plants yellowing plants! Im lossing my bananas! HELP! Abd cutting and triming

[Kayla]

Hello amazing people that are able to grow plants in a tank!
An ability I seem to not have!

Ok other then a Co2 system I believe I have everything else new LED light that was recommended by the LED people for high light... goes from morning light midday light afternoon light and night lighting..
Fertilisers I'm using the aqua vitro range. Gravel is normal gravel with fluorite seachem stuff on top.
Dosing to the back instructions
Water quality is 7.0 ph with weekly water changes (tested at shops this afternoon and the others where in prefect range)
Filter is a old school style power head with filter box's on top.

Problem 1
The bloody plants still melting or yellowing!
Some are doing well and I think they need a trim as the roots are growing from the stems others like Anubis are still yellow and the val is somewhat discoloured.?
Browning of the leaves..

Problem 2
Anyone know a good link on cutting plants?
Is it a general rule for all plants?

I'm posting photos in a sec but any ideas?

[Kayla]

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

[happyfins]

Hi Kayla, by no means an expert at this but if you have high light you need some CO2 for good growth. ( I believe you don't use CO2 but might have misread). If you don't have actual CO2 why don't you use Glutaraldehyde possibly in combination with iron (sold by a big Australian aquarium online store). I would then use something very fast growing like Ambulia to get things going. Your new growth doesn't look too bad. The swords may be using their terrestrial leaves on the outside (normal). The slow growers anubias and Java fern will keep their sick leaves for ages potentially but you can cut them off when you have some healthy new ones. These two also don't really like full sun, esp Anubias does better with no artificial light at my place. That crested Java fern looks like you've planted it in the substrate, if yes they really don't like that. Personally with your plants I would not use any fertilisers other than iron and liquid CO2. I use root fertilisers for the Swords but that is it apart from iron and liquid CO2.
As for cutting you can cut dead or dying leaves off, it will be better for the plant. In your case I would cut those browning outer leaves off the sword plants and leave everything else as is.
Hope this helps. I try to get by as low tech as possible and my tanks are presentable.

[Kayla]

Hey happyfins,
Yeah no co2 yet... I didn't know there was a liquid co2 I shall look into that... Java fern isn't in the gravel it's still in the bucket I brought it in... I didn't know if I should move it with it being sick?
Are you talking about root tablets? If so I was using them up until they where sick... one of the fertilisers has high iron. So do you think stopping those fertiliser?

[benmack]

I don't think your Val will appreciate any gluteraldehyde you add..

[doylecolmdoyle]

With your Java Fern I have found even with High co2 and high light or even no co2 and low light, they have a tendency to melt when moved into a new tank. Trim off all the dead or sick looking leaves, right down to the ribosome, give it a few months and hopefully it will have some nice new growth.

[Rebel]

Overall we will need a whole lot more info before we can be confident about the answers. I do agree with the others though.

1. tank size -L, measurements
2. light - type, Watts, PAR values if available / duration etc
3. filtration - L/hr, type, how old, media
4. livestock - health, breeding?, how many
5. fertilisation regimen - which one (with links or bottle pictures), how much how often
6. water change regimen
7. Any test results you have including brand of test
8. tap water quality report
9. Age of tank/filter establishment
10. any recent fish deaths
11. any problems with algae
12. clear pictures of problem plants - close ups and general tank pictures - is the problem in old or new leaves/both - when was each plant put into tank - where were they purchased from - were they emersed or submersed grown?
13. anything else you think is relevant


I think you have given us some general info - such as "filter is old school" etc but the devil is in the detail....

[SOLOMON]

In addition to everyone else's questions;

How long ago did you purchase the plants? from where?

The swords look to be somewhat immersed grown? So they are most likely transitioning to submersed growth forms.

[happyfins]

I don't think your Val will appreciate any gluteraldehyde you add..

What makes you think that? Whilst theydon't need it I'm sure they would appreciate it. I know mine do.

[happyfins]

Hey happyfins,
Yeah no co2 yet... I didn't know there was a liquid co2 I shall look into that... Java fern isn't in the gravel it's still in the bucket I brought it in... I didn't know if I should move it with it being sick?
Are you talking about root tablets? If so I was using them up until they where sick... one of the fertilisers has high iron. So do you think stopping those fertiliser?

I use Dennerle Deponit Nutri balls from Europe every half year or so for the swords. I don't think you need any Nitrate/Phosphate containing fertilisers for your plants if you have fish in your tank but they will like CO2 in some form. As I say you can get Glutaraldehyde combined with iron from a certain online den. (I don't know if the company prefers not to have its name mentioned on this forum, apparently some others don't)

[happyfins]

Overall we will need a whole lot more info before we can be confident about the answers. I do agree with the others though.

1. tank size -L, measurements
2. light - type, Watts, PAR values if available / duration etc
3. filtration - L/hr, type, how old, media
4. livestock - health, breeding?, how many
5. fertilisation regimen - which one (with links or bottle pictures), how much how often
6. water change regimen
7. Any test results you have including brand of test
8. tap water quality report
9. Age of tank/filter establishment
10. any recent fish deaths
11. any problems with algae
12. clear pictures of problem plants - close ups and general tank pictures - is the problem in old or new leaves/both - when was each plant put into tank - where were they purchased from - were they emersed or submersed grown?
13. anything else you think is relevant


I think you have given us some general info - such as "filter is old school" etc but the devil is in the detail....

In 1000 words or less
No offense, but I would be overwhelmed getting all of this information ready. Fish keeping and plant keeping should be fun and can be kept simple. having to answer the points raised would put me off ever asking a question again.

[Dylightful]

It may look intimidating, but necessary to provide a accurate assessment of what is going on and provide possible recovery steps.

[Rebel]

It may look intimidating, but necessary to provide a accurate assessment of what is going on and provide possible recovery steps.

Also for the op, if you don't have all the info that's fine. More you can provide the better the answer can be. Often there are multiple factors at play so can be tricky to tease out. For example your issue could be light, ferts, plants related.

[Kayla]

Hey everyone I'll have to get on the computer to answer all the questions and pictures I'll do it in the morning... sorry didn't realise what I would need to add the the post

[Rebel]

Also just got wind of this book. It has good reviews and I think it may be a great one to read first up rather than having to read forums for several months.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/16046...rb_top?ie=UTF8