# Need help with my plants



## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Hi everyone, so I'm new to planted tanks and I bought my plants and fish about 3 weeks ago. Most of the plants are not doing very well. The only plants that seem to be doing well are the swords (I don't really know the name of the other plants). I'm thinking that it might be due to the lights in my aquarium. I have a standard 55 gallon tank with 2 15W T8 Full Spectrum lights on either side of the tank. I only use root tabs once a month (since I've only had the fish and plants for 3 weeks only used that once) and I add one cap of Flourish Excel whenever I do water changes. Are these lights okay for my tank? I keep the lights on for about 10 hours a day. Is that too long? Thanks in advance for any help.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Do you have two T8 bulbs on each side, making 4 bulbs total? Each bulb is 18 inches long? If that is what you have you should have enough light to grow low light plants, including the sword plants. Do you have a photo of the tank, so we can see what other plants you have?


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

I have one bulb on each side, so 2 in total. Would you prefer close up pictures or one big picture of the plants?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It is unlikely that you have enough light for even most low light plants to grow well. Most of the time just a full tank photo is enough for us to figure out what plants you have, etc.


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## aaronbromley3 (Feb 15, 2017)

That's not very much light at all because of the depth of a 55 gallon tank, you'd need 2 on each side to get healthy growing plants.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Here's a picture of my tank so far. I plan on removing the decorations on the sides for something nicer. What kind of lights would recommend I get?


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## aaronbromley3 (Feb 15, 2017)

What's your budget? If you want something automated like the planted+ 24/7 then that would work and it would be Low light because of your depth. Something cheaper would be a beamswork 6500k 1W led version not the .5W, you can get them both on amazon or eBay.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

I think I'll with the beamsworth but there's one small problem. In the middle of my tank there's a brace. Would the light damage that brace?


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## aaronbromley3 (Feb 15, 2017)

No that won't be a problem


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Okay thank you. And I'm assuming that these lights are sufficient for all of the plants in my tank?


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## aaronbromley3 (Feb 15, 2017)

Yeah looks like you've got all low light plants, good luck!


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Thanks and one more thing. This morning I noticed there were snails in my tank. I didn't buy them myself so they must have been on the plants when I bought them. Should I keep them or should I get rid of them?


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## aaronbromley3 (Feb 15, 2017)

I would get rid of them asap because they lay eggs and reproduce out of control!


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Yikes! I don't want that. I know it doesn't relate to my original post, but do you know an efficient way to get rid of them?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

One way to control snails is to put a few loaches in the tank. I have used Zebra loaches and YoYo loaches, and both quickly ate all of the snails. Then, of course, you need to start feeding them appropriately. They aren't extremely expensive, and they are very entertaining at times. 3-5 of them would probably be all you need, but they do like being around family members, so 10 would be best.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Okay thank you. I'll be checking my LFS this weekend for loaches.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Phil Shifley said:


> Okay thank you. I'll be checking my LFS this weekend for loaches.


*Don't get clown loaches!* Clown loaches grow into very big fish, and in doing so, they go from cute to major annoyances.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Oh okay. Thanks for the heads up.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Hey I have another question and didn't think it was necessary to start a new thread. Should I use Flourish or Flourish Excel? I've been using only Flourish and, like I said, my plants aren't doing very well. I bought the new lights, just waiting for them to come in. So would you guys recommend Excel or only Flourish or both?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Seachem Flourish (comprehensive) is a trace element mix, with tiny amounts of nitrogen in it. It does not supply a significant amount of the macro nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK). Seachem Excel is a source of bioavailable carbon for the plants. Both of those are useful in low light aquariums. Your plants might need NPK also. If so you will want to dose at least Leaf Zone, for potassium. Usually in low light tanks the fish waste and excess fish food will supply enough nitrogen and phosphorous.


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## Phil Shifley (Feb 15, 2017)

Thanks a lot for your help. I now have a new problem. I haven't gotten the Zebra Loaches yet because my LFS was sold out. I plan on getting them on Thursday but today I noticed my Kribensis fry hatched. I'm assuming that the Loaches will eat the fry and I don't want that. Any advice?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I didn't have any fry in my tank when I had the zebra loaches so I have no experience with that aspect. From what I have read, they will eat any fish small enough to eat, and that is on the bottom of the tank. So, unless the Kribensis are good at guarding their fry I wouldn't risk it.


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