Plants won't root! Don't know what to do.

[HamToast]

I have the dwarf variety in a smaller tank with better lighting, no co2 or ferts and it's doing great. Lots of healthy growth. I moved it into the other tank from the 30 gallon in question on this thread and it has done pretty well ever since.

As for phosphates, I don't have a wealth of knowledge regarding it. I do know that a nutrient imbalance can also cause algae, at least according to Tom Barr over at the Barr Report.

I'll hold off on altering anything in the tank until after I get started on a proper fertilizing regime. Thanks for the help all! If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

[HD Blazingwolf]

Originally Posted by HamToast

I have the dwarf variety in a smaller tank with better lighting, no co2 or ferts and it's doing great. Lots of healthy growth. I moved it into the other tank from the 30 gallon in question on this thread and it has done pretty well ever since.

As for phosphates, I don't have a wealth of knowledge regarding it. I do know that a nutrient imbalance can also cause algae, at least according to Tom Barr over at the Barr Report.

I'll hold off on altering anything in the tank until after I get started on a proper fertilizing regime. Thanks for the help all! If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

ah Tom Barr.. he will tell u the same thing

there is no mystical balance for fertilizers. u can have a wide variety of levels of each nutrient and still have a healthy tank
the main two issues are lighting and co2. more light means more co2, which means more fertilizers. that's the balance
too much light, not enough co2. = algae
good light, enough co2, not enough ferts. = algae

good light, not enough co2, poor ferts = a limited system possibly without algae, yet waiting for a crash. this last one is how PMDD or PPS pro works for most people

[discuspaul]

Originally Posted by HybridHerp

Wait wait wait, this plant is aquatic though. Its often used in Dutch scapes and there is even a dwarf variety. In the wild, it acts a lot like ludwigia species do where it starts underwater then grows up and out of the water, but it can still spend its whole life under water.

However, I do believe that this plant almost requires co2 or something like that, cause I've never had luck with it. However, I do have some dwarf varieties coming soon, and now that I will have my co2 up in a few days, I expect them to do a lot better than they have before.

Sorry to de-rail.

Did you have a look at HamToast's link to the Cardinal plant in post # 3 ?
Not sure how valid that info is, of if it accurately denotes the plant that Ham Toast is speaking of, but that link does indicate it is not a true aquatic plant, and may tend to have root problems with longer-term complete immersion in water. Is it not a bog plant ?

[HamToast]

Originally Posted by discuspaul

Did you have a look at HamToast's link to the Cardinal plant in post # 3 ?
Not sure how valid that info is, of if it accurately denotes the plant that Ham Toast is speaking of, but that link does indicate it is not a true aquatic plant, and may tend to have root problems with longer-term complete immersion in water. Is it not a bog plant ?

I don't believe that's the plant, or the information may be inaccurate somewhere along the line (on the link or the name of my plants from the LFS) But the plants I have look very similar to the bushy, wide round leaves in some of those pictures. I don't believe mine flowers though. I know there is another plant by the same name that is non aquatic, perhaps the information is getting crossed.

[HamToast]

Revival of this thread!

I have root tabs in the tank and am still having the same issue as before. Certain plants are not doing well, and the water sprites are not rooting at all. The roots turn a brownish black and rot away, leaving the plant to uproot and float around.

Additionally, the bronze wendtii is having some issues with leaves melting.

Water parameters and fish conditions have not change, though I have lost a few ghost shrimp since the original posting (they are slowly disappearing).

[sepulvd]

are you running CO2

[Aquaticz]

Originally Posted by HD Blazingwolf

ah Tom Barr.. he will tell u the same thing

there is no mystical balance for fertilizers. u can have a wide variety of levels of each nutrient and still have a healthy tank
the main two issues are lighting and co2. more light means more co2, which means more fertilizers. that's the balance
too much light, not enough co2. = algae
good light, enough co2, not enough ferts. = algae

good light, not enough co2, poor ferts = a limited system possibly without algae, yet waiting for a crash. this last one is how PMDD or PPS pro works for most people

+1
well said
should be a beginners sticky to ferts,lights& CO2.
its pretty simple but we make it difficult- go figure


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[OVT]

If the crypts are new to the tank, leaf melt is very common - they will bounce back. With water sprite just lay the roots on the substrate and put a stone on them. You can also let it float. If the new roots still do not grow then up your ferts a bit. If that does not help then we need to look into your conditions more as water sprite does not really need much of anything to survive.

With stem plants do what florists do: make a new clean cut right under the bottom leaf node (spot where the leaves come out of the stem), strip off 2-4 sets of leaves above the cut and then plant. If they still fail to root, repeat the above and let the stems float. If the floating stems fail to grow new roots in about a week then something else is wrong - good time to run water tests.


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[chibikaie]

I don't think the fish you listed are especially prone to eating plants or digging, but you might want to consider them as a contributing factor. I was having problems with water sprite, and it took me a while to understand that my fish was basically harassing the plants. Roots were trimmed off of floating plants, leaves were bitten in half ... plants don't like stress any more than we do. As soon as I put the plants in a tank with a strict carnivore (a betta who doesn't think digging in the dirt is fun), they grew much better.

[HamToast]

No co2 yet. I'm working towards that but finances aren't making that possible right now. I have never seen the fish uproot anything, I considered that a possibility as well and have been carefully observing them.

The crypts have been in the tank for, I think about 2 months now? I am also getting some minor melt on the crypts that have been in the tank for almost a year.

In any case, I will try the above suggestions and also up the substrate ferts, then observe. Hopefully things take a turn for the better.