Man that looks like my tank back in the day when I first learned a growlight is what you need to grow plants. Youtube has loads of interesting step by steps on how to grow this plant or that...as does this forum from what I've read so far. Keeping fish and live plants is very rewarding and worth every bit what you put into it, But if you leave out somethings or even one important thing and simply buy all the ferts and traces the helpful sales person at the pet store suggests...you may very well be rather dissapointed and give up as casualties mount and more money spent. From the photo it appears you have chosen the correct size gravel..but, its whats under that gravel thats just as important...I hope its not an undergravel filter! At least not under the areas you have planted. Dead Oak or Beech leaves (approx. 1/2-1") at the very bottom would be a good start. Followed by a sprinkling of Osmocote Plus (trace elements) a dash or two of chelated iron, a small handful of kelp meal and another of dolomitic limestone, and a tbl. spoon or two of Epsom Salts and then youll want to cap that recipe with some Flourite red clay or even some *Hy-Dri* granulated clay mixed with a good quality potting soil or spaghnum moss and then some nice clean coarse sand and then a half inch of that nice gravel you have chosen. Now you'll have algae problems, so as the tank cycles before you add fish and plants keep light to a minimum...and change the water...25 - 50 percent a few days before adding living things..treat the water you add for chlorine always...read all the labels on any liquid ferts and co2s...now the carbon in the filter has a side effect...it removes iron from the water and other things plants need...Seachem and Fluval have some alternatives...Purigen and Phosguard I have used with success...also biological filtration is a big plus as is mechanical...bio balls and matrix stones are good bio and for mechanical there are a myriad of pads and wools..This hobbys like any other, takes time and effort as well as enthusiasm..Best of Luck
Some plants dying since implemented
Hi, my first post 
. I'm complete newbie in aquaristics but my kids had wanted a pet, so I allowed them an aquarium :icon_roll. We've got 26 USG medium planted tank. Plants had been nice, when implemented but they started to suffer later on. Probably iron deficiency. I started to ad Seachem iron (2,6 ml every morning). I don't have CO2, so I add 2,5 ml Seachem Excel every morning. I started to monitor basic parameters. NO3(-2) are 20 mg/l and I've incresed PO4(-3) to 2 mg/l after an outbreak of green algae. It seems to be much better. But my plants seem to be still suffering from some kind of deficiency. Especially Sagittaria subulata is almost gone. So is Rotala rotundifolia and Alternanthera and Bacopa(see the image). I've tried to adjust K(+) to 15 mg/l and Mg(+2) to about 15 mg/l too but without any effect. Do you have any idea how to help them? My current dosage scheme is very similar to Seachem's dosing calendar but I adjust Mg(+2), K(+) and PO4(-3) on Sunday after a water change (1/3). It is very strange I have to add 0,3 mg/l of PO4(-3) every day but K(+) and Mg(+2) seem to be very stable and I don't have to add any except Sundays and already included in Flourish Trace and Flourish Advance (both every other day).
. I'm complete newbie in aquaristics but my kids had wanted a pet, so I allowed them an aquarium :icon_roll. We've got 26 USG medium planted tank. Plants had been nice, when implemented but they started to suffer later on. Probably iron deficiency. I started to ad Seachem iron (2,6 ml every morning). I don't have CO2, so I add 2,5 ml Seachem Excel every morning. I started to monitor basic parameters. NO3(-2) are 20 mg/l and I've incresed PO4(-3) to 2 mg/l after an outbreak of green algae. It seems to be much better. But my plants seem to be still suffering from some kind of deficiency. Especially Sagittaria subulata is almost gone. So is Rotala rotundifolia and Alternanthera and Bacopa(see the image). I've tried to adjust K(+) to 15 mg/l and Mg(+2) to about 15 mg/l too but without any effect. Do you have any idea how to help them? My current dosage scheme is very similar to Seachem's dosing calendar but I adjust Mg(+2), K(+) and PO4(-3) on Sunday after a water change (1/3). It is very strange I have to add 0,3 mg/l of PO4(-3) every day but K(+) and Mg(+2) seem to be very stable and I don't have to add any except Sundays and already included in Flourish Trace and Flourish Advance (both every other day).
