# Plants not growing well



## crittermom (Sep 5, 2005)

I am relatively new to the aquarium hobby and am having trouble. I ran across this site and everyone seems knowledgable here, so I hope someone can help me. Sorry for such a long post. Here it goes...My tank setup:

20 Gal High, with 2 SunPaq Dual Daylight 6700ºK/10000ºK (40 watt) bulbs.
HOB filtration (unsure of brand but filters up to 50 gal tanks). Fluorite substrate (2-3 inches) with gravel on top (1 inch). Due to my incredibly hard water from the tap, I must use RO water. I add florapride plant fertilizer with each water change. Temp is 80 degrees (its hard to keep it any cooler in phoenix). Fish: 4 gold barbs, 1 german blue ram, 6 threadfin rainbows, 1 zebra danio, 1 cory, 1 SAE, and 1 rubber-lip pleco (I already know its a little overstocked, but all the water levels are safe, and everyone seems happy and healthy for over 6 months). The plants that I have are one sword (unsure of species), 1 rosette sword, microsword, bannana plant, java fern, Vallisneria species, and some riccia in a net floating on top. My water parameters are pretty consistently as follows: pH 6.8, kh 80 ppm, gh 25-50 ppm, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate 0-20(closer to 0). When I use the calculater, I get that my CO level is 21.4 (which is good i believe?) I do water changes 10-20 percent on a weekly basis.

Originally I had an UGF, but got rid of it because the plants werent thriving though the fish were happy. I also about 2 weeks ago added 2 pieces of driftwood, which i apparently didn't soak long enough becuase the water has turned a light brown color, and it also got very cloudy but is almost clear again (I'm assuming bacterial bloom?). Again all parameters are good, and fish are happy. 2 weeks ago, I also started a DIY co2 injection where the co2 collected under a rock cave. It hasnt seemed to change my water parameters much though, and I am waiting to see if it is necessary or helpful at all. I have some hair algae growing on the micosword, but all other algae seems under control.

anyways: here are my questions
1. I cant find any info about using RO water and what you should add to make up for lost nutrients. Should I add something to the RO water or is the florapride fertilizer enough?
2. The plants are turning yellowish, and the rosette sword is getting brown spots on the leaves. The only plants that are growing are the java fern, valens, and riccia. Any ideas what is missing or wrong with my tank setup?
3. How long will it take with co2 injection to see if co2 is what has been missing for my plants' health (in other words, how long shoudl I expect to wait before seeing my plants starting to grow better).

Thanks in advance for any advice. I really would appreciate it.

Cheers,
Crittermom


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Ok Critter,

Your light is on the lower side. But you should still be able to grow some plants under these conditions.

I guess first we can talk about your RO. RO water cut with regular tap water is a common thing for folks who are trying to get softer water. Generally most of the nutrients your plants will use come via fertilizers or fish waste. So I wouldnt worry about nutrients.

Now on to what plants need. Plants will use 3 nutients in large amounts. Nitrogen, Phosphte and Potassium. They will also use some nutrients in small amounts.....we call the big three(NPK) macros and the other micros.

Florapride does not contain phosphates or nitrates, so I would consider that to be your micro (trace) nutrients. Now you will need to give the plants some of the macros they need. You can accomplish this a couple ways. Flourish has these available in liquid form, or you can buy them in dry form. The latter being more cost efficiant.

That is a brief overview of things. Also your goals will dictate what you want to add to your tank. Higher light may be in order to expand your plant selection. You may want to look at how you are getting your CO2 into your tank.

Tell us more about your goals. Also check out PPS on this forum.....it is a great explaination of a fertilizing method.

Keep asking questions.

Oh, and usually it takes about 3 weeks to notice a change in your plants from a change in your routine.

jB


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## crittermom (Sep 5, 2005)

Is 80 watts (2 40 watt bulbs) of light for a 20 gal tank too little? I thought that would be pushing it for too much?


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## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

thats lots of light im sure he just read it to read 20w total light


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

I thought it was 40 total. 

Ok, then you have quite a bit of light on there. The things I wrote still very much apply, however now the room for error is decreased and you will need to understand the relation of CO2, nutrients, and light even further.

The first thing that you will run into with lighting at that level is you will need to have your CO2 at 30ppms and constant. You can achieve this with a good reactor and your DIY co2. Tom barr has plans for a good one at www.barrreport.com. It is in one of the free forums.

Now with light that high you will also want to maintain N at about 10-20ppm, P at 1-2ppm and K at 10-20ppm.

With lighting that high, you will want to be able to dose each of the macro nutrients seperately.

Also look at Estimated Index (EI) as well as the previously stated PPS fert method. They will both give you a super explination of what plants like to be happy.

Hope this helps.

jB


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