Plants Not Flourishing

[rob16d]

My plants never seem to flourish or grow I have gravel sundtrate......nitrates and nitrites etc all OK. I dont use an airpump as I was told it would deplete the CO2 in the tank (I only switch them on at night time. The lights are on for 12 hours a day. I just do not understand!

Some have gone slightly yellow/brown in patches...

Rob x

 

[Truck]

Do you have pictures? sounds like a lack of CO2, how much light is over the tank in watts? and are they T5 or T8's?

 

[rob16d]

Do you have pictures? sounds like a lack of CO2, how much light is over the tank in watts? and are they T5 or T8's?

Two T8 bulbs....one is to enhance fish colour and one promotes plant growth. The tank is 120cm long

 

[Truck]

what are your nitrate levels?

 

[AdAndrews]

12 hours of light a day will grow algae more than plants, stick to 8.

 

[drobbyb]

My plants never seem to flourish or grow I have gravel sundtrate...

Is it regular aquarium gravel? If it is, that might be the problem. Do you dose ferts?

 

[rob16d]

what are your nitrate levels?

I think they are 0ish, I have test strips and they are in the safe zone..

12 hours of light a day will grow algae more than plants, stick to 8.

I don't have any algae though...?

My plants never seem to flourish or grow I have gravel sundtrate...

Is it regular aquarium gravel? If it is, that might be the problem. Do you dose ferts?

It is regular dorset pea aquarium gravel...I had tablets to put in amongst the roots, but some plnats keep uprooting....

 

[Truck]

The safe range for nitrate is 0-250ppm up to 400ppm for some other fish.

I'm guessing low nutrients, if you buy some TPN+ from fluid sensor online, then things will improve, what is the volume of your tank in litres?

 

[rob16d]

The safe range for nitrate is 0-250ppm up to 400ppm for some other fish.

I'm guessing low nutrients, if you buy some TPN+ from fluid sensor online, then things will improve, what is the volume of your tank in litres?

It is 240 litres... x

 

[Truck]

I'd dose 10ml's per day, make sure its the + version though, or if you wanted to get technical, you could make your own ferts using mineral salts.