Is my aquarium lighting too high?

[Byron Amazonas]

I wanted to initially get the Seachem Flourish Comprehensive but the only brand the LFS had was the Tetra and I wanted to get some kind of fertilizer in as I hadn't fertilized any of my plants yet. I'll look elsewhere for one of the other two. I did purchase from Aquariumplants.com their substrate fertilizer pellets and put one down between my ruffle leaf sword and the Bleheri Sword. Aquariumplants.com is where I got my plants from as well. But, I will try to find one of the other two fertilizers you suggested.

Will I be able to see any new growth from the crown of a Vallisneria? If I don't, should I let the melting leaves just hang out in the water until I do or should I take the leaves off as they get yucky? I don't want to yank them out if I know at some point there might be new growth.

The substrate pellets are good for heavy feeders like swords. I don't know the AquariumPlants brand, but from their reputation I would assume they are fine. I use the Seachem Flourish Tabs. BTW, it is much less expensive usually to buy the Flourish products online. I buy the largest sizes of the products I use, with all my tanks. A 2L jug of Flourish Comp is $70 in local stores, but online I pay $33 and this lasts me just over 12 months. Add to this the savings on Equilibrium, Trace and the tabs, and it is a couple hundred dollars saved.

On the Vall leaves, I would leave them unless they are definitely dead. If the base of the leaf is brown, nutrients cannot pass up and down so no point in leaving the leaf. Some nutrients are what we term mobile, meaning that the plant can move them from a dying leaf to new growth, so here there is value in leaving the decaying leaf. But once the leaf stem base is brown/rotted, this can't occur. If the leaves are truly "melting," turning into a pile of mush, they can be siphoned out and I would remove them by this stage.

Byron.

 

[Evanleigh]

I will go on-line then to see what I can get. It sounds like the way to go. I'm assuming the Flourish products don't go bad since you get a year supply at a time.

Thanks for the information on the plants.

Evanleigh

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I will go on-line then to see what I can get. It sounds like the way to go. I'm assuming the Flourish products don't go bad since you get a year supply at a time.

Thanks for the information on the plants.

Evanleigh

I've had no issues with Flourish products. The Comprehensive should be refrigerated long-term. On the label it says refrigeration is recommended, and I corresponded directly with Seachem on this, since they have advised others that it is not really necessary. Pinned down, they said that long-term storage after opening might cause deterioration of some of the nutrients in the Comprehensive, so keeping it cool was advisable.

My last Flourish Comp was received May 2013, and I am not even half way through the jug yet.:thumbsup: It sits in my wine cooler fridge.

 

[Evanleigh]

That's great!

 

[ROYWS3]

I'm not disagreeing with Bryon's statements by any means because I've used Seachem's products in the past with success but I've been a Tetra Flora Pride guy for many years with great success. I certainly wouldn't discount the effectiveness of this product.

As for your Vals. It's a wait and see game right now. They do need time to adjust and there could be melting as they adapt to a new environment as Byron suggested. Just make sure they're not planted to deeply that their crown is buried. That will cause the leaves to melt as well. The crown, in case you don't know is where the leaves and the roots meet. Make sure that's not buried.

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I'm not disagreeing with Bryon's statements by any means because I've used Seachem's products in the past with success but I've been a Tetra Flora Pride guy for many years with great success. I certainly wouldn't discount the effectiveness of this product.

Nor would I in many situations. Nutrients occur from fish foods, water changes, and the breakdown of organics in the substrate; depending upon the specifics of the individual aquarium these can be all the plants need. Aquarists in some areas have told me they use no fertilizers at all, and their planted tanks are thriving. And others use FloraPride alone. Every situation is a bit different. In my own, with tap water that is basically devoid of any mineral, I have to add the hard minerals and some of the micro nutrients, even beyond what is in the basic liquid preparations. In the case of the OP, there could be a benefit in additional minerals that may not be sufficiently present since he seems to have soft water and the Vallisneria might struggle without. Each tank's biology is unique. The fish load and the type of foods fed the fish also factor into this. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimentation to find the best solution.

 

[Evanleigh]

Here are a few snapshots of my new plants i.e.: Java Fern and Anubias Nana on driftwood and small ferns on rock (Bolbitus Heudelotii).
In the background you can see the vallisneria.

 

[Evanleigh]

I'm not disagreeing with Bryon's statements by any means because I've used Seachem's products in the past with success but I've been a Tetra Flora Pride guy for many years with great success. I certainly wouldn't discount the effectiveness of this product.

As for your Vals. It's a wait and see game right now. They do need time to adjust and there could be melting as they adapt to a new environment as Byron suggested. Just make sure they're not planted to deeply that their crown is buried. That will cause the leaves to melt as well. The crown, in case you don't know is where the leaves and the roots meet. Make sure that's not buried.

Oh, I did make sure the vals weren't buried too deep as a matter of fact I had to re-plant two of them that had floated up during the night.

 

[ZorroNet]

It looks like you've turned it around quite nicely Good job!

Just a point of experience I'd like to share... Bolbitis will frustrate you trying to get it to attach to rock. It will attach much more easily to a softer surface like driftwood. It could take YEARS for it to attach to that rock. Since you just attached it, I'd suggest a switch from rock to driftwood between the bolbitis and the anubias + java fern.

 

[Evanleigh]

It looks like you've turned it around quite nicely Good job!

Just a point of experience I'd like to share... Bolbitis will frustrate you trying to get it to attach to rock. It will attach much more easily to a softer surface like driftwood. It could take YEARS for it to attach to that rock. Since you just attached it, I'd suggest a switch from rock to driftwood between the bolbitis and the anubias + java fern.

I totally remember you said that now in a previous page, plus the driftwood is under the filter and the fern would get the flow of water it likes. It took me so long getting everything tied down! I don't think I could take having to do that again. lol I've considered just switching places with the rock and driftwood but it just won't work. It would mess with my chi. That being said... I did tie the bolbitis down really well to the rock. If it never attaches itself to the rock, it still isn't going anywhere and eventually the ferns will cover the fishing line. I wish there was more water flow for it though.