[AwwShucks]

I've had my aquarium set up for about 2 years now and over the course of its life, I've noticed that a lot of plants that other people have a lot of luck with keep dying on me.

For reference, I have a low-tech 15-gallon tank with a Finnex Planted+ light that runs for around 8 hours, 80˚F.

Parameters:
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
GH: 5 KH: 3
pH: 7.0
I fertilize 2x a week with Thrive S, Seachem Potassium, and a small dose of NilocG's potassium phosphate select salts (1ppm).

My Java Fern thrived for most of its time in my tank but then randomly turned brown and melted away. I replaced it and they seem ok but that sucked.

Jungle Val never took off in my tank (melted and never came back) and my newly purchased Amazon Swords are worrying me.

Every moss I've tried has also died, which sucks because I really want to achieve the mossy tree look (any suggestions would be appreciated).

I would love some input on what I could perhaps change to have better success. I am planning on rescaping the tank soon due to a number of reasons, mainly to change out the soil (my ADA Amazonia is depleted, planning on using UNS to avoid ammonia spike). I know this will cause some upset but I think part of the problem is that the soil doesn't hold any nutrients. I did use root tabs for a while but never saw much improvement. I was wondering if maybe a dirted tank would yield better success, but again, I don't know much about it.

Thanks for any help

 

[minorhero]

I've had my aquarium set up for about 2 years now and over the course of its life, I've noticed that a lot of plants that other people have a lot of luck with keep dying on me.

For reference, I have a low-tech 15-gallon tank with a Finnex Planted+ light that runs for around 8 hours, 80˚F.

Parameters:
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
GH: 5 KH: 3
pH: 7.0
I fertilize 2x a week with Thrive S, Seachem Potassium, and a small dose of NilocG's potassium phosphate select salts (1ppm).

My Java Fern thrived for most of its time in my tank but then randomly turned brown and melted away. I replaced it and they seem ok but that sucked.

Jungle Val never took off in my tank (melted and never came back) and my newly purchased Amazon Swords are worrying me.

Every moss I've tried has also died, which sucks because I really want to achieve the mossy tree look (any suggestions would be appreciated).

I would love some input on what I could perhaps change to have better success. I am planning on rescaping the tank soon due to a number of reasons, mainly to change out the soil (my ADA Amazonia is depleted, planning on using UNS to avoid ammonia spike). I know this will cause some upset but I think part of the problem is that the soil doesn't hold any nutrients. I did use root tabs for a while but never saw much improvement. I was wondering if maybe a dirted tank would yield better success, but again, I don't know much about it.

Thanks for any help

So the thing that leaps out most is the additional ferts beyond thrive. Thrive is an EI method meaning it has a LOT of everything already. Adding more beyond that is not necessary and since you are getting bad results, potentially the source of your problem.

Stop adding anything other then ThriveS. (I am assuming this is a shrimp tank and that's why you went with the thriveS?)

What does your water change schedule look like?

 

[Le duke]

0 nitrates seems suspect and your temperature is higher than some plants like.

 

[minorhero]

0 nitrates seems suspect and your temperature is higher than some plants like.

I missed the 0 nitrates. Yeah, that's a problem. You should always have detectible nitrates.

 

[Mbrman]

What kind of water are you using? Tap water? If so, do you use a water softener in your home?

Dave

 

[dfarr67]

Good lighting?

 

[AwwShucks]

So the thing that leaps out most is the additional ferts beyond thrive. Thrive is an EI method meaning it has a LOT of everything already. Adding more beyond that is not necessary and since you are getting bad results, potentially the source of your problem.

Stop adding anything other then ThriveS. (I am assuming this is a shrimp tank and that's why you went with the thriveS?)

What does your water change schedule look like?

I actually used to only use ThriveS, but had a bit of algae issues, including a ton of GSA on my anubias and bba on my dwarf sag. I noticed deficiencies that I thought resembled a lack potassium, which is why I started adding extra. I'm not sure if these additives are the issue, but they could be. The phosphates were added to help combat the GSA, which has worked nicely.

0 nitrates seems suspect and your temperature is higher than some plants like.

Exactly what I was thinking. As for the temp, I can lower it to probably 75 or maybe 70, but I do want to keep my dwarf frogs in mind. It's been so hot here though I have turned the heater down anyways!

What kind of water are you using? Tap water? If so, do you use a water softener in your home?

Dave

I use a mix of RO and tap water. A while ago I devised a mix that got me to the hardness/etc I wanted but it seems to have shifted since. My tap water is pretty hard and so I suspect I will have to re-evaluate that, unless harder water is good? I have seen mixed info.

Good lighting?

I think so, as I stated I use a finnex planted+ that runs for about 8 hours, at full strength for about 3.