[Chad Atkinson]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum, and was wondering if anyone could help me diagnose a problem with my planted beta/snail tank. My tank is about 2 months old and is planted with Java Fern, Anubias Nana, Monte Carlo, and a little Dwarf sag. It initially had some Hygrophila pinnatifida as well but that died almost immediately. I am trying to grow plants without changing the light since my girlfriend likes the way the chi looks out of the box. The plants seem to be doing fine except for the monte carlo. It is growing slowly, but the older leaves have yellowed and died. I would guess a nitrogen deficiency, but I am worried maybe the light is just so underpowered the plant is slowly dying? One of the Anubias has a wavy leaf as well. If it is a nitrogen deficiency would it be better to get some root tabs or just add some more of my liquid fertilizer? I have heard monte carlo will feed from water column or roots, but have no experience with the plant. I would like to add some red/purple bucephalandra to the tank, but want to make sure I have everything stable first. Thanks in advance for any pointers! I will add some pictures of the plants.

-Chad

 

[naturelady]

Your tank looks nice. It's been a couple weeks since you posted, how is it doing now?

What kind of fertilizer are you adding to the tank? How much? -Plants need generous amounts of N, P, K, and micros, so your fertilizer needs to cover all that.
How long are the lights on? -Generally 8-10 hours/day is all you want, but may be less or more depending on the light.
What kind of substrate do you have? -Looks like it might be Eco Complete? This substrate does not have fertilizer in it, so you need to be sure to add ferts.

In general, your plants may simply be melting to adjust to your tank. 2 months is still a pretty new setup. It looks good, just needs a bunch more time and probably some adjustments to what you are doing to get a solid routine.