Aquarium Plant Health and New LED

[megnarium]

Hey all

I have a 65 gallon medium stocked planted tank. I don't feel very successful with my plants and Im hoping for some help.
Stock:
1 angel fish
8 Rasbora Tetras
1 miscellaneous molly type (gifted fish not sure)
1 albino pleco
1 brittlenose pleco (assumed)

Plants:
Java fern (all others died/the angel fish destroyed)

Lighting:
Seaoura LED aquarium light for plants - full spectrum (only on the half of the tank with plants). I run this on a 6 hour timer and its been active for a month. Previously it was a tube light that I don't think had any specifics for plants.

Gravel:
Fluval aquarium dirt (~2inches) capped with black sand (~1 inch)

Filters:
1 HOB
1 Eheim Canister

Questions:
1. I thought the plants would be growing better since I upgraded to a plant light. but they have not grown at all in the last month, and instead have more brown leaves than anything else. (so they are worse than before)
2. I really really want more plants and to have a more planted tank - but I can't even grow the java fern I have!

Suggestions? Do I need root tabs? water column fertilizer? What other plants might be successful? What would make me more successful?

Photos for reference purposes!

 

[BigDogs]

Have you ever thought of doing Co2 or even diy Co2 with your aquarium? I would also look into moving into dry fertilizers
A good place to ask about this stuff is Green Leaf Aquariums, I been growing to them for years now and my plants have done well with there help

 

[megnarium]

Have you ever thought of doing Co2 or even diy Co2 with your aquarium? I would also look into moving into dry fertilizers
A good place to ask about this stuff is Green Leaf Aquariums
I been growing to them for years now and my plants have done well with there help

Thank you! I will reach out to them. I was hoping to have a low tech tank. The culmination of what I know about 'doing CO2' is that its carbon dioxide gas lol.

 

[BigDogs]

I did diy Co2 for many years my self before I got into it big time It’s easy to do If you need help with it. Just let me know It’s not hard to master and it’s cheap
Co2 is always good for plants You will be happy with the results I thought the same thing until I did Co2.
I never looked back
I have found dry aquarium fertilizers to be the most cost efficient in the long haul There are people that do like bottled fertilizers also
Which there is nothing wrong with them

 

[megnarium]

Why would I need CO2 in here? isn't java low tech and dont need CO2?
I also don't have a ton of plant knowledge

 

[ProudPapa]

If you aren't ready to try CO2 I'd suggest starting with a good liquid fertilizer, like one from the Niloc brand. That's all I use, and plants grow great for me.

 

[kansas]

Some common plants grow very well in my water and some die. If one doesn't work, try another. Use an all in fertilizer as ProudPapa suggests.

 

[Fishfur]

Just curious but how deep is the tank & how far away from the substrate is the light?

Is your water hard or soft? Or what’s the GH?

The crypts appear to be doing nicely - what other plants did you have that faded away? Some plants simply don’t do well without additional CO2 but there are lots that do fine without it.

So what plants have failed completely? Does the Angelfish actively eat, dig up or otherwise destroy plants?

 

[megnarium]

Just curious but how deep is the tank & how far away from the substrate is the light?

Is your water hard or soft? Or what’s the GH?

The crypts appear to be doing nicely - what other plants did you have that faded away? Some plants simply don’t do well without additional CO2 but there are lots that do fine without it.

So what plants have failed completely? Does the Angelfish actively eat, dig up or otherwise destroy plants?

We have quite hard water, I dont know the GH. The angel fish didn't dig up any plants but they shredded Vallisneria spiralis and if it started to sprout it was gone. I've tried that one a few times. The tank is quite deep, Id have to measure to be sure as I don't remember exact, but I believe its 18 inches deep. The light sits flat on top with plexiglass separating it from the tank.

 

[Mudminnow]

If your angelfish is being hard on your plants, that'd be reason enough to trade it for something else in my book. Plecos can sometimes be rough on plants too.

Like Fishfur said, your crypts seem to be doing ok. That's not surprising, as many cryptocorynes are adaptable. Vallisnerias do well in hard water too; they might be worth a second try if you're willing to swap fishes. Other plants that've consistently grown well for me are Hygrophila difformis, Rotala rotundifolia, Amazon swords, Anubias, and Java moss. Like kanasa said, try a bunch of different plants to see what grows.

With my tanks, I've found my plants reach a "critical mass" where they begin to do better. That is, my plants often struggle when I just have a few. But when I have many of them, they do better.

Making sure your plants have what they need is also important. You have light, substrate, and a filter. You might want to try food too. Like ProudPapa said, using a good fertilizer (I prefer the brainless "all-in-one" liquid types) is usually a good step. Not every planted tank needs such fertilization, but offering it lets you rule out deficiencies.

 

[3Fishnight]

Co2 is always good for plants You will be happy with the results I thought the same thing until I did Co2.
I never looked back

Co2 is easy mode. Although you can have a lot of success without it. Find plants that do well in harder water. There are some plants that are just hard to mess up as long as your doing a few things right. Water changes. Good fertilization. A decent light with enough wattage. When you do these things well your vallisneria/cryps and many other easy plants will explode. Other easy plants might not work out. For instance both of my tanks cant grow java moss, i have no idea why. I had a tank in the past that the java moss pretty much choked out the whole tank it grew so much. I have heard from others on here that some plants just work in that tank and others dont.

 

[Fishfur]

I have moderately hard water here. Plants that have done well for me without CO2 are Stargrass (Heteranthera zosterifolia) very pretty once it gets going, Tiger lotus, Pearlgrass (Hemianthus glomeratus & Hemianthus tweedei Monte Carlo, Sagittaria subulata (Dwarf sag), Helanthium tenellum & its cultivar Green, Helanthium bolvianum & its cultivar Quadricostatus, Hygrophila polysperma, Hygrophila salicifolia,& Hygrophila angustifolia (both called Willow Hygrophila) H.corymbosa, Ludwigia arcuata, L.repens Rubin.

 

[Mudminnow]

Co2 is easy mode.

I'm not sure I quite agree with this. Don't get me wrong; I love high-tech tanks and have been keeping them for years. But, I don't think they're easy mode. My low-tech tanks are much easier by comparison. In my low-tech tanks, I rarely need to trim the plants; I fertilize far less; I don't need to maintain the CO2, and I do fewer/smaller water changes.

 

[3Fishnight]

I'm not sure I quite agree with this. Don't get me wrong; I love high-tech tanks and have been keeping them for years. But, I don't think they're easy mode. My low-tech tanks are much easier by comparison. In my low-tech tanks, I rarely need to trim the plants; I fertilize far less; I don't need to maintain the CO2, and I do fewer/smaller water changes.

I guess it seems easy to me. Just talking in terms of plant growth it just seems easier to me even when you add a small amount of co2(less than 1 bubble per second) everything explodes and looks really lush. That lush tank that you get where people look at it and think wow thats really gorgeous. Its most easily achieved in my opinion with even a small amount of co2 added. That just made me think i might have to set up my co2 tank in the living room where everyone can see it. Haha. I do less than a bubble per second and see quite a big difference in growth. I havent done a co2 refill in a year and a half. Low tech is cool too tho.

Ditto to what fishfur says.