# NEW SET-UP AND PLANTS ARE ALREADY DYING?



## lamthuyduong (Aug 13, 2004)

What I have:

10 gallon tank
2x15w GE Chroma 50 Flourescent Light
Flourite substrate mixed with a little bit of playsand
External Canister filter
DIY CO2 yeast mix in a liter bottle

Plants I have:

hygrophilia croymbosa
hygrophilia polysperma
echinodorus martii
echinodours bleheri
echinodorus osiris
echinodours barthii
cryptocoryne wendtii
cryptocoryne ciliata
cryptocoryne crispatula
ceratophyllum demersum
anubias congensis

Parameters:

pH- 6.8
KH- 6dKH
5 bubbles per minute from the DIY CO2 system

This tank was set up five days ago. When I received the plants, they were pretty healthy and green. Now, most of them have yellow and brown leaves. Some of the leaves are curling and others are wilting.I have not seen any growth. Each day, it seems like they are dying rather than growing. I thought there might be some deficiency, so I bought Kent's Nitrate and Phosphate supplement and Seachem's Potassium supplement. I also bought Seachem's Flourish. I added about 1ml of each supplement a day ago. WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? PLEASE HELP!
-Lam


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## Pat Bowerman (Mar 18, 2004)

*Some plants dying, or all of them?*

That's an interesting mix of plants that you've selected there. A lot of those are going to get too big for a 10 gallon in a hurry, but right now I realize that's not your main concern.

Please understand that it's very common for Cryptocoryne species to "melt" as they go through the adjustment of being moved from one tank to another. While going through this melt, they'll look exactly as though they were dying. Also, the Echinodorus family of plants are often sold after having been grown emersed. They will also shed those emersed leaves as they develop new leaves better suited to life underwater. With that said, the two Hygrophila species are usually very easy to grow and definitely shouldn't be dying.

Lighting: You've got more than enough. That shouldn't be the problem.

CO2: Only 5 bubbles a minute? Do you have the bubbles going into the canister or where? Something is wrong with your kh/ph numbers. I don't see anyway that 5 bubbles a minute can produce numbers like that. How accurate are your test kits? I'd guess that you actually need quite a bit more CO2 than what you have right now, but your plants still shouldn't be dying. Not growing maybe, but not dying.

NO3: I don't know anything about Kent Nitrate supplement, but you do need a source of nitrate.

PO4: I don't believe your plants need any phosphate at this point. I doubt that's the problem.

If I had to guess, I'd say that a lot of your plants are simply adjusting to their new surroundings and that's what you are seeing. Most people recommend that you start out with fast growing stem plants in the beginning. They tend to be easier to grow, they're cheaper, and they help in the battle against algae. Crypts can be very finicky about any change in their surroundings.

You really should be getting more out of CO2. Check that to see if you can't up the output.



> 10 gallon tank
> 2x15w GE Chroma 50 Flourescent Light
> Flourite substrate mixed with a little bit of playsand
> External Canister filter
> ...


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## lamthuyduong (Aug 13, 2004)

Pat Bowerman,
The bubbles are going into the external canister filter. Maybe I have bad test kits, but it can't be because I just bought the American Pharmaceutical KH test. Maybe the pH test kit is bad. It's been in the garage for about a year and I just found it. I think I should buy a new pH test kit. I have tested the water many times, and it comes out the same every single time, which is the pH of 6.8 and a KH of 6 degrees.


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## Pat Bowerman (Mar 18, 2004)

*Okay, but are ALL the plants dying....*

...or is it mainly just the Crypts and Swords?

What kind of external canister are you running on a 10 gallon? How powerful is the current?

Also, didn't I just read another post from you where you said that you were getting 2-3 bubbles per second from the DIY CO2? Are we talking about the same tank here?


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## lamthuyduong (Aug 13, 2004)

It's a fluval 104 external canister. No, I don't think we're talking about the same tank.


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## paul236313 (Jul 23, 2004)

sounds like your not getting enough co2 in your tank look into some liquid ferts seachem has a good line and there test kits i wouldnt trust the kits you are using that were sitting in your garage


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