Someone Please Advise - Plants

[KkAaNnEe]

So in my rio 300 i have low tech plants, swords, vallis, crypts and an alternanthera.

Basically im having problems with everything apart from the crypts, the swords are turning translucent with holes, vallis is ok but i am getting some melting and my alternanthera has been shredded and has no leaves left on the stems

Im not seeing as much growth on the vallis and swords as id hoped, its a tall tank at nearly 2ft so really wanting growth.

What would you recommend i do to help? What should I dose if anything?

300 litres, 2x T8, 8 hours a day, 3-11pm, sand substrate


Cheers guys

 

[SLIM]

What are you dosing with at the moment?
Is your water hard or soft?
Do you know your nitrate and phosphate levels?

Swords are heavy feeders so a fert is definately needed.
Easylife profito or seachem florish are good.

As for translusent leaves, this could be a lack of iron or potassium.
Easylife and florish both sells these too.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Im not dosing at the moment, would like to make sure i dose the right stuff

Dont know phosphate, dont own the test, but my nitrate was less than 5ppm around 2-3 weeks ago. My water is hard, london water lol

Was thinking about seachem flourish, ive heard about tpn too, and also mixing dry ferts if this will work out cheaper

 

[SLIM]

TPN is brilliant but expensive. Dry ferts is definately the cheapest method if you dont mind making your own. Seems you have a low tech setup, just get trace mix and possibly potassium too but dose each one on different days once a week to start with. Or the easier option like mentioned before is to just buy some florish, not the excel kind. Ideally plants also need about 5-10ppm of nitrates and 1ppm of phosphates but I wouldnt worry about this as im sure your fish are supplying these for you in your case.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Yes im sure my nitrates do creep up, I think im gonna try Seachem Flourish Plant Supplement, as this will provide the micro nutrients? Where as macro nutrients will be supplied by my fish? Please correct me if im wrong

 

[SLIM]

Correct