brownish plants

psychadelicdrea

psychadelicdrea

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Oct 6, 2004
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ok me being a newbie to plants id thought id ask what i can do to spruce up my plants they seem a lil brownish i have some java fern some cryptocoryne lutea and a cryptocoryne lucens and im dosing 1 a week with some fert called plant gro and right now i got about 20 watts for about a 20 gallon tank not sure how old the bulb is tho......any ideas? :dive2:
 
I don't think 1 WPG, especially if it's an older bulb, is enough even for lower light tolerant plants. If you aren't sure how old your bulb is, it's probably more than a year old. Fluorescents don't really burn out like incandescents (they do eventually, but it takes a long time), they just put out less useful light over time. After about a year, they're not really doing the plants much good. I'd replace the bulb, or better yet get more light over the aquarium with a retrofit kit from www.ahsupply.com (gut your fixture and replace it with the kit so you can use compact fluorescent bulbs) or by adding a 24" fluorescent strip light from Home Depot.
The plants may also be K deficient - they're probably getting enough N and P from your fish, but I think PlantGro is a trace mix without K.
 
well yes i am working on the lighting situation....i have a offer to buy this 3 bulb set up but its like 175 watts and this is only a 20 gallon or so tank i think thats a bit of a overkill....i was looking for something more like 40 or 50 watts so i could have more varity of plants to put in the tank....and the plantgro is zinc iron copper boron nitrogen magnanese and molybdenum ....so k is what potasium? what will add that?
 
I'm willing to bet that more light will help a lot.
K is potassium, you can buy Flourish potassium or use KNO3 - sold at hydroponics shops or at garden centres as 'stump remover' - but KNO3 will add nitrates to the tank as well. KCl is an inexpensive source of K without the NO3, you can buy 'no salt', a salt substitute, at grocery stores. It's just KCl with a fancy label :)
 
well i have no doubts about the fact that more light will help out .....but 175 watts? .....besides its a bit pricey i was wanting more around like 50 or 60.....i can get a dual tube 24 inch light for 50....maybe alil more for a grow tube and whatever else tube that will be good for plants :soda:

i went to the lfs and found a compact floursent 55watts for 55 bucks......sounds like a deal huh?!!?!?! :bday:
 
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