i nees some help my plants do not grow

[sayeau]

hey all

i need some help i have been trying to grow plants for some time (1 year) with no luck they grow, but not that well. most of the plants i have are low light. what am i doing wrong?

set up:

38 gal tank 36"l x 12"w x 20"h
Coralife Freshwater Aqualight- 36" Power Compact Light-1 x 96W i just put a new 6700k lamp in it
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp17952/si1320157/cl0/coralifefreshwateraqualight36powercompactlight1x96w

Red Sea CO2 Bio-Generator

Seachem Flourish Trace ( a cap full once a week)

sand Substrates.

plants:
hornwort
val
pennywort

any help would be welcome

thanks
jay

[charlie]

Hello, with out knowing what exactly the plant symptoms are , it`s hard to say if & what you are doing wrong,one thing i can tell you is you need to research your livestock & plants, for example i see in your signature you have apple snails in your tank, they usually enjoy plants as salad  , also take some time & read the info available through the link i`m attaching here.

http://www.rexgrigg.com/

[bynna]

Do you have any fish in the tank? If not, I think you might need to dose N,P,K. Otherwise your plants will have deficiency of macros.

[BigDaddy]

Hornwort doesn't do well at warmer temps, so if your tank is more than 25 C, that will do it.  As well, at that lighting, hornwort is a nutrient sponge, so as others have mentioned you probably have nutrient deffeciencies.

I'm thinking your sand substrate might be an issue.  I've used "sands" that were too dense for root development, and all my plants were stunted.  What kind of sand are you using?

[Laura]

i see in your signature you have apple snails in your tank, they usually enjoy plants as salad 

There are two types of gold applesnails that look quite similar.  One eats all your plants (Canas) and get very large, the other is plant-safe and stays smaller (Brigs).  Brigs have more of a stepped spire while Canas are flatter like a cinnamon bun.

[charlie]

There are two types of gold applesnails that look quite similar.  One eats all your plants (Canas) and get very large, the other is plant-safe and stays smaller (Brigs).  Brigs have more of a stepped spire while Canas are flatter like a cinnamon bun.

Good point Laura

[irene]

[quote


Red Sea CO2 Bio-Generator


[/quote]

I have this generator and wasn't super impressed by it.  Maybe for a 10g of something it'd be ok.  I've used the bottle and mixed up my own brew out of sugar/yeast then run it into the intake of a powerhead.  I found the little pump they provide not much good for a larger tank and also the mix didn't have a great Co2 output.

Irene

[sayeau]

thank you alll

ok

-my applesnails do not seem to eat my plants so i would have to say i have Brigs.

-i have silica sand and crushed coral. more sand then coral 70/30 mix
-ya that Red Sea CO2 Bio-Generator does not seen to do much

[sayeau]

hey all

i have some more info

my tank run at about 78f and i have my light on a timer for about 12 hours. i am getting algae, not too bad but some.

my be i have the wrong plants

i would love some more help

thank so much

jay

[dan2x38]

What is your pH, KH, & GH?

[Toss]

I would agree with BD, sand is not ideal for plant growth, unless you have something underneath it like peat and/or soil. If you don't want to change the substrate, change the plant selection. Find plants that doesn't require substrate, ie. attached to driftwood or rocks. Any fern, java, african, also anubias can grow "above" the substrate.

[dan2x38]

You can also place your plants in small pots (small) filled with small gravel mixed with latrite, then stick them in the substrate.

[sayeau]

what is the best substrate then?

thanks
jay

[charlie]

what is the best substrate then?

thanks
jay

That question, could promt so many different answers, would make your head spin, have a read of this , at the end you will have a pretty good idea what your goal is & be able to make your own choices.
http://www.rexgrigg.com/substrate.htm

[unshaven]

You can also try a plant fertilizer like Tetra Flora Pride along with putting your plants in pots.   Difference for me was great.

[dan2x38]

You can also try a plant fertilizer like Tetra Flora Pride along with putting your plants in pots.   Difference for me was great.

That is an OK fert but the issue seems to point towards his substrate. Hard for the roots to breathe and spread out the sand is so dense. Hey that was my avatar for awhile... 

[sayeau]

thanks guys
you have helped a lot. i will have to think about all this and see what i will do. i thought i was doing a lot wright but i guess not.

thank again
jay

if you have any more tips, it would help, thanks again

[AdamR]

Where is the best (aka cheap) place to get the substrates mentioned in rexgrigg page?

Peat mose, flourite, eco-complete, etc...

[Toss]

Peat moss = garden centre
Fluorite and ecocomplete = BA, you are a member, so 15% discount from $30 approx. price per bag

[sayeau]

heyall

can you use Peat moss if you have fish in the tank?