# plants slowly dying?



## ashleykins (May 21, 2011)

Hi there, I recently moved up from a 29g to a 40g acrylic seaclear aquarium and had a few questions, I recently purchased some plants online and some from petsmart- ones in tubes but they are anubias, java fern and amazon swords

I also have some red tiger lotus, Sagittaria platyphylla, CYPRUS HELFERI, Vesuvius Sword, CRINUM CALAMISTRATUM, mondo grass (?) and an anubias thats taller with narrow leaves.

My problem is the leaves keep browning and dying and I keep clipping off the dead parts but a few days later more is dying. 

I upgraded my lights to this: Current USA Nova Extreme T5 X2 Freshwater Aquarium Lighting Fixture, 2X39 Watt, 36 inch
which I was assuming would be enough light for my tank...

and I got some flourish plant suppliment and even added some root tabs when putting in the substrate.

So I don't understand why they are dying... 

Actually the red tiger lotus was doing really well til I moved it to the new tank, now lots of the leaves have holes and brown spots. 

Any ideas as to what is going on?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I don't know much about the light you mentioned, but is it specifically for plants? (Most aquatic plants need a light that is for plants. It will also be o.k. for the fish.)

Are the plants new? Even if they aren't, most plants go into 'shock' when moved to a new tank. Much of the time the leaves turn brown and fall off and then new, green leaves grow back. It takes the plants some time to acclimate to the new tank. (If yours is just newly cycled, maybe the water doesn't have as many nutrients as the old tank, so it's getting used to the new params?) I've noticed that will all the plants I've brought home, the leaves turn yellow, brown or clear within the first few weeks and then newer, healthier leaves grow in. (Often looking quite different from what they were originally.)

Just a thought.


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## ashleykins (May 21, 2011)

yes the lights are T5 lights I believe those are for plants :/ I hope so!

I had read that some plants when you buy them they were grown out of the water so when you put them in the water they will die and grow new leaves but I wasnt sure. 

Thank you for the reply and info though, I will take that into consideration and keep an eye out for new growth!


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

ashleykins said:


> I had read that some plants when you buy them they were grown out of the water so when you put them in the water they will die and grow new leaves but I wasnt sure.


I've read that too in an aquarium magazine, and was also told by a LFS worker that many plant farms do this. Makes sense that the plant then has to adjust to a fully aquatic life and so grows new/different leaves.

Good luck! I hope the plants come back all nice and full and green for you!


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

you'll have to wait for about 2 weeks before you see any new growth. Be sure to check your gh and kh levels, plants need this to be at good numbers in order to grow effectively.


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## ashleykins (May 21, 2011)

Thank you Phy, I will order those as I am just ordering my master test kit (I know should have gotten it sooner but I thought the strips would be ok)

Now, I read in another post that if you have a lot of plants that you should not gravel vac because the poo or I think they called it mulm or something like that (?)
I have been gravel vac-ing and it's been a pain with all the plants. I keep knocking them up! could I skip it then?


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Plants all have different environmental requirements. Some like a high ph, some like a low ph. Some like hard water, some don't. Some need intesnse lighting, some don't. Java Fern will grow in almost any conditions. If it is dying then there is something seriously wrong with your water parameters.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Check the bulbs to see what kelvin rating they have. You should be in the 6500-10000k range for plants. It is common for plants to adjust a little when they get into a new tank and the result of that is usually dying leaves. Just give them a little time before you toss them.

I have to do some more looking to be aure, but believe your light is a little high for your setup. WPG guidelines that people use do not apply to T5HO. Not familiar with that fixture, does each bulb have it's own reflector? You possibly may need CO2. What happens is the light drives the plant to grow and the second most imporatnt thing it needs is CO2. If the light pushed the plant and the CO2 intake from the plant isn't to the level needed to grow, the plant suffers. Don't think this is what issues your plants are having currently though. Not sure how long you leave your light on, but I would keep it to 6hrs or under.


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## braindoc77 (May 30, 2011)

Yes, the debris that accumulates in the substrate is called "fish mulm," and it consists of the fish wastes, uneaten food, and dead plant matter that fall to the bottom. Your plants need the mulm for nitrogen and for carbon, so feel free to run your gravel vac gently over the surface of your substrate, but I wouldn't recommend aggressively vacuuming it, particularly as you don't want to keep uprooting and replanting (microtrauma to the root system, as well as disruption of the bacterial colonies that form in relationship to the roots of your plants).

If you're a book person at all, I'd like to recommend two books that continue to be extremely helpful to me as well as fairly easy to read:
_Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_ by Diana Walstad and
_Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants_ by Peter Hiscock
Walstad is rabidly low tech in her approach, and Hiscock is probably biased to the high tech side of things although he tries to present both sides, but between the two there is a ton to learn.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I still vacuum the gravel in my tank because it gets super dirty feeding the frogs. I just stay well away from plants and leave a wide berth for the root systems, so they don't get up-rooted and also still get the mulm. (I just vac' the open areas that have no plants near them.) If the gravel looks really bad, just run the vacuum lightly over the gravel's surface near the plants, to get dirt off the surface while leaving the mulm and roots alone.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

One thing though is the mondo grass isn't aquatic. You need to pull it out and put it into a pot on the window sill.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Agree with Susan.Mondo grass is non aquatic.I have a nova extreme hO light as well,and my plants seem to enjoy it.Give them time to adjust but be mindful in that time on subtle changes such as holes in leaves,or melting.Mayn sword plants are grown emersed and will slowly grow new leaves and the old ones will show signs of decay.I cut those off when I see a new one or so growing in.Just cut them at the base close to the substrate.


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