15 Gallon Tank Aquarium plants stop growing

[ToOthleSS04]

In my Betta tank I got some hygropholia, cryptocoryne and 2 pogostemom stellatus. The plants would grow really really fast back then, but now they suddenly kind of stopped doing so. Is it because the substrate is not that much? I do water change 1 a week or every 2 weeks, I don't know why this happens

 

[kansas]

Do you use fertilizer? My mentor tells me to use an all in one fert. I use Thrive root tabs every few months and Thrive liquid every week.

 

[Seasoldier]

In my Betta tank I got some hygropholia, cryptocoryne and 2 pogostemom stellatus. The plants would grow really really fast back then, but now they suddenly kind of stopped doing so. Is it because the substrate is not that much? I do water change 1 a week or every 2 weeks, I don't know why this happens

You need to feed them, once they've exhausted all the nutrients in the substrate & tank they'll start to die off just like house plants. kansas above has given good advice.

 

[ToOthleSS04]

Do you use fertilizer? My mentor tells me to use an all in one fert. I use Thrive root tabs every few months and Thrive liquid every week.

Yep I do, i use an everyday liquid fertilizer

 

[Seasoldier]

What's your tank lighting like?

 

[ToOthleSS04]

What's your tank lighting like?

It's a standard Amtra LED light, I reduced the white light to leave more space for blue light (the one who makes plants grow)

 

[SeattleRoy]

Hi ToOthleSS04

If your plants grew well at first and have now stopped it is unlikely that the issue is light related (unless you have changed your photoperiod). It is much more likely nutrient related. The plants grew well until one (or more) of the necessary nutrients for growth were depleted and then the growth slowed or stopped. Hope this helps! -Roy

 

[ToOthleSS04]

Hi ToOthleSS04

If your plants grew well at first and have now stopped it is unlikely that the issue is light related (unless you have changed your photoperiod). It is much more likely nutrient related. The plants grew well until one (or more) of the necessary nutrients for growth were depleted and then the growth slowed or stopped. Hope this helps! -Roy

Thanks Roy! Do you have any advices to give me right now? I'm also struggling with Pogostemon stellatus and it's kind stressfull

 

[SeattleRoy]

Yep I do, i use an everyday liquid fertilizer

Hi ToOthleSS04

Specifically what liquid fertilizer are you dosing?

How much are you dosing daily?

What volume tank? (gallons or liters)

Can you provide any water parameters? (provide what you can)

pH =

dKH =

dGH =

Nitrates (ppm) =

Also pictures of some of the plants that are in your tank would be helpful. -Roy

 

[ToOthleSS04]

Hi ToOthleSS04

Specifically what liquid fertilizer are you dosing?

How much are you dosing daily?

What volume tank? (gallons or liters)

Can you provide any water parameters? (provide what you can)

pH =

dKH =

dGH =

Nitrates (ppm) =

Also pictures of some of the plants that are in your tank would be helpful. -Roy

I use an everyday liquid fertilizer, pH is 6.8, dKH is 10 and dGH is 6, nitrates and nitrites are both 0

I use an everyday liquid fertilizer, pH is 6.8, dKH is 10 and dGH is 6, nitrates and nitrites are both 0

 

[SeattleRoy]

Hi ToOthleSS04

Actually your plants look fairly healthy. I do see some 'hooking' of the leaf tips in the Hygrophilia (?) (#1 - right side) which would indicate insufficient available calcium (Ca). I also see some curling of the leaf margins in the older leaves of the Cryptocoryne (#2 - foreground) which would indicate insufficient available magnesium (Mg). Of the two nutrients the magnesium is the one that has the most effect on root growth (along with potassium and phosphorus).





Notice I said "insufficient available magnesium" and not that you were not dosing a sufficient amount or that a sufficient amount is in the tank. Sometimes an excess of one nutrient can effect the uptake of another nutrient (See Mulder's Chart of Nutrient Interactions). But let's assume that the issue is there is just not enough magnesium and calcium in your tank. In that case I would recommend adding sufficient Seachem Equilibrium to increase the dGH by 3.0 degrees from your dGH of 6.0 to a dGH of 9.0. (I could tell you how much to add but I don't know your tank volume.) When you do water changes you will need to additional Equilibrium to maintain the 9.0 dGH. Do this for one month, then pull one plant and look closely at the roots - are they showing healthy new growth? If so, then you are on the right path. Hope this helps! -Roy

 

[ToOthleSS04]

Thank you so much for your advices!

Hi ToOthleSS04

Actually your plants look fairly healthy. I do see some 'hooking' of the leaf tips in the Hygrophilia (?) (#1 - right side) which would indicate insufficient available calcium (Ca). I also see some curling of the leaf margins in the older leaves of the Cryptocoryne (#2 - foreground) which would indicate insufficient available magnesium (Mg). Of the two nutrients the magnesium is the one that has the most effect on root growth (along with potassium and phosphorus).

View attachment 856487

View attachment 856488

Notice I said "insufficient available magnesium" and not that you were not dosing a sufficient amount or that a sufficient amount is in the tank. Sometimes an excess of one nutrient can effect the uptake of another nutrient (See Mulder's Chart of Nutrient Interactions). But let's assume that the issue is there is just not enough magnesium and calcium in your tank. In that case I would recommend adding sufficient Seachem Equilibrium to increase the dGH by 3.0 degrees from your dGH of 6.0 to a dGH of 9.0. (I could tell you how much to add but I don't know your tank volume.) When you do water changes you will need to additional Equilibrium to maintain the 9.0 dGH. Do this for one month, then pull one plant and look closely at the roots - are they showing healthy new growth? If so, then you are on the right path. Hope this helps! -Roy