Aquarium Plants Struggles

I am having problems with aquarium plants not doing well.
I have a 20gal freshwater tank with 1 betta and 7 snails (nerite & mystery) and an unknown amount of pond snails.
Tank is 3 months old and fully cycled. HG, Java, Christmas and 2 Anubias are original to the tank.
Flame and Temple have been in there for a month.

Plants include:
Java Moss
Christmas Moss
Flame Moss
2 Anubias
Red Temple
Dwarf Hair Grass

Parameters:
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Temp: 72F
Water Changes are done 2x per week.
However, starting today (11/16/18) I will be doing daily water changes because of my betta having fin rot problems again (he's a Rosetail)

Fertilizers (all Seachem):
Nitrogen: 2mL daily
Phosphorus: 2mL twice per week
Trace: 5mL twice per week
Potassium: 2mL every other day
Iron: 2mL 1-2 times per weeks alternating weeks (one week dosed 2 times, following week dosed once)

Lighting:
Finnex planted+ 24/7 SE Series
I originally had the light on the full 24/7 cycle. The lack of darkness was stressing out my fish though, so I switched it to a timer being set on sunny for 5hrs. That was too much light (even the temple was struggling).
Currently, the light is set on its 24hr cycle attached to the timer. So it is on for 6.5 hours and does its cycle from morning to evening (dI'm to sunny to red) as the timer doesn't affect the light's cycling.

Problems:
Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Flame Moss:
The mosses are growing, but they all have a lot of brown parts. This is especially obvious in the Java and Christmas moss

2 Anubias:
Both of them appear to have leaves melting.

Red Temple:
The leaves are getting covered in a spotted green, brown, or yellow that doesn't rub off. The new growth comes in a beautiful pink but once it ages it loses its red and gets that spotty green.

Dwarf Hair Grass:
Very brown/yellow. New growth is very slow

So I have no idea what to do about the plants, and especially the anubias and temple.

Thank you in advance!

Note: I do use Aquarium Salt, but I don't dose it very often as I use it to help heal fin rot.

 

Are the plants new in the tank? Sometimes they go through an adjustment period before bouncing back. Also, is the tank cycled? You should have zero ammonia, nitrites and a small amount of nitrates. How’s the Betta doing? Is there a reason for the salt? I advise against that unless treating something specific, but definitely not with snails.

 

Are the plants new in the tank? Sometimes they go through an adjustment period before bouncing back. Also, is the tank cycled? You should have zero ammonia, nitrites and a small amount of nitrates. How’s the Betta doing? Is there a reason for the salt? I advise against that unless treating something specific, but definitely not with snails.

They are not.
The tank is 3 months old and has been cycled.
The java, Christmas, dwarf hair, and anubiases are original to the tank. The Temple and flame moss have been in there for a month.

So the thing about the ammonia... I can't get rid of it. Even when I was doing daily water changes for some aggressive fin rot a few weeks back the ammonia never went away. Its been at that level since the tank has been cycled. I honestly don't know what to do about it, and just make sure it never goes above what it is currently at.

I use the salt for his fin rot. It helps with healing his fins. The snails have never shown any problems with it and all are still healthily eating and pooping everywhere (the feces they produce is insane).

The betta was doing fine until today. He has mild fin rot again which I've been treating. But I think he has a swim bladder problem now. He's resting a lot, going head over caudal, struggling to swim (more than usual), and has some mild bloating. Which is weird because I haven't fed him in 2 days.
I was going to wait another day or two and not feed him to see how things progress before posting on here. But I would welcome any advice on him along with help with the plants.

 

They are not.
The tank is 3 months old and has been cycled.
The java, Christmas, dwarf hair, and anubiases are original to the tank. The Temple and flame moss have been in there for a month.

So the thing about the ammonia... I can't get rid of it. Even when I was doing daily water changes for some aggressive fin rot a few weeks back the ammonia never went away. Its been at that level since the tank has been cycled. I honestly don't know what to do about it, and just make sure it never goes above what it is currently at.

I use the salt for his fin rot. It helps with healing his fins. The snails have never shown any problems with it and all are still healthily eating and pooping everywhere (the feces they produce is insane).

The betta was doing fine until today. He has mild fin rot again which I've been treating. But I think he has a swim bladder problem now. He's resting a lot, going head over caudal, struggling to swim (more than usual), and has some mild bloating. Which is weird because I haven't fed him in 2 days.
I was going to wait another day or two and not feed him to see how things progress before posting on here. But I would welcome any advice on him along with help with the plants.

If you are using the apI test kit it always looks like it is .25 when it is really 0. I thought that I had that problem until I actually got .25 and then I realized that the other one was actually 0. Don’t worry about it. Now about the plants. It looks like one of the mosses is really stretching for the top so it might mean not enough light but I am just starting with plants so it is just speculation on my part. Someone should come along who knows more!

 

HI RachelRose221

First of all welcome to Fishlore!

Your are correct, there are a couple of deficiencies evident in your tank. The curling (up or down in your case) leaf margins and the necrosis (dead tissue) occurring on the older leaves indicates a need for more magnesium.

The 'definite leaf tip hook downward' on the newer leaves indicates a need for more calcium.

Here is what I suggest. First, continue dosing all of your nutrients as you have been. Next, pick up a bottle of Seachem Equilibrium. I would do an initial dose of 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Thereafter, when you do water changes dose 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of new water added. This should increase the hardness of your tank by about 2.0 dGH and add sufficient magnesium and calcium to cause a noticeable improvement or eliminate the deficiency symptoms. Sometimes it takes more that the dose I suggested but let's do this for two weeks and see what the new leaves look like.

Now the hard part.........waiting! Watch the new leaves as they emerge for the next two weeks; do not watch the existing leaves....they will not change. What you should see is the new leaves look healthier, do not have the 'curling along the leaf margins' that we currently see, the hooking of the leaf tips should diminish, and the rate of stem growth may increase. As these new leaves mature, they should not develop the necrosis that is happening now.

Keep us posted as things progress! Pics are always appreciated! -Roy

I. Symptoms appearing first or most severely on new growth (root and shoot tips, new leaves)

A. Terminal bud usually dies. Symptoms on new growth.

2. Necrosis occurs at tip and margin of leaves causing a definite hook at leaf tip.

Calcium is essential for the growth of shoot and root tips (meristems). Growing point dies. Margins of young leaves are scalloped and abnormally green and, due to inhibition of cell wall formation, the leaf tips may be "gelatinous" and stuck together inhibiting leaf unfolding. Stem structure is weak and peduncle collapse or stem topple may occur. Roots are stunted. Downward curl of leaf tips (hooking) occurs near terminal bud. ammonium or magnesium excess may induce a calcium deficiency in plants... calcium deficiency

Differentiating between calcium and boron deficiency symptoms: When calcium is deficient, there is a characteristic hooking of the youngest leaf tips. However, when boron is deficient, the breakdown occurs at the bases of the youngest leaves. Death of the terminal growing points is the final result in both cases.

II. Symptoms do not appear first or most severely on youngest leaves: Effect general on whole plant or localized on older, lower leaves.

C. Interveinal chlorosis. Interveinal chlorosis first appears on oldest leaves.

1. Older leaves chlorotic, usually necrotic in late stages. Chlorosis along leaf margins extending between veins produces a "Christmas tree" pattern. Veins normal green. Leaf margins may curl downward or upward with puckering effect. Necrosis may suddenly occur between veins. Potassium or calcium excess can inhibit uptake of magnesium...magnesium deficiency

When the external magnesium supply is deficient, interveinal chlorosis of the older leaves is the first symptom because as the magnesium of the chlorophyll is remobilized, the mesophyll cells next to the vascular bundles retain chlorophyll for longer periods than do the parenchyma cells between them. Leaves lose green color at tips and between veins followed by chlorosis or development of brilliant colors, starting with lower leaves and proceeding upwards. The chlorosis/brilliant colors (unmasking of other leaf pigments due to the lack of chlorophyll) may start at the leaf margins or tips and progress inward interveinally producing a "Christmas" tree pattern. Leaves are abnormally thin, stems are brittle and side branches have a tendency to curve upward. Stems are weak, subject to fungus infection, usually leaves drop prematurely.

 

Salt is not good for plants.