Anachris- trim it or pull it?

So I tried a few stalks of Anachris in my planted tank. I have good pH, 6.5-7 and I manage the nitrogen and ammonia levels with water changes.
I took some pictures tonight, I'm getting the leaves all over the substrate and sections of the main stems are turning brown. This isn't good.

I believed this was an easy plant, but it hasn't succeeded in my tank as intended.

Tank is a 20g Top fin, light is the stock LED.

Tank is situated about 3' from an east facing window, gets a little natural sun in the morning but not the rest of the day. Thanks in advance for thoughts and guidance.

 

How are you fertilizing your tank? Fast growing plants like Anacharis are nutrient hogs and are known to grow badly in newly started lightly stocked fishtanks, because they are relatively clean, low on nutrients - for example, I managed to kill hornwort in my new tank, despite the plant being considered one of the lowest maintenance. So it's important to fertilize the tank. You might need to add not only micronutrients, but also macronutrients - e.g. phosphate is often lacking in fishtanks.

 

When did you get the plants? You could try to float a section, see if it puts out roots and new green. My Anacharis does better floating than being planted.
Water conditions are always hard to narrow down for plants. I have plants doing fantastic in one tank, but wither in the other. I have water conditions supposedly good for Vallisneria, but it just does not grow in any of my tanks. Trial and error is the name of the game.

 

I have water conditions supposedly good for Vallisneria, but it just does not grow in any of my tanks.

I have water conditions supposedly bad for Vallisneria and it grows like crazy!

About the Anacharis, what temperature is your water? I believe they don't like it too warm.

 

I could never grow it. TClare asked a good question about water temp. I believe it is a cool water plant.

 

V1K- API Leaf Zone. I described my setup in another post, I use the Carib sea complete substrate. 20g tank. Dose 1 capful once a week as directed.

Fisch purchased about 2 weeks ago from Ocean Aquarium in Egg Harbor Twp NJ (a local, respected store). There are some of the white shoots coming from the planted stems on the left side of the tank, and some small green shoots, from the same section of plant that is turning brown.

I may just pull it, clean up as many leaves as possible, cut the green sections off and float them.

Most of my other plants are doing fairly well.

 

Sounds like good timing....plant is starting to get adjusted to your water.
Small green shoots are encouraging news. You could just cut the decaying stem above and below the base of the new growth, and let it float.
Where the long roots are coming, you also can put a weight to the stem, and it should attempt to grab into the substrate.

About the Anacharis, what temperature is your water? I believe they don't like it too warm.

Good point, I forgot about the temperature...

 

Sounds like good timing....plant is starting to get adjusted to your water.
Small green shoots are encouraging news. You could just cut the decaying stem above and below the base of the new growth, and let it float.
Where the long roots are coming, you also can put a weight to the stem, and it should attempt to grab into the substrate.

Good point, I forgot about the temperature...

Temperature is 76-78. Tank is on an upstairs floor in my house so the ambient temp is probably 72-73, although it's on the east side of the house and does not receive the strong direct sun.

Fish stock are still 6 cherry barbs and 4 cories (2 emerald/green and 2 bronze)

 

I could never grow it. TClare asked a good question about water temp. I believe it is a cool water plant.

Mine grows fine in 78 degrees, maybe I’m just lucky.

 

Mine grows fine in 78 degrees, maybe I’m just lucky.

Wish I had your skill. I do like the look of the plant.

 

I have not had good luck with planting it in the substrate. Instead I just drop it in the tank and let it do what it wants to do. It will send out roots along the stem, which you can allow to reach the substrate or cut off.

As mentioned above, when it sends out healthy shoots from the side then I typically cut away brown parts that look like they're dying.

 

Sounds like good timing....plant is starting to get adjusted to your water.
Small green shoots are encouraging news. You could just cut the decaying stem above and below the base of the new growth, and let it float.
Where the long roots are coming, you also can put a weight to the stem, and it should attempt to grab into the substrate.

Good point, I forgot about the temperature...

Thanks again. I trimmed the new growth off and discarded the dying pieces. Anchored it between the glass and thermometer front left. It should receive the most light this way and not get sucked up to the filter.

 

Iron in the substrate, and C02 in the water are needed for the plants. These are the basic nutrients that plants need and if they are missing even the easy stuff dies.

 

Iron in the substrate, and C02 in the water are needed for the plants. These are the basic nutrients that plants need and if they are missing even the easy stuff dies.

Is an application a few times a week of the leaf zone enough, or should I go for the tabs as well

 

Is there iron in your substrate? If not, you can mix in some Flourite into your substrate. There needs to be some iron available.

Then make sure you have some CO2. You get that by aeration. Or learn to use a DIY yeast/ sugar bottle to get things growing.

Then you need light. Increase the light if the plants are not doing well.

 

Is there iron in your substrate? If not, you can mix in some Flourite into your substrate. There needs to be some iron available.

Then make sure you have some CO2. You get that by aeration. Or learn to use a DIY yeast/ sugar bottle to get things growing.

Then you need light. Increase the light if the plants are not doing well.

I use CaribSea eco complete, along with twice weekly doses of Leaf Zone.
Two tips of the Amazon Sword are starting to brown, might be lack of light.

Could there not be enough iron in the substrate?

I could add Flourish tabs in the back, mixed into the substrate

 

OK, with CaribSea Eco Complete your soil is fine for plants and has plenty of iron.
More light sounds good.

 

More light sounds good.

The light I have used is a stock Topfin LED sold as part of a package with the 20g tank. Is this sufficient? I've always wondered about upgrading the light to some sort of full spectrum, but maybe this provides full spectrum already.

 

Stock lights in those cheap all in one kits are not sufficient for plants. You need to upgrade your light to grow plants. Get a light that specifically says it is for plants. T The light needs enough output power to grow plants.