fare between plants).

I find it hard to think that its down to your high powered lights, how long do you have your lights on??

The algae could be down to anything, from bad filtration to not enough plant growth of not enough plants.

Graeme.

 

[mantis147]

It depends on your plants, I would recommend doing your research on what you have, take a good look at your plants and go through to the tropica website and see what it says in there. It could be that the plants that are doing what you describe are having a natural cycle ( just a guess) it could be down to allelochemicals ( thats chemical war fare between plants).

I find it hard to think that its down to your high powered lights, how long do you have your lights on??

The algae could be down to anything, from bad filtration to not enough plant growth of not enough plants.

Graeme.

Thanks for the reply Graeme,

The lights are on for 10 hours a day but i have a break between 2 & 4pm 2hrs off.

My filter is the Eheim ecco 2232 which does seem to operate a bit on the slow side & i also have a powerhead so there is no dead spots.

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh if the plants are newly added this can be a response to being in a new environment. Equally if its just the older leaves (often the biggest or those nearest the substrate) then its natural regeneration. Point of fact every 7years a person has a complete new skin, its all part of maintaining a living thing, better to get new leaves than spend lots of energy maintaining old ones.

Sam