# Plants are not doing so well...(merged with similar thread)



## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

I have had this tank for about a little over a month now and slowly added plants here and there. I noticed though that the plants don't appear to be overly healthy or anything save for a few. I'm particularly concerned about the Cabomba as only the tops are very green and the rest of the plants are pale and almost yellowish. 

I do have an algae problem that is now getting noticeably worse as I've recently added a pea puffer in there and he's sort of eaten or terrorized the snails that were in there. 

I dose with liquid fertilizer every water change and am using a cheaper light that I suspect does not provide enough for the cabomba. I am thinking of getting an ONF nano as it looks really nice and I have heard great things about it, but is it strong enough to provide good lighting for all the plants? I also did plan on getting a few floater plants just so my dwarf puffer is more comfy.


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## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

Here are two pictures


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## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

How do I delete this post? I have reposted this onto a more appropriate section of the forums.


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

What kind of tank is it? Are you running co2 or is it a dirt tank. Adding more light and then floating plants seems kinda contradictory. Are you using Excel at all. I've found that helps with plant growth and algae control.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Your aquarium looks great! I'd be tempted to toss the cabomba. It can be tricky, and not everything is meant to be.

Where did you move your post?

Bill


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

aquabillpers said:


> I'd be tempted to toss the cabomba.
> 
> Bill


sure you didnt mean bacopa?

the cabomba looks almost as if its the healthiest plant in the tank...


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

eustoma said:


> I have had this tank for about a little over a month now and slowly added plants here and there. I noticed though that the plants don't appear to be overly healthy or anything save for a few. I'm particularly concerned about the Cabomba as only the tops are very green and the rest of the plants are pale and almost yellowish.


I was replying to Eustoma's comment about the cabomba. The rest of the tank looked good to me - all plants seemed to be growing, no dying leaves, etc.

Bill


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

aquabillpers said:


> I was replying to Eustoma's comment about the cabomba.
> 
> Bill


i am aware lol


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Eustoma, I can delete the thread if you want, just let me know.

I agree with aquapillers, you tank looks good for only one month old. And cabomba can be tricky for anyone.


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## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

*Re: Looking for some advice.*



jrIL said:


> What kind of tank is it? Are you running co2 or is it a dirt tank. Adding more light and then floating plants seems kinda contradictory. Are you using Excel at all. I've found that helps with plant growth and algae control.


It is a 5 gallon freshwater tank. I don't use excel currently. I did just purchase a Finnex Planted+ light as I've heard it can output enough light for carpeting and high light requirement plants. For the floating plants I was thinking of using a ring to place it in the center where the low light plants are since there is no dwarf hairgrass in the middle.

I did run co2 for a bit using a diy system but didn't redo it once it ran out. I'm kind of scared because I recently added a dwarf puffer and wouldn't want to risk it not having enough oxygen or anything.

I was hoping to resolve the algae through natural means, though as I watched a video recently where someone more experienced with planted tanks mentioned he got rid of his algae through tweaking his lighting and fertilizer dosing... though he didn't really go into any details about it so I'm hoping he didn't just add excel or one of those algae killing solutions lol.


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## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

The cabomba actually only looks healthy at the top. The rest of the plant is all turning yellow and I believe the bottom bits may even be rotting, but I am scared to pull them out because they put so many roots down into the substrate. 

The bacopa is actually really healthy, it's just sort of coated in algae. I was planning on doing a cleaning of the tank once I got some small tubing because the tank is way too small to use one of the bigger tank siphon hoses on. 

I did just order a Finnex Planted+ light today so it should be here in maybe a week and I hope the cabomba holds on til then. The dwarf hairgrass doesn't look like it's dying, but it doesn't look super green either. I'm hoping both plants are salvageable. I only really got the cabomba because I read dwarf puffers do better in tanks with the plant so I want to do everything I can to save it and help it to thrive. 

Those are really the only two plants I have issues with at the moment, though BBA keeps growing on the older leaves of my anubias nana plant and I am tempted to just cut some of them off since the plant is putting out new leaves regularly (albeit slowly). 

Is there a natural way to control algae? I have bought a timer for my light so it only stays on 9 hours a day, and am willing to try 8 hours ifn ecessary but I don't think lighting is the only problem if it is always in my tank. 

I don't have any major algae growth but it almost feels as if everything in the tank has the slightest misting of it on them, and as I had to remove all my snails from the tank so my puffer wouldn't massacre them, it has also begun coating the glass (though my nerite comes out at night and leaves its tracks in that)


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

To help, we really need to know more about your tank. How big is it? What type of substrate are you using? What kind of filtration? Are you adding CO2?

That said, algae outbreaks in new tanks are common, and often go away by themselves as the tank matures. Yes, you can cut off any anubias leaves that are covered with BBA.

I've always wanted a pea puffer, good luck with yours!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I just saw your other thread, so I am going to merge them and delete duplicate posts.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Hi,

Excessive algae is caused by an inbalance between light and nutrients. Since your tank looks so healthy, it is probably very close to being in balance.

The classic treatment for excessive algae is to reduce lighting, not increase it. The idea is to give the plants enough light to keep them healthy, but no more than that.

You seem to have a minor algae problem. Adding more light is almost guaranteed to change that to a larger problem, real fast.

One of my larger tanks develops a slight algae film on the glass. Every week or so I wipe it off; that takes about 5 minutes.

As Michael sugested, please tell us more about your setup.

Finally, a bit of advice from dozens of thinkers: "In the search for perfection, do not harm that which is merely good."

Best,

Bill


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## eustoma (May 15, 2019)

aquabillpers said:


> Hi,
> 
> Excessive algae is caused by an inbalance between light and nutrients. Since your tank looks so healthy, it is probably very close to being in balance.
> 
> ...


I am increasing the lighting because my cabomba is dying and my dwarf hairgrass doesn't seem to be thriving either. They both seem to need higher lighting, and I can probably just bring down the amount of time the light is on if I see more algae growth.

I did explain my setup in an earlier post, but basically it is a freshwater tank with a small canister filter and a Nicrew light. I am not injecting CO2 at the moment, but I have in the past with a DIY setup.

Water is always kept around 23-25C and current plants in the tank are Bacopa, Cabomba, Anubias Nana, Anubias Nana Petite, Dwarf Hairgrass Mini, Java Moss, Amazon Sword, Jungle Val, and Pearlweed. There are some nodes of Ranunculus in there but they keep getting uprooted and slowly dying. I've seen some new growth shoots but they are tiny and I don't know if any nodes will make it.

Inhabitants are a single Nerite snail and a single Dwarf Puffer. There are lots of tiny baby snails in the tank because previously all I kept in the tank were Ramshorn snails and Bladder snails but I removed the larger ones once I put the Dwarf Puffer in.

I do a small water change twice a week and I dose some liquid fertilizer when I do, though I am still trying to adjust the amount of fertilizer added in as to control the algae.


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## Sherryazure (Jun 20, 2003)

eustoma said:


> I have had this tank for about a little over a month now and slowly added plants here and there. I noticed though that the plants don't appear to be overly healthy or anything save for a few. I'm particularly concerned about the Cabomba as only the tops are very green and the rest of the plants are pale and almost yellowish.
> 
> People comment on the "looks of the tank". But ph/Kh electrolytes and other measures are what count. I am in a place now where I can have no "little splices of nature" sigh but I raised fresh water fish since the 50's.
> 
> ...


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## Gerald (Mar 24, 2008)

It's common for stem plants (like cabomba) to shed old leaves when clipped and moved to a new tank. You said its putting out lots of roots; that's good. Eventually it will have enough root mass to support new growth of stems and leaves. Roots need to play catch-up with the rest of the plant.


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## Stan510 (Dec 23, 2018)

Looks fine to me. ONLY..You really do need to say adios to the Val,Cabomba,and Bacopa. If they do well..they will take over the whole tank..blocking light,all the bad stuff for those dwarf plants of yours that right now look great.
For a five gallon,you need to go dwarf plants for background. Dwarf bunch plants that grow slow and very compact. Or,just go for more Anubias,or add some Buce..like that.


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