Rotting Plants?

[Floyds mum]

Some of my plants are going brown and yucky, like they are rotting. any help people?

 

[Truck]

Sounds like a lack of CO2 or ferts, how big is the tank and how much light is over it?

What plants are you growing?

 

[Floyds mum]

Sounds like a lack of CO2 or ferts, how big is the tank and how much light is over it?

What plants are you growing?

The smae thing has happened in all my tanks, dont know about lighting and vallis, cryptocoryne wendtii and some small grassy type and java fern and some unidentifiable large leafy plant.
The crypt and java fern are fine.

 

[slene_108]

Hi

Ive got the same problem. Ive got the same plants as you 'Floyds mum' however mine slowly go brown, then go kinda see through. I also can see little amounts off 'string' coming off the plants. Ive got a 4foot tank, and 300watt light. With a trickle water system in place. This happened when I started up the tank around 2 months ago then stoped. I have removed the brown plants as I dont know what eles to do. The temp sits on 24-30C and the light is on 7-10hrs a day. (it has a 'sunriser' attached, so the light dims to 2-5% of the full light intensity.) When I 1st set up the tank I also put some flora base (plant aquarium substrate) in with the graval. I was plaining on getting some plant food, however i know very little about it, and was unsure weather this will help my problem. I live in Aust, so I cant get things that are from the US/UK.

Cheers
Thankyou so much if you may help me out.

 

[Truck]

Slene_108:

What is the total capacity of your 4 footer? It sounds like you have way too much light, hence the CO2 deficiency and melting plants.

Floyds mum:

I can't help you without knowing your light situation, all relevant information is normally on the tube.

 

[slene_108]

UKAS

Do you mean how much water does my tank hold? about 372L.

How can I stop my plaints from 'melting' as you put it. I kinda dont want to get rid of my 300watt light??? Unless oyu guys can sugest some plants that can stand that lights stength?

 

[lljdma06]

UKAS

Do you mean how much water does my tank hold? about 372L.

How can I stop my plaints from 'melting' as you put it. I kinda dont want to get rid of my 300watt light??? Unless oyu guys can sugest some plants that can stand that lights stength?

It's not the there aren't plants that won't tolerate the strength, but with that lighting, you're demanding that they consume nutrients at a level that you cannot provide. Photo period is long too.

Your temperture is a might high as well. Probably because of the heat generated by the light.

Floyds mum, what is your lighting and your tank size? Photoperiod would be helpful too. We need more information.

llj

 

[slene_108]

Okay stupid question (so please bear with me.. ) what do you mean by 'photo period'? How long the light is on? And what is a good temp for the plants?

Sorry to be a pain.

Cheers

 

[Bobtastic]

Yup, photo period is how long you have the lights on for.

Basically, it's light that drives plant growth. The more light the fast ther plants grow, the faster they grow the more nutrient and Co2 the plants need to build the new cells they are tried to grow.

The amount of light is the number of watts or intensity (T5 and T8 are different amounts again) combined with photo period.

Best temp is species dependant. Most plants have an upper and lower limit and should grow alright as long as they are within the range. I keep my tanks at 26-27c.

 

[slene_108]

I have a 'sunriser' attached to my light. My lights stay on at 1-5% intensity at night then start to go up to full intensity 7am then goes back down to low intensity at 5pm. I have been plaining to disconnect my runriser and timer because of my plants. My temp is sitting on 24c.

I have also found on my ornamntes that moss is growing on them...(looks like Java Moss) I'm unsure if thats normal.


I have never had such problems with my plants in all the years ive had fish...

Thankyou for all your helo you guys have been giving me.

 

[Bobtastic]

10hrs of that power of light is quite a long time...

Unless you added the moss to your ornimants, then I doubt it is moss... I'll probably be some form of algae...

 

[slene_108]

Okay so cut down the 'photo time', how does 5-6hrs sound? And should I pull the the rotting plants out or can they possably improve over time?

I will also clean the 'wheatever' is growing ornimants. Unless you sugest i can/should leave it there?

I just want to get this sorted so I dont have to keep asking you guys stupid quetions?

 

[umpsfar]

Going from what ive read on other posts if you are doing 7-8 hours a day you should have an hour of darkness inbetween. so say 4 hours on, 1 hour off, 4 hours on, will reduce Algae growth, sound like you have some type of it.

 

[Bobtastic]

I've just read over this thread again, but I couldn't see if you said if you add any ferts or carbon. Are you? There is technically nothing wrong with having your lights on for the length of time you have atm, but you will need to supply all the necessary nutrients (including Co2) that the plants will need for that lighting level. Until you're doing that you're best reducing the time to see if that helps with the problem you're having.

Which plants are you having a problem with, do you know the exact species? Crypt seem to have relatively delicate leaves and if they get damaged the start to melt away. The best thing to do it remove the damaged leaves and any other "rotten" plant matter.

Without a photo I wouldnt like to comment on "whatever" is growing on the ornaments.

 

[slene_108]

I have been doing some reading on ferts and Co2, and yes I know now that I should of been adding them. Which ferts would be the best or does it depend on the type of plants I have? And how should I add Co2?

I will get back to you on what type of plants I have. I will have to find the commen names for them. I know I have some Java Ferns (they are beening drying the most) the others have just started.