Help with my 2 tanks, plants not healthy

[HellyHans]

OK, here is my setup...I will update my post with the correct plant types
But for now, I know I have java ferns, crypt and swords. It's not a heavily planted tank...about 10 small plants in each tank

My problem is that my plants are not growing and turning brown and loosing leaves, I always have to trim my dead leaves, but no new ones are showing up.

My 30g tank seems to be doing better than my 65.

NO Co2 and I prefer to stay away from Co2 setups
I presently have no fertilizer either, should I be using some ?
Maybe I should use some SeaChem Flourish Tabs?
I was reading that some people use Osmocote plus 16-9-12, but I can't find any here in Canada
Also some use Jobe's Fern and Palm sticks which is 16-2-6
Do I have too much lighting?
Should I lower the running hours?

I used to have my powerhead venturies ON, but I closed them and it's been about 2 weeks with them OFF

30G:

• Dual T5 HO SeaWorld 12000k 48w total
• 12pm - 9pm lights ON
• substrate is gravel that is 2 months old.
• I don't clean my gravel.
• Water changes every 2 weeks and all water parameters are correct for Ammonia,nitrite,nitrate.
• No Algae

Fish Load:

• 5 Neons
• 5 Black neons
• 10 Silvertip tetra
• 10 Black Phantom Tetra
• 5 nerite snails
• 1 pleco

65G 24" High tank

• Dual T5 HO SeaWorld 12000k 78w total
• 12pm - 9pm lights ON
• substrate is gravel that is 2 months old.
• I don't clean my gravel.
• Water changes every 2 weeks and all water parameters are correct for Ammonia,nitrite,nitrate.
• Light Algae

Fish Load:

• 10 Silvertip tetra
• 10 Black Phantom Tetra
• 5 nerite snails
• 2 Pictus Cat
• 1 Glassknife
• 4 Swordtails
• 4 Queen Loach

 

[jpappy789]

My guess is that with your lighting that they aren't getting the nutrients they need. Just a hunch...

 

[HellyHans]

Ok, What's wrong with the lighting?
I'm guessing the lighting power is more than enough for the tank setups I have.
The only thing if the Kelvin rating of my bulbs..
But I've been reading and understood that plants adjust the the kelvin no matter what... unless you have 20000k + bulbs
The 12000k is very bright white light.

My fixtures have Quad lights, but I'm not running the actinic bulbs, I just run the 2 regular bulbs.

Also, the temperature K is to my understanding also the higher the number, the deeper it can penetrate in the water

* Plant chlorophyll absorbs light at wavelengths of 300 to 700 nm (a Kelvin rating of about 6400 strikes a good balance here, which is why this is the best Kelvin temperature for freshwater plants and symbiotic zooxanthellae in corals).
* The lower the "K", the more yellow, then red the light appears, such as a 4500 K bulb.
* The higher the "K", the bluer the light appears, such as a 20,000 K bulb.
*Higher Kelvin Color Temperature lights penetrate water more deeply, even more so in saltwater, however there is less of the infrared "PAR spike" as well.
* The human eye sees mostly sees light around 5500K.
* Candle flame = 1850 – 1900 K
* Sunlight (1 hour after dawn) = 3500 K
* Typical summer light (sun + sky) = 6500 K
* Cool white fluorescent = 4200 K

 

[jpappy789]

2x T5HO is pretty powerful and if you aren't specifically feeding the plants I would venture to guess that they are nutrient deprived. More or less, with higher lighting they have higher demands for nutrients.

Penetration of light is probably not an issue, even with the 24" tank, unless you have low growing foreground type plants. Keep in mind that the color temp is not necessarily correlated with the spectral output, or PAR. Pay more attention to the spectrum graphs when you get bulbs and not the K rating, which is more a matter of personal taste. That being said I'm not familiar with 12000K bulbs but have grown plants fine under just 10000K.

 

[HellyHans]

2x T5HO is pretty powerful and if you aren't specifically feeding the plants I would venture to guess that they are nutrient deprived. More or less, with higher lighting they have higher demands for nutrients.

Penetration of light is probably not an issue, even with the 24" tank, unless you have low growing foreground type plants. Keep in mind that the color temp is not necessarily correlated with the spectral output, or PAR. Pay more attention to the spectrum graphs when you get bulbs and not the K rating, which is more a matter of personal taste. That being said I'm not familiar with 12000K bulbs but have grown plants fine under just 10000K.

Ok, thanks that's what I was thinking... That my plants are not getting enough nutrients..
If I lower the time the lights are on, would the plants still be starved as much of nutrients and would this be beneficial or counter-productive?
I was thinking of maybe combining the 12k bulbs with some 6700k bulbs.. since I have quad fixtures ( presently have actinic lights in them not on)
What's your advice on SeaChem Flourish Tabs?
I was reading that some people use Osmocote plus 16-9-12, but I can't find any here in Canada
Also some use Jobe's Fern and Palm sticks which is 16-2-6

I know that if these leech into the water column, I'm in for big time algae... I was thinking of putting the Jobe's sticks in tiny 1"x1" ziplock bags and placing them deep under the substrate.

Or just buy the real aquatic stuff...

I was also told that only running 12k bulbs would make my plants grow in columns instead of round bushy? is this true?
leaf development (blue light) and stem elongation and color (red light)
The ideal solution would be 2x12k bulbs combined with 2x6700k bulbs with fertilizer?

 

[biggdadyapisto]

its not as much a matter of time on as is, bulbs on. the more bulbs used the more nutrients and co2 needed. I've used 12000k bulbs and grew plants ok not the best light for growth but it works 6700k is the best imo.

 

[jpappy789]

Probably wouldn't want to lower the photoperiod too much. 8-10 hrs/day is generally what is recommended for planted tanks and as mentioned I doubt it would make things much different. I also wouldn't just double the lighting. If anything you could replace the 12000K with 6700K, or just mix.

I've used the Seachem root tabs in the past but never long enough to say anything good or bad about them...

As far as red/blue light and plant growth you can't really say anything about the spectral output unless you know that alone. Knowing the color temp is practically worthless in that regard.

 

[HellyHans]

Probably wouldn't want to lower the photoperiod too much. 8-10 hrs/day is generally what is recommended for planted tanks and as mentioned I doubt it would make things much different. I also wouldn't just double the lighting. If anything you could replace the 12000K with 6700K, or just mix.

I've used the Seachem root tabs in the past but never long enough to say anything good or bad about them...

As far as red/blue light and plant growth you can't really say anything about the spectral output unless you know that alone. Knowing the color temp is practically worthless in that regard.

Ok thanks,
I think I'm going to remove the 2 actinic lights which aren't being used anyways and put in some 6700k to use with my 12000k so I can have a good range in lighting so my plants use.
I will see how things go from there and insert some ferti-tabs

 

[jpappy789]

I would not recommend going with 4x T5HO over your tanks without CO2 and a fert dosing regimen.