# Plants loosing density & stagnant growth



## plantblr (Feb 27, 2007)

Hi all.I'am coming back after a long time.

My tank had a very good growth of all plants.But from the past 2 months or so,I have been observing that the growth is sort of stunted & the density of the plants is going down.I had a very good growth of different crypts to the right of my tank.It looked like a crypt forest.But now I dont see that density.My Java fern had grown really well.But now I see the leaves are turning brown & dying away.My water changes has been once in 2 months or so.

Any solution for this?

My earlier thread on this tank

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/37583-new-el-natural-10gallon-set-up-2.html

Thanks in advance,
Ravi.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I think your nutrient shortage is more Macro as opposed to iron. Do you have many fish in the tank? Do you feed them generously. In a tank with natural soil and no added fertilzer, the plants depend on fish waste and left-over food as their nutrient source. The soil layer provides the micros needed, while the fish/food provide the Macros. 

It might do you well to have the soil tested for nutrients. You can test the content of nitrogen, phos, potassium, iron and other micronutrients (calcium, zinc, boron, magnesium, etc... ) . You might find the soil has a natural defficiency in one of these. 

Also, if you have an overabundance of Phosphorus in the soil, it will lock up zinc and iron. If you have too much potassium, the plants will gorge themselves on that at the expense of other nutrients (like calcium or magnesium).

-Dave


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Hi, Ravi,

I had a similar experience, where all of the plans, including Java fern, sickened in the presence of a "crypt forest." I attributed that to alleopathy.

I posted my speculation on Tom Barr's site ( http://www.barrreport.com/ ).

My idea didn't get a lot of support, but the thread might be of interest.

http://www.barrreport.com/general-p...ndtii-allelopathy.html?highlight=aquabillpers

Bill


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## plantblr (Feb 27, 2007)

Can this be treated by adding Iron & Macro nutrients?I have a bottle of chelated iron & macro nutrients.So what I thought is,I would do a 2 week once water change adding these in the required proportion.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Fishfood adds so many nutrients, I doubt that its a nutrient deficiency (other than CO2).

From your earlier posting, it sounds like you've got a 10 watt cool-white bulb over a 15 gal tank, and you keep the lights on for 10 hr per day. That's probably not enough.

Ordinary flourescent light bulbs can lose 50% of their light intensity within 6 months. If you set up this tank 2 years ago and haven't changed the light bulb, that could explain the die off.

Also, aquatic plants should have a photoperiod/daylength of at least 12 hr per day. (I now use 14 hr photoperiod with a 3-4 hr midday siesta.)

Finally, it could also be that the soil is no longer releasing much CO2. You could try turning off the filter to prevent degassing CO2.


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## plantblr (Feb 27, 2007)

Thanks Diana.
Sorry.Forgot to mention that now its a 50 gallons tank,with 2x25 watts white light CFL.These are turned on for 12hrs with the powerhead filter & the heater set at 28 degress C. This tank is more than 2 years old.Earlier I used to feed my fish crushed flakes.But recently I found Frozen brine shrimp coming in very cheap & thats what I have been feeding once a day.The fish mass also is come down becuase of a Ich breakout recently.I only have 1 sword tail,3cherry barbs,6 emperor tetras & 2 yoyo loaches.

Thanks,
Ravi


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I've read that frozen brine shrimp are not very nutritious. While they are ok as a treat I don't think that should be the only thing you feed. That might be why you are seeing less "nutrition" in your tank.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I have to agree with Diana, even considering it's a 50 gallon tank, CFL's are not very efficient (not that I have tested them, just from compiling info from all the posts dealing with them I've read) and even then you're only running 1 wpg. I had a very similar problem in a 125. Based on lots of "stuff" I had come up with 1.25 wpg being plenty (I'll spare you the details) for this tank but learned the hard way that, even pushing T5-HO lighting, 23 inches is a lot of water-depth to overcome. I had the exact problems you've stated, and the only thing I've done differently is add lighting. The tank is now mending it's wounds and FINALLY starting to look like an NPT.

Basically, here's my experience in a nut shell - on 125 gallons (72"x18"x23") I started off with 4x39watt bulbs T5-HO (2 are 10000K and 2 are 6700K if that matters to you), which resulted in plant bliss for the stems longer than 12 inches and a slow and painful death for the others (my poor marsilea carpet became a bog-sludge mat). Since adding another 4x39 of T5-HO (2 are 10000K and 2 are called "pink"), which puts me at about 2.5 wpg, everything is happy. I have added nothing else (fertz, co2, et cetera) and the plants have responded happily. I have NO IDEA what my PAR values are and I have NO IDEA what the "pink" lights do for plants, but they certainly help to balance out the over-powering green reflection of the 6700's. I guess I need to post some pics one of these days, but I'd like to let the plants fill back in first.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

If these are the same lights you started out with in 2007, I would buy new lights.


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## plantblr (Feb 27, 2007)

No Diana.These bulbs were fixed last September, 2008.


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