Why plants are suffering?

[Daniel brazil]

Dear all,

I am new to planted thanks and my plants are struggling. I have an ~6 months old dirt cover with gravel bottom with very low light (60w regular fluorrescent lamp) with very gentle filtration/circulation. The water is clear but with tanin, and I havent have any percievable problem with fish or any other thing except the plants slowed growth over time, growing leggy and showed signs of nutrient deficiences. Below photos. I live in very hot city (two entire months in the 37 celsius). I just read a scientific paper showing heat decrease nutrients in water. My question is: the syntoms in my leafs and plants are nutrient deficiences, lack of light, heat, combination or other thing? Could you suggest me how to use cheap chemicals instead of crazy expensive fertilizer (here at least)? Any good guidelines and literature to prepare the solutions? Beliw the photos. Thanks in advance

 

[Daniel brazil]

Here the photos.

 

[Siege]

More water changes and increased maintenance would be a good start.

the fresh water will bring co2 and minerals to your plants.

plants are always going to struggle at that temperature due to issues with gas exchange reducing co2 and oxygen.

a decent all in one plant food will help also.

 

[sparkyweasel]

Welcome!
There is a thread on mixing you own fertilisers here;
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-fertilizer-formula-recommendation.58029/

 

[Daniel brazil]

Thank you! What a quality group I have found!

 

[PlantsCase07]

Hello! I wrote a similar answer a few minutes ago. Someone had problem with plants don't wanting to grow. I can highly recommend you a supplement with iron for aquatic plants grown in aquariums. I bought mine in a aquarium shop and it wasn't that expensive. It is to one-a-week use.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I can highly recommend you a supplement with iron for aquatic plants grown in aquariums

It isn't going to work for everybody. Adding iron (Fe) will only aid plant growth if the plants are iron deficient.

Most nutrient deficiencies effect older leaves, because they majority of plant nutrients are mobile within the plant, and the plant can move them to the leaves that are receiving the most light. Plants with <"pale older leaves"> could be deficient in <"nitrogen (N), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) etc">.

Iron is different, because it isn't mobile within the plant, and deficiencies will <"show up in new leaves">.

If your plant looks like this:

They are very probably iron deficient, <"if they don't look like this">, they probably aren't.

cheers Darrel