Plant stems are deteriorating!!!

[13enzene]

Nope, it is a tube not incandecent. I got some root tabs.

About the lighting, I can get a double bulb HO fixture but it would require me to redesign my hood. Out of curiosity if I was to cover the aquarium with a sheet of lexan from the hardware store would it filter out the stuff the plants would need (ie UV and such) or would it work?

I will try the ferts first. How long should it take for it to kick in?

 

[GCL]

What you should try is to put a plant weight around 2-3 stems at a time and just let them sit in your tank until they develop a root system. Gravel can be a little tough on stem plants.

I personally found that Wisteria does better with at least medium lighting.

 

[dundadundun]

lexan should be fine.
you should notice a difference with a couple weeks if you're doing everything right.

 

[13enzene]

lexan should be fine.
you should notice a difference with a couple weeks if you're doing everything right.

ok, well I have added the root tabs and I will see how that goes for a couple of weeks before I sink over $100 into a new lighting system.

 

[dundadundun]

before you sink money into lighting test that first. it's the only test we can do we don't really need anything special for. take a desk lamp or a house lamp and put a 6500k cfl in it and direct it at the plant however necessary in addition to the fixture you're using.

maybe $6-$7 and a couple weeks at most and you should know for sure if light will help. maybe $6 wasted, but better than $100 since you theoretically shouldn't need it.

extra light if you need ferts will further deteriorate the condition of your tank, plants, etc., faster.

 

[13enzene]

So I got lucky and someone donated a tank to the pet store I work at and it had an incandescent hood so I asked and they let me take it home. I have put 2 GE daylight 6500K bulbs in it and put it on my tank but it looks really yellow. It definitely is brighter on the plus side.

Has anyone else had this problem with CFLs?

 

[Scuppers]

Hey guys,
So I have got a question. A while back I started to put live plants in my tank (January or so). The plant were basically just wisteria. When I first put them in they grew a bit, for maybe a couple of weeks but from that point on they have not grown a single bit and they are starting to deteriorate (the stem) right near the gravel to a point where it becomes fibers and then finally breaks free and floats to the top of the tank. I have tried to replant but the same thing happens again and again and I am running out of stem lol! Funny thing is that if I let it float for a couple of days the plant will start to turn up towards the light and begins to grow some roots so I don't think the plants are dead. I am low light, 1 watt per gallon for 20 gallon tank. I am wondering what is happening and how to get the plants to thrive. I always heard that wisteria was a super easy plant to grow but I seem to be having problems.

Any advice?

I posted one very similar to this about a month ago...I have exactly the same problem with wisteria...however, in my 75g, I have 216w of T5 HO and a flourite/gravel substrate about 2" thick. All UG filtering (well up until the day b4 yesterday, went cannister and UV) and about 30 various adult fish of which two 3" three spot gouramis are the biggest.

My wisteria grows roots out of each stem knuckle all the way up, but growth is desperately slow.....

I have tried, low light, med light and hi light for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 hours a day (this since about Feb10) I have tried fert tabs, excell flourish and others. I have used all the trace element stuff.

My water params are 0.0, 0.0, 5-10.0 at 78deg. The last wisteria I planted was ten days ago. It had masses of 4" roots and they were carefully buried in the substrate with a lead weight attached.....they have started wasting already!!!!! with one floater....

I will watch your thread because I must be missing something. I have grown it before in different tanks with no worries so now I am totally stumped. Will start injecting CO2 this weekend.

Good luck to us both.....