Help with Plant

[fairy74]

I have had a hygrophila corymbosa angustifolia in my tank for just over a week now and the leaves are becoming transparent and falling off(also some look like they are being eaten).
It is a potted plant and i have added API leaf zone yesterday.
Does anyone know how or if i can save it,and do i remove the dying leaves?
Im new to live plants and dont want to be put off buying any more.
Thanks.

[MSG]

I would have used a long transfer pipette or something similar, soaked up the liquid fert & leave it sort of dripping onto the plant.

I read one several forums to use 1/2 or 1/3 of the recommended dosing because API is assuming your tank is HEAVILY planted. If you only have a few plants then 1/3 or so should be efficient.

I wonder how the plants would absorb the nutrients by just DOSING the whole tank. That I'm not so clear on.

Also the light you're using on your tank. Is it rated to 6500K? Anything lower than that may not be in the right color spectrum to promote plant growth.

Here's a photo of some of the lights I disqualified when I went o the hardware store. The fluorescent were the ones that appeal to me.

[fairy74]

I have two of these lights on in my tank..supposed to promote plant growth.

Unfortunately i already dosed the tank yesterday by just pouring the required dosage in to the water,so will have to wait a week and try letting it drip on to the plant(if it lasts that long).

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/fish-...interpet-35821

[MSG]

Checked the link and it doesn't give you a Kelvin rating.

You need to make sure you know the K rating or the light is useless. Most of my CFL's don't have the K rating etched in the bulb.

Most of the lights I looked at in the hardware store were in the 2700k or 3000k for the LED ones.

I'm using the Verilux Instant Sun - used by professional gardeners & orchid people. Orchids are HARD to grow. I don't know how I got the bulb, but I have one.

It's rated @ 6280K & rated for 14,000 hours. They're about $13

[starrlamia]

what size is the tank? and yeah we need a kelvin rating to be able to judge it, it needs to be 6500k or abouts for the plants.

What substrate do you have? API leaf zone isnt a great fertilizer, it isnt comprehensive and is missing many nutrients. I would highly recommend Seachem line of products, the flourish comprehensive will give you all of your micro ferts but you will still need macro, but it depends on your substrate.

[fairy74]

Tank is 30 gallons with sand substrate...i have searched for seachem and flourish but clearly we cant get that here in UK even on ebay.
Very annoying.

Never heard of the K rating but will look in to it.

Many thanks.

[starrlamia]

the products are definately available in the UK
http://www.swelluk.com/manufacturers/seachem-1206.html

Since you have sand as a substrate you need to use root tabs for any rooted plants, but the plant in question is a stem plant and can get its nutrients from the water column.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ils.php?id=139

[Oldfishlady]

Hygrophila corymbosa angustifolia-this is a great stem plant-I have lots of them in my soil based tanks-both this variety and the broad leaf one. Sometimes they are grown out of the water at the nursery and the leaves have to transition from emersed/submersed growth. Its not uncommon to see all the leaves die off, drop as the new underwater leaves start to grow.

Since its potted-did you take it out of the pot and remove any rockwool around the roots-If not, I would recommend that you do that.

As the other posters mentioned-lights are a big factor with successful planted tanks and plant growth. Without the proper color temp lights the plant ferts are useless and will only feed algae. The plant can't see the light for photosynthesis it can't use the ferts.

The bulbs I like to use are-"Daylight" 6500k 20-40w depending on the tank size. I get my florescent bulbs in the lighting dept not the aquarium dept of most hardware type stores and chain stores like wal mart.

Proper color temp lights are in the kelvin of 5000-7000k with 6500k being ideal and closest to the natural sun. The florescent bulbs can lose intensity over time and it is recommend that the bulbs be changed every 12 months....you can see the light but the plants can't to use for energy.

Photoperiod is also important-10-12h/day is recommend. In nature plants get 12h of light and 12h of dark-with an hour before and after of lower light as in the sunset/sunrise-Making a good starting point of 10h/day in the home aquarium to support plant growth. Too short, poor intensity, wrong color temp can sometimes trick the plant into thinking its a season change and either go dormant, die or flower and it can also cause algae problems.

With planted tanks its all about the balance-you have to support the active plant growth so the plants can out compete the algae for light/nutrients.

What I would recommend now-remove it from the pot if you haven't already and plant the roots, make a 50% water only change to get some of the ferts out so you don't cause an algae outbreak, get the proper light bulb in the 6500k range that is under 12 months of age, get on a 10h/day PP for now. If you are using a hood-check the partition between the light bulb and water to ensure it is free of debris or remove it all together to get better light penetration to the plant......And wait...the hardest part especially if it is going through a leaf transition phase.

[fairy74]

I think i should have done more research in to tanks before i purchased as i am limited on bulbs..it takes two..it came with one side a daylight and one side moonlight(both small) i took the moonlight out and replaced with bright daylight(15watt each).

The actual plant has tiny leaf growth right at the base of the pot,so i will take it out of the pot and remove dying leaves and replant.

I also have some Potted Vallis Vallisneria spiralis 'leopard in Qt to plant..think i have challenged myself to much to soon.

Is it wise to remove all plants from their pots?

I feel a little overwhelmed with it all to be honest.

[starrlamia]

Is it fluorescent? Watts doesn't matter as much as kelvin rating and par. If it is a t8 fixture and you use 2 6500k rating bulbs you may get away with low light plants but not much more than that.