# Plants stopped growing and pearling



## Luvplantdtanks (Sep 18, 2009)

Hi!

I've had planted tanks for years now. *My 75 gallon is fitted with Kissell lighting, pressurized CO2 and dosing with dry fertilizers*.

For years plants kept growing like crazy and I was sick of trimming them. Then, *suddenly* they *stopped growing* completely and *started getting covered with diatom algae*. Most fast growing plants died off and I was left with just the moderate/slow growing plants. *There was no change in terms of the tank's maintenance/conditions...*

Now I've *started again* with new plants, *CO2 and dosing, but my plants are not pearling again*!!! I used to read forums where people complained about their plants not growing and used to wonder how that was even possible - coz *plants need light, CO2 and fertilization. But strange that despite my providing all three, it's NOT working*!!!

I've even tried switching from dry ferts to Flourish line of products, but that didn't work. Could my Kessil Tuna Sun lighting be an issue? (I used them when my plants were growing like crazy and the lighting is still pretty new and bright).

*ANY suggestions/recommendations would be MUCH appreciated*!!! I'd love for my plants to start growing/pearling like they used to!!! 

Thanks in advance!


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## backinaction365 (Dec 11, 2009)

I heard that after 6 months lights start to lose their intensity


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## Maryland Guppy (Mar 5, 2015)

I believe Kessil lighting is only LED.
Having used LED's for years now I have never seen any loss in PAR readings over time.
Are all the LED's in fixture working?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

What substrate are you using? If the plants were getting a major part of their nutrients from the substrate, and one of the nutrients ran out there, you might get what you see.

How are you diffusing the CO2 into the water, and how are you checking to be sure the CO2 amount in the water remains the same? If you are using pH readings to keep the CO2 the same, and something else is dropping the pH, you could be running with too low CO2.


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## micheljq (Mar 25, 2013)

Hello,

I would double check co2 and ferts, since light must be the same, is it?

Suppose you dose exactly the same ferts as before, but the plants have doubled in size and growth. Is it logical to think that more ferts are needed? because they "eat" more ferts than before, just an hypothesis..

Michel.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

micheljq said:


> Hello,
> 
> I would double check co2 and ferts, since light must be the same, is it?
> 
> ...


It is the least available nutrient that determines how fast the plants grow, so you could have had just enough phosphorous, for example, until the plant mass got so much larger that you now don't have even the minimum amount needed for any growth. Usually that problem results in the least competitive plants dying, but the most competitive continuing to grow. And, when plants just sit there, unable to grow, that invites algae to start growing, making the plants even less healthy.


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