Will my plants even grow?

I guess Ive made a few mistakes already.First off I used only cheap walmart gravel.I now know I should have put down some flourite first.
Will my plants even grow with only water and light?
I have
java fern
curly java fern(this one is not doing so well)
hornwort
crypto lucens.


Should I think about moving everyone over to another tank that I do up right?
Or just leave well enough alone and buy some kind of fertilizer?

 

What lighting do you have?

Your java's should do fine... They generally tend to do fine in any lighting. Specific gravel is not a necessary. Many people are a fan of pool filter sand, which is 100% inert as a substrate and have amazing aquatic plants growing.

Lets first see what lighting you have and could you possibly tell me all the water parameters that you know of from the water source you use to do water changes?

 

Those plants will be fine in gravel, don't worry. The java does not get buried, attach to wood or rocks w/ roots exposed. Hornswort floats. The crypt lucens in gravel is fine. Light should be low to med, not high. A little liquid fertilizer once a week will be fine too.

 

What do you have for lighting?

I've never heard of a Curly Java Fern. Can you post a pic?

I would pickup a pack of API Root Tabs or Flourish Root Tabs and insert one next to the Crypt.

Then dosing once a week with Flourish Comprehensive for the others should be fine.

 

I've never heard of a Curly Java Fern. Can you post a pic?

My first thought was Windelov java fern. Might be wrong though.

Gravel is perfectly fine as a substrate. Just put root tabs in for your crypts and you'll be fine. Java ferns should be tied to driftwood or rocks or planted so that their rhizomes are above the substrate. If the rhizome is buried, the plant will die as java ferns feed off the water column through the rhizome,

 

Good morning Sasha,

As for your Java Ferns, you can expect some die back after they have been first planted. They aren't a big fan of being moved around. However, they should recover so don't give up on them. Too, they are fairly slow growers. All of mine are also attached to driftwood. Also, older leaves that I didn't lose are already having babies. I've only been into live plants for 2 months.

I have both the regular Java Fern and the Windelov Java Fern. I had a good bit of die back but now I'm seeing a lot of new growth. Be sure to prune dead growth and remove it from the aquarium.

Java Fern:


Windelove Java Fern:




Ken

 

Yes that is what it is a Windelove java, its got quite a few brown leaves going.
As for lighting I only have a regular fluorescent light above it.My friend who was disassembling her 10 was supposed to give me her hood and light last week but has since went on vacations so I won't get a proper light till next week unless I can get to town this weekend.I'm desperate to get to town but the kids have all been sick this week(town for me is almost an hour away)..
I have done partial water changes every few days.I only have an ammonia test kit, another thing I should have gotten was the master test kit...I did shove the javas into the gravel, so maybe I need to at the least tie them to something instead.I have the hornwort shoved into the gravel as well.

I will get this right eventually.Who knew it could be so complicated but in a way that makes it all them interesting.

 

If things werent complicated and challenging would you consider it to be fun? I know I wouldnt...

Good luck with the buys, and let us know what goes on so we can help further