I KILL PLANT"S . . . help me plz

Why don't you just go low light? Swords,crypts fern and the like, Discus look so much better in a planted tank, don't throw in the towel completely! That is such an awesome tank!
 
That's Kinda where I am at. I am not pulling out anything that still alive (Which isent much). I just gave up on growing a forest likle I was dreaming about. I cant handle the Alge at all! SO - I really don't even know where to go from this point? DO I use the frets still? I have pulled 1 set of t5 lights out and the CO2, I guess I still need to install a standpipe in my overflow and loose the BioBalls from tin there. Thats a Job for when I am not so stressed out with the tank. Perhaps next week.

BTW - I cant keep swords alive at all.

I am keping Anubias, Banana, Some blades of grass looking thing, I had a lotus doing good then it started to die off and its barley there now. Java fern was growing then it started to die. i mean its just so frustrating. I have some Tinny crypts that are hanging on?

Thanks, Lata, Arkangel77
 
Ark, how often are you changing water? The plants need some poop left (nitrates). This is probably going to sound crazy to you (and everyone for that matter) but, as you know I do daily water changes on my juvie discus tank. I do not vac at the base of any of the plants. What ever poop is at their bottoms, I don't disturb, I leave. This seems to be enough ferts for my low light plants to thrive. I have swords, crypts, anubias, java fern, a dwarf lily, and frogbit in that tank. I do not have it heavily planted, just spot planted and let them fill themselves in. I have 1.5 wpg on the tank and dose nothing. I have 3 nerite snails and 11 amano shrimp for algae that may appear. Which isn't too much....a little green spot on the back wall and a little bba on the edges of a few sword leaves.

If you want some plants in your tank, that is the way I would go. You are right, it needs to be a discus tank with some plants in it.
 
I change 50% water about 2 times a week However - I make sure to suck up every tinny pit of trash of the bottom! Perhaps that's something I should reconsider.

Thanks for the tip Snoop's.
 
remember now there's a lot of things that affect everything. it's all chemistry and if you want to grow everything you either have to luck out or know a lot of it and how to put it into play. copper, hardness, ferts (including stock/feed), light, temp and co2 all come into play. there's also the who knows what may be in your water once it comes to your house or through a different tap factor.

sometimes you just have to grow what you can. trial and error can become a factor. once you figure out what you can grow and your routine though things become ludicrously redundant.
 
I find with high tech setups it's better to run your photo period shorter rather than longer.
Start out with a six hour photo period and adjust the co2, get some plants that pearl easy like riccia. Within 6 hours you should see it pearl.
Then slowly work your way up.

I find with my setup I can't go longer than a 7 1/2 hour cycle, if I go any longer I start to get a lot of BBA.
 
I understand that. I have reduced the light cycle and the intensity and my crew is starting to clean up the alge. It does not seem to be growing near as fast or at all. Once the Alge is mostly gone I am going to Bump the light cycle back up. Seems like I can keep Anubias, maybe HighGrow, banana plant and a few other low light plants. I think the Fert's will help and I need to install my standpipe to help with CO2 off-gassing - I guess. I am gona do what I can to keep some easy plants but They are not gona be a FOCUS for me. My Discus will come first in this tank for sure!

Thanks for the help. Arkangel77
 
UPDATE - Well after having removed my CO2 system and pulling out one of my T5 fixtures I added a FX5 and installed a standpipe. I now changed water once a week (mostly because of my OZONE system) and I add Dry Ferts after the water change. HERE is the thing. My Plants are growing well in there now! Once I gave up they decided to grow. Now these are low light easy to keep plants but they are still growing! I got a Lotus that is BIG now - I could barly keep it alive before.

GO FIGURE?

Thanks for all the help. Arkangel77
 
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