# Plants not growing..



## Izzy- (Jun 11, 2014)

What kind of substrate? 
Do you have excessive surface agitation? 

My plants stopped growing completely when my filter output was pointed directly at the surface.


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## foster (Sep 23, 2012)

Root tabs will help. Some of your plants are root feeders. Also the fert schedule seems a little light.
Maybe not enough light at the substrate level since tank is so tall. CO2 would help also.
I use wavepoint bulbs on one of my tanks, and have good plant growth, and color.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I suspect there's something else going on in there but if you don't mind the tank looking a bit pink/red(but any red fish will look brighter also) this bulb will help plant growth if use along/w the one you have now.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...ed-wave-high-output-t5-fluorescent-lamps.html
This will give you a comparison of how it might look. This is a True Lumen "Flora"
bulb which also makes it a bit red looking. One picture is unedited except to brighten it and the other is color corrected. It is what the tank would look like/w a white bulb in it.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14289&pictureid=63338
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14289&pictureid=63346
Actually I don't notice it as much as a photo makes it obvious.
Those were taken when I had two T5 bulbs in my 10g tank without injected CO2 BTW
so go by the light not by how bad the tank is in general.
Have since reduced the light to one bulb of T5 but still using the TL Flora only.
In 18" there are only three bulbs available that make any sense to use in T5.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Aquarium Plants*

Hello Big...

Plants need stable water conditions, just like fish. Water that stays in the tank too long loses minerals because of the constant filtration. Work up to the point you're changing half the water every week. This will keep minerals in the water. Review the dosing amounts. Too many nutrients aren't good for plants. keep things simple. A good liquid for the plants with roots above the substrate and a root tab for those that need planting and above all patience and you'll have a nicely planted tank in a few weeks.

Have fun!

B


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

So plants have been sitting doing nothing? Any new leaves at all?

Been doing this for a while now and it is frustrating. Seems to me nothing is happening for months on end although you see new growth the tank isn't filling up then tank looks pretty good then all of a sudden you are having to weed whack. 

I restarted the tank in October last year. All the plants present were pretty sickly after months of little light and no CO2 or NPK+M not to mention zero water changes. In December it was starting to look like a planted tank again and just now plants are starting to fill out their allotted spaces. I am hoping that after 2 months of just sitting there and a couple months of growing to fit the tank again I will be weed whacking in a couple more months.

Take photos to keep track of what is going on.


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## bigred87 (Feb 15, 2013)

Izzy- said:


> What kind of substrate?
> Do you have excessive surface agitation?
> 
> My plants stopped growing completely when my filter output was pointed directly at the surface.


 Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix -Red Clay-Capped with Eco Complete 

I mean there is a little but not too much. My 20 gallon has the same about of surface agitation and it has no problem going plants.

Bump:


foster said:


> Root tabs will help. Some of your plants are root feeders. Also the fert schedule seems a little light.
> Maybe not enough light at the substrate level since tank is so tall. CO2 would help also.
> I use wavepoint bulbs on one of my tanks, and have good plant growth, and color.


Well i dirtied the tank.. So do i still need root tabs? what should my fert schedule be? Hoppys chart says i have medium light.. shouldn't that be enough? would diy co2 be ok?

Bump:


Raymond S. said:


> I suspect there's something else going on in there but if you don't mind the tank looking a bit pink/red(but any red fish will look brighter also) this bulb will help plant growth if use along/w the one you have now.
> http://www.petmountain.com/product/...ed-wave-high-output-t5-fluorescent-lamps.html
> This will give you a comparison of how it might look. This is a True Lumen "Flora"
> bulb which also makes it a bit red looking. One picture is unedited except to brighten it and the other is color corrected. It is what the tank would look like/w a white bulb in it.
> ...


Wait I thought 65k lights are the best? and if i put one of the pinkish bulbs over my tank. would my tank be super red?

Bump:


BBradbury said:


> Hello Big...
> 
> Plants need stable water conditions, just like fish. Water that stays in the tank too long loses minerals because of the constant filtration. Work up to the point you're changing half the water every week. This will keep minerals in the water. Review the dosing amounts. Too many nutrients aren't good for plants. keep things simple. A good liquid for the plants with roots above the substrate and a root tab for those that need planting and above all patience and you'll have a nicely planted tank in a few weeks.
> 
> ...


I do weekly water changes.. and add ferts after i do a water change.


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## bigred87 (Feb 15, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> So plants have been sitting doing nothing? Any new leaves at all?
> 
> Been doing this for a while now and it is frustrating. Seems to me nothing is happening for months on end although you see new growth the tank isn't filling up then tank looks pretty good then all of a sudden you are having to weed whack.
> 
> ...


Only the anubus has new leaves. wait u do 0 water changes???


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I want to do lots of big water changes but I couldn't get any done for months last summer so the tank was just topped off so the sump wouldn't complain too much. My usual routine is at least one 50% water change a week. It isn't all that much work if you can walk, I couldn't.


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## bigred87 (Feb 15, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> I want to do lots of big water changes but I couldn't get any done for months last summer so the tank was just topped off so the sump wouldn't complain too much. My usual routine is at least one 50% water change a week. It isn't all that much work if you can walk, I couldn't.


Ohhh ok. Well i do a weekly 40-50%. but if u couldnt walk i can see why that would be hard! I hope you are feeling better now!!!


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I depends on which red bulb you use and if it's the only bulb or with a white.
I use the True Lumen "Flora" and it's rated at 6700K. I actually only have that one in there now. Took out one bulb because it was too much light for not having injected CO2.
That particular bulb has very clear light that gives no glare. When you look at a picture on here and the tops of some plants/leaves are very bright...that glare it has non of.
That's only a $10 bulb from Doctors Foster & Smith's and if you needed anything else the shipping would be absorbed fairly well.
But mind you I first said I think there is something else going on other than the bulbs.
That's a very good reflector on that fixture and just plain T5 6500 bulbs from Loew's would be adequate in there.


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