Didn't think 'New Tank Syndrome' would apply to plants too! 
Tank was set up over last friday/saturday.. added 6 plants from 'Pets at Home', no idea what they were (I suppose thats the main problem!) and they seemed to have established in the tank well, here is a pic.
The first plant (the pinkish red one in the foreground (left)) died first, yesterday.. it went mossy and brown on the stems and fell apart. In this picture (a couple of days old now) the feathery leaved plant behind it (which was growing well at first) started to close up or face downward. I presumed this was because the lights had been off at first and it was respiring, but just as I did my daily water testing I noticed one of its stems was floating off, as I went to touch it the whole thing floated up and now that's in the bin as all the stems were mossy and brown
the plant behind that which now remains, shown better in this picture
is looking healthy (and is growing) from the top, but I'm now noticing it too has dead leaves appearing at the base. The right hand side of the tank is fine, the Amazon swords seem ok, as does the taller, similiar purple tinted one behind them. The moss balls, flame moss and micromanthemum umbrosum all seem fine. I just don't get what is going on though!
I have installed a CO2 cannister, there is a layer of plant substrate beneath the black sand and I've added 3 small doses of fertaliser over the course of the week. I'm not sure how strong the lights are, there are 4 of them - I'll try and find out. I'm beginning to presume that perhaps I bought coldwater plants and they've not taken to the tropical temperature (which is at 25 deg celcius) The lights are on for about 10 hours a day, usually 2pm til midnight or sometimes from 11am. I really want to establish a nice backdrop of live plants and feel it slipping from my grasp a bit
(forgot to add, the tank is 18 inch deep)
This little tank is in preperation for my 5 footer (which i want heavily planted) and well if I can't keep half a dozen plants alive for a week in my smaller tank, how will I ever acheive my goal of a planted 5 footer! any help would be appreciated!
Tank was set up over last friday/saturday.. added 6 plants from 'Pets at Home', no idea what they were (I suppose thats the main problem!) and they seemed to have established in the tank well, here is a pic.
The first plant (the pinkish red one in the foreground (left)) died first, yesterday.. it went mossy and brown on the stems and fell apart. In this picture (a couple of days old now) the feathery leaved plant behind it (which was growing well at first) started to close up or face downward. I presumed this was because the lights had been off at first and it was respiring, but just as I did my daily water testing I noticed one of its stems was floating off, as I went to touch it the whole thing floated up and now that's in the bin as all the stems were mossy and brown
the plant behind that which now remains, shown better in this picture
is looking healthy (and is growing) from the top, but I'm now noticing it too has dead leaves appearing at the base. The right hand side of the tank is fine, the Amazon swords seem ok, as does the taller, similiar purple tinted one behind them. The moss balls, flame moss and micromanthemum umbrosum all seem fine. I just don't get what is going on though!
I have installed a CO2 cannister, there is a layer of plant substrate beneath the black sand and I've added 3 small doses of fertaliser over the course of the week. I'm not sure how strong the lights are, there are 4 of them - I'll try and find out. I'm beginning to presume that perhaps I bought coldwater plants and they've not taken to the tropical temperature (which is at 25 deg celcius) The lights are on for about 10 hours a day, usually 2pm til midnight or sometimes from 11am. I really want to establish a nice backdrop of live plants and feel it slipping from my grasp a bit
(forgot to add, the tank is 18 inch deep)This little tank is in preperation for my 5 footer (which i want heavily planted) and well if I can't keep half a dozen plants alive for a week in my smaller tank, how will I ever acheive my goal of a planted 5 footer!
any help would be appreciated!
