low light tank, add ferts/trace elements?

blazingazn

AC Members
Oct 2, 2005
170
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16
Queens, NY
ok guys, i have a 20 gallon high aquarium thats been established for about 2 years already. the lighting is about 1.5 wpg, so its a low light tank. i have a dwarf sag in there for the 2 years i've had the tank set up. its been growing fine until about the last 4 months or so, new leaves would grow and then thin out and break apart. it sends shoots out, but it the new growths dont really proliferate. i read somewhere that if new leaves fall off, its due to a lack of certain trace elements. but in a low light tank, would trace elements even matter? other plants in there, such as banana plant, several crypts (wendtii, lucens), java moss, anubias nana, red melon sword, they're all grown fine... slow but fine. crypts have a dark green color, banana has a nice healthy shade. all of the plants look fine in terms of coloration and growth, except for the dwarf sag. i dont have a test kit that measures the potassium, carbon, or iron in the water, only the ones that measure ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc. so i cant really know if the lack of trace elements are the main reasons for the dwarf sag not sending healthy shoots.
 
Trace elements still play a key role I believe even in a low light tank. Co2 does not. I say give it it a shot. Do you add anything at the moment? Try a small bottle of flourish see what it does i got some sag doing ok in 3 gallon with low light and I add flourish once a week still does pretty good.
 
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