problems with plants

[Gh0st]

if anyone reads this thanks for replying..i have a problem and i dont know what to do..Im about 6months new to the hobby so im learning as i go. ive currently have a 29gallon tank..lighting is two t5 high output bulbs one 10000k and a blue bulb..substrate is red and black ecocomplete..have about 5 root tabs planted..water temp is bt 77-80 bc of my fish...i have a large melon sword.microsword(copragrass)..3 plants i dont know the name of and 4bulbs i planted which are some kind of water lilly i think..the bulbs are doing great but my copragrass hasnt grown or spread at all and now the melon swords leaves are turning brown and dying off slowly...most of the better plants i purchase keep dying off for some reason and the cheap plant bulbs are still growing like crazy..from what ive been told i have a good substrate and some of the better lighting..i also made a diy carbon dioxide unit from the homemade (yeast sugar water bottle trick)...ive purchased many anacharis and various other plants that all do the same thing..i have no idea what the problem is with my plants dying so any help will be appreciated..thanx

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I'd replace that blue actinic light with a 6500-6700K bulb and start dosing the water column with ferts. Don't rely only on the root tabs.

 

[tanker]

I too think it is your lights. Get rid of blue bulb and shoot for 6500 or 6700K.

 

[red_wall]

How many watts do you have in the tank?
Watts per gallon = wattage per bulb divided by your gallons

You have two bulbs, and if they were 30 watts each, you'd have 60 watts total, 60 divided by 29 is 2.06 WPG, which is medium lighting.

The lighting you have now would be good, if it was in the right temp.
As the others said, 6500, or 6700 are the good bulbs, plus they look a little better than blue bulbs.

Dose some ferts in the tank as well, Flourish is a great one.

 

[fibertech]

I found this somewhere, maybe it will help you:

Here’s what to look out for in plant deficiencies and the appropriate remedy:
Lack of Iron
Leaves become brittle, slightly glass like and normally look like they are rotting. They also look slightly less green and take on a more yellow appearance - add a source of iron in powder or bottle form
Lack of Nitrogen
Leaves become yellow and older leaves die off. Sometimes leaves have a slightly reddish appearance and growth is slow - add a source of nitrate in powder or bottle form
Lack of Phosphorus
Often quite similar signs to lack of nitrogen but look out for stunted growth and leaves becoming darker than normal. Root growth will also be under-developed - add a source of phosphate in powder or bottle form
Lack of Potassium
Pinholes in leaves which slowly become larger over time. Leaves begin to curl, become yellow from edge inwards and also lose resistance to disease - add a source of potassium in powder or bottle form
Lack of Calcium
Unusual leaf shapes, which are slightly bent or twisted. Leaves are often yellow on the edges – treat with additives to increase General Hardness such as Kent Gh+
Lack of Boron
Similar problems to calcium deficiencies – but also stems are delicate and new shoots appear dead - add trace elements
Lack of Magnesium
Leaves become yellow but have green veins; they may also develop brown spots. If your plants are short of magnesium, they will be unable to absorb iron - add trace elements
Lack of C02
Plants grow slowly and remain small. Calcium deposits on leaves and a pH rise – increase C02 and minimise surface agitation
Lack of Light
Plants are weak, spindly and leaves are small. The distance between leaves increases and plants become bushy closest to the light. Lower sections eventually become bare – add more lighting (i.e T6s or T5s) or increase the strength of lighting. Make sure stem plants are not planted too closely together.
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[timwag2001]

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm

how often do you replace your root tabs for your sword? i think ferts are gonna be the root of the problem. adjusting your lighting will help but i dont think thats the reason. how many diy co2 bottles do you have? how often do you change the bottles? do you have a decent bubble rate?

 

[jpappy789]

I'd replace that blue actinic light with a 6500-6700K bulb and start dosing the water column with ferts. Don't rely only on the root tabs.

I agree 100%.

Root tabs do next to nothing for stem plants or plants without large root structures IME. Basically only good for the swords.

Your actnic lighting isn't going to help the plants much. I think a 6500-6700 bulb would look nice with the 10000K and would actually benefit the plants.

As for DIY Co2, if you only have one 2 Liter bottle running, bump that up to two. Your Co2 levels would be more stable, which plants need.

 

[Gh0st]

thanks all for replying. im gonna try a different light and i forgot to mention my bulbs are 24watt and i was dosing with liquid fert every 2days(florapride)but i stopped bc it seemed like it wasnt helping..

 

[Gh0st]

thanks.very helpful

 

[Gh0st]

ill try another bottle..thanks