# My plants look kind of leggy and wimpy. What is wrong?



## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

For some reason my plants look all wimpy and leggy. what is wrong and what should I do? I just did a trim and they look even worse (typical). They still look bad before trims.

Symptoms: small leaves, spaced out leaves, slight melting on the HM, glosso grows up, has tiny, yellow leaves, and then rots, stemmed plants don't spread. I dosed every fertilizer that the plants needed and still no change. Anymore advice?


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

How much light do you have, what size tank, and do you have CO2? My plants tend to get leggy when they aren't getting enough light, but it would help to know your tank specifications.


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

ok! 10 gallon tank, 4 wpg of screwin compact fluor., pressurized co2, ADA AS, PS.


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## Roy Deki (Apr 7, 2004)

How long have the plants been in your tank?


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

3+ months


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

anyone?


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## arto (Jun 11, 2008)

you can try several thing maybe some ligjt fixture, co2, ph,nitraltes and just little things that you might think wont matter.. for plant growth personallyi like kent.. hope i helped!!


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## Roy Deki (Apr 7, 2004)

What kind of ferts are you using?

How long is your photo period?

Do you know what ppm co2 you have towards the end of you photo period?

What pH?

What kH?

What is your plant list?


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## aquaquang (Jul 2, 2007)

Make sure the amount of CO2, light and fertilizers are equivalents.
Did you notice if they pearled? before and after you have trimmed?


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## ryzilla (Feb 3, 2007)

Being leggy with spaced out nodes would meen your light is a little low. Screw in flourecents at 4wpg is not enough for those higher light plants in a 10g. If you got an AHS 36w kit that would be plenty of light becasue of the great reflector they have and the lower restrike then the spirals you are using. 

Screw-ins have a ton of restrike and I would go as far to say you probably are putting medium amounts of light into your tank. Either upgrade the size of the lamp or upgrade your fixture to a pin compact.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have 40 watts of screw-in CFL bulbs on a 10 gallon tank too, and some testing with a PAR meter convinced me that my plants' constant complaints about not having enough light was true. A ten gallon tank is just too small to judge the amount of light by watts per gallon, and the screw-in bulbs are just too inefficient to give the amount of light it looks like they should give.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

My hubby just found me some fantastic bulbs. My plants pearl like crazy. They screw in to my 10g hood. He got them at a computer store called Fry's Electronics. They are 24 watt, but give lite of 100 Watt. They are NOT spiral so I think that makes a BIG difference. I've cut my photo period so as not to grow algae. Try to find them in your area!  (Please excuse the dirty nails - I have been weeding in my garden ALL DAY! About to go soak my weary bones in a cool tub! )


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

arto said:


> you can try several thing maybe some ligjt fixture, co2, ph,nitraltes and just little things that you might think wont matter.. for plant growth personallyi like kent.. hope i helped!!


I did all those things and no improvement.


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

Roy Deki said:


> What kind of ferts are you using?
> 
> How long is your photo period?
> 
> ...


I am using pfertz and seachem ferts.

About 30-35ppm

6.5

3

Plants list: Mayaca F, Blyxa Japonica, HM, Rotala sp Green, rotala rotundifolia, HC, Glosso, eleocharis parvula and acicularis, riccia, and ludwigia arcuata.


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

aquaquang said:


> Make sure the amount of CO2, light and fertilizers are equivalents.
> Did you notice if they pearled? before and after you have trimmed?


They pearled before, not after, and they did not pearl much.


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

ryzilla said:


> Being leggy with spaced out nodes would meen your light is a little low. Screw in flourecents at 4wpg is not enough for those higher light plants in a 10g. If you got an AHS 36w kit that would be plenty of light becasue of the great reflector they have and the lower restrike then the spirals you are using.
> 
> Screw-ins have a ton of restrike and I would go as far to say you probably are putting medium amounts of light into your tank. Either upgrade the size of the lamp or upgrade your fixture to a pin compact.


I bought a 2x24 W t5. I know there will be some light overspill, but the wattage will still be more. Plus there s no restrike!


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

If it were me, I'd buy a couple of cheap test kits, and calibrate them. Then figure out what the heck you've got in your tanks in regards to NO3 and PO4, because you certainly have enought light and CO2. Then I would go from there. I'd do a large water change and dose to around 10-15ppm NO3 and 2-3ppm PO4 along with some potassium. If you have over 40W of T5's you have a lot of light, and I'm guessing your ferts are on the low side. 

HTH.


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

thanks for the reply! I don't have my new fixture yet, but I do have test kits. I will take your advice and see if there is a difference.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I have a 10gal that I had a 32W coralife compact fixture over. The indica grew way to spaced out and such. So I ordered the satellite 2x40W fixture and ran a single 40W bulb till I got my other bulb. The plants grew more compact but still too spaced out. I put the 2nd 40W and now the indica as well as everything else is growing way more compact. Thats with about 8-10wpg. I believe that smaller tanks need far more than the 3-4 wpg that you would put on larger tanks.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Afyounie said:


> I have a 10gal that I had a 32W coralife compact fixture over. The indica grew way to spaced out and such. So I ordered the satellite 2x40W fixture and ran a single 40W bulb till I got my other bulb. The plants grew more compact but still too spaced out. I put the 2nd 40W and now the indica as well as everything else is growing way more compact. Thats with about 8-10wpg. I believe that smaller tanks need far more than the 3-4 wpg that you would put on larger tanks.


I think you are right, but I would never dream that they need 8-10 watts per gallon. I haven't had any good luck with my 10 gallon tank, so I don't dispute you.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I think its a lot too, but the plants grew far too leggy for me. My HC had started to grow up rather and flat. I am hoping that the balance does not get messed up, or else I am gonna be in trouble. The lighting schedule is for only 8 hrs, and if I need to I'll decrease it.


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