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Hi, how heavily planted is your tank, are you injecting co2, are you using a soil substrate and what is your lighting intensity like? I would say the Tropica bottle dosage is lean and designed for an everyday plant keeper, perhaps not a heavily planted Aquascape. For example I dose 12ml per day...

Hi, No pot, no soil, just tied to the top of the stump :thumbup: Cheerio,

Echinodorus tenellus. I used it here at the edges of the tank with eleocharis mini in the centre: Cheerio,

Hi, I’m presuming this Rhizotonic is totally safe to use with livestock? Thanks.

Reducing lighting intensity alongside a co2 reduction is always advisable, so if your co2 has reduced you will need to lower lighting intensity otherwise your plants will still be trying to grow at the same rate without the food to do it. This leads to poor plant health and resultant algae :thumbup:

I would think the diatoms are a result of an imbalance and would not be the cause of poor growth, but the result of it. They are normally associated with new set ups where there is often an imbalance of light, co2 and fertilisers with plant mass/growth. Have you changed your lighting in any way...

With increased plant mass perhaps you are suffering a co2/fertiliser shortfall. Although you were seeing great results maybe you now need to inject more co2 and add more plant food to feed the larger mass. Inherently extra plant mass also reduces distribution so this could also be a factor...

I use liquid carbon @ recommended dosage with pelia no problems.

I don't know the actual answer but my guess would be that rhizomes are the equivalent of a stem from which the leaves grow. Epiphytes feed from roots and leaves in the water column, stems use roots for anchoring and substrate feeding. However the stem does not grow under the substrate as leaves...

Its Norbert Sabats scape 'Time' :thumbup: Norbert Sabat’s new scape, named “ Time ”, just about to be ...

Hi Planty, id guess c02 deficiency, it also looks to me like the plants are melting. Ideally you want your dc to show the above colour at lights on and maintain it throughout the photoperiod. Dark green dc at lights on could be illustrating a c02 shortfall at the most important time for the...

Maybe ask in the sales forum, someone may be trimming theirs? Other than that check out the sponsors, but they will likely only have supplier portions which could get pricey for what you may need. Good luck :) Cheerio, Ady.

Hi, As Clive says the same principles apply for all plants. It's easy to make the assumption that those plants that do well in low tech set ups are 'easy' and they don't need looking after. Low tech they grow slow so produce less waste which negates some of the constant cleaning I think they...

Looks like creeping moss?

Hi, Java is one of few that do naturally attach to hardscape. To encourage spreading apply it thinly to the branch rather than in clusters. With yours id trim it, and tie the offcuts to more of the branch for an instant effect :thumbup: It will always grow outwards too, so will need trimming...

me too, i used them in water change drums and they would often fall onto the bottom....had me confused for a little while :confused:

Ha, no, it's been sold to another member :)

In the famous style of Mick 'crocodile' Dundee: That's not an aponogeton...... ....that's an aponogeton! Lol Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Also don't forget that late at night (late in the photoperiod) the plants will be easing off their uptake of co2 so its not so critical to maintain concentrations.

Hi, I tend to do mine at around 8/9pm for the same reasons, and once the kids are in bed. It's right in the middle of the photoperiod. Im unsure as to whether it is good or bad, but convince myself its ok due to any lost co2 being replaced with concentrations in the tap water and the exposure to...

Hi tovtm, I appreciate the low surface agitation theory on a thriving tank, the plants will saturate the water column with oxygen quickly like Clive says and Darren suggests above. Currently you are having issues with algae and have a fairly lean plant mass so the agitation is purely to ensure...

Hi tovtm, what is your water change and filter maintenance routine? Does your tank receive a lot of natural light/direct sunlight? 4 hrs pre lights on is a long time, but i know how tricky it is to balance co2 and fish comfort. Maybe try ensuring good surface agitation for gas exchange...

Hi. Fissidens is definitely the darker smaller moss on the wood, the light green plant is riccia fluitans and seems to get everywhere from nowhere :) Cheerio,

Hi, looks like not enough c02 or too much light to me....or both. Lime green drop checker is the aiming point but plants will tell you if you still need more c02. If you cant inject more because of reaching the threshold regards livestock, then you need to reduce lighting intensity first to...

I like a mixed carpet of several species....looks more natural :) I do like grasses though, so eleocharis has to be a feature.

Did you say you had a plec or am I just imagining that?! Looks like a sucker mouth attack to me......either way I can see its hit you hard, turning your world upside down! Lol.....sorry, my bad :)

That's a lot of plants :) Sorry about your friends loss.

just to add to whats been said, this thread may help you :thumbup: Keeping Tropica 1-2-Grow pot for a longer period of time | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Hi Iain, the others have more experience trying to grow it compact but what I can confirm is that the runners do attach to wood and rocks very firmly. When I kept it the side shoots would creep and attach roots if hardscape was in the way, then carry on creeping producing more stems. I'm not...

Bolbitis right of shark and nymphoides Taiwan bottom left I think.

they should come back ok if there is new growth already....vallis are pretty tough, they just dont like liquid carbon, especially higher doses.

Hi, its always worth giving it a go if the roots are looking healthy. Im guessing you are no longer using liquid carbon, i seem to remember you have now installed pressurised c02 as your carbon source?

how does this work, my fridge is dark......or does the cold stall the need for growth? Ive been told this before but want to know how/why :geek:

....there sure is: Preparing Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba' for planting in an aquarium | UK Aquatic Plant Society :)

Well if you lower lighting significantly, I suppose you could dose less and maybe get away with it, but generally the rule of thumb is 50% per week in a high tech tank. Even at 25% per week it is a significant increase on your current regime, so you may well see improvements....every tank is...

Hi, on these fixed position lighting set ups you can add floating plants to diffuse some of the light which helps reduce intensity. Alternatively if you don't want floaters, invest in some reflectors with plastic clips. You can then position the reflectors to direct light away from the water...

Yeah small changes can have big effects.....I've just found out the negative way..... got some algae in my studio tank for the first time since the rescape :( all after attempting fine adjustments and not being quite so vigilant with maintenance. Upped fish feeding too, and need to dose more...

Yeah, you could drop the all four period by an hour or two I suppose, but your lighting doesn't really seem high on a 450l tank which maybe does suggest distribution.....co2 is so flaming tricky to get balanced, grrr!

If its possible you could also lower lighting intensity.

Hi Mark, was this 1-2 grow by any chance? i had exactly the same thing happen to mine. Structural failure is classic c02.....but out of interest id like to know? Cheerio, Ady.

Hi H, i wasnt trying to suggest and underestimation of circulation capabilities of your filter, but an issue with how it is distributed. If you have the same species of plant within the same aquarium under the same lighting, and some are performing more poorly than others, this points to a...

Hi H, From your photo this looks like it could be a simple case of hardscape obstructing good co2/nutrient distribution to these plants....one plant is right amongst some branches, the other behind a large rock. This will manifest itself in co2 related deficiencies as the light from above will...

I'm beginning to wonder whether I could drop my lights and forget about the crypts. Unfortunately they are shade plants so being out in the open like they are in my tank maybe they will be more sensitive to change in light/co2? I ran my first planted tank attempt with the lights right above the...

Thanks Clive. I struggle to find the balance between happy fish and the right co2/light balance for my plants. I now have my co2 coming on 4hrs pre photoperiod and off 1 1/2 hrs before lights out. This is using a slower injection rate which provides 'optimal' co2 for lights on and maintains a...

This is really interesting, and may answer a question I once asked about plants and their photosynthesis cycle in our aquariums. Our tanks are more often than not illuminated by a single point, non dimmable source which gives a constant lighting intensity throughout the photoperiod. Even with...

Hi there, took this from APFUK website: "Standard Ei Dosing [This is a guideline only] Macro Solution Mix, Shake & Leave to Dissolve Overnight: 4tsp Potassium Nitrate 1tsp Potassium Phosphate 6tsp Magnesium Sulphate 500ml Water Dosing Macro 3x a week. (10ml per 50ltr of Aquarium water)...

Yes we sure are....keep us posted!.....maybe you could start a journal so we could follow it long term? :)

Tropica grow crypts on lava rock too, so guess they don't need a substrate, I've seen hc grown on a host also, and there's riccia fluitans, pelia.... .....all floating plants too ;)

Big Tom was 'onnit, like a car bonnit', closely followed by George who linked the above: DEFRA ban on invasive species | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Hi H, the tank is looking really nice, I like the unique use of Staurogyne up the branch too. Did you alter your fert dosing at all or simply reduce your lighting? Seems from what you have said that halving your lighting intensity has done the trick which suggests it was a co2 related issue...

It may explain the holes in the crypt, but the sword looks like a sucker mouth.

Yeah I think they could, for food or fun. Primarily an aufwuchs feeder but likes some vegetable matter and the holes and thinning of the sword plant look very much like a sucker mouth feeding pattern. The crypt below has holes that look less like melting from lack of co2 and more like punch...

Maybe it's an amazon sword and crypt. that is becoming lunch for that mahoosive sucking loach! Lol Agreed though, top is an amazon sword (echinodorus sp.) and lower pi is a cryptocoryne sp. Cheerio Ady

I believe it is hygrophilia pinnatifida, just small stems for detailing. I don't think they have a mini/dwarf variety. Cheerio, Ady

Yeah it will definitely, its roots grab like ferns.....when I grew it in my tank it shot runners out all over, the ones that grabbed onto pieces of wood hardscape were more than a challenge to remove without pulling everything out of the tank with it!

Yeah I thought it might well be a typo, but you gotta use the info you got..... Like you say there can be many variables, tank size, lighting type etc, maybe H can clear it up.....

I'd doubt it's light related, the op has 2w per litre, more than double the amount of light you have over that tank, which also suggests it may be a co2 issue as 2w per litre is a lot of light......how high above the water it is may have an influence though? Hc is a carpet plant so par will be...

You could revert back to your old 11w light, that way you have a little more leniency regards co2, 20ppm may well be enough with the lower light. I run an 11w light over my 55l CRS nano. Cheerio, Ady

Yep, pearling it is!

now there's a contradiction! :lol:

Maybe some sort of Dracaena species, but I'm not sure...or an umbrella plant? looking at this dracaena deremensis is a possibility, first one on the list: 21 plants to avoid in the aquarium | Features | Practical Fishkeeping

Looks non aquatic......

Looks like a type of cryptocoryne to me....cryptocoryne Pontederiifolia or ciliata maybe??

Hi, what lighting are you using? I'm guessing low tech = no co2 so I would guess judging by what you have said that it may be too much light. Maybe try reducing intensity. Cheerio Ady

All sounds good. look forward to the pics.

Pleased you seem to be on the right track bud :thumbup: Snip off the older crypt leaves and keep on top of maintenance.

Sounds good :thumbup: The more co2 you can get into the filter inlet the better as this will now maximise distribution through the spray bar return in the centre. The 2 hydors will help keep the co2 bubbles in the water for longer contact time. If the plants are swaying that's a good sign. If...

well technically i dont know, common sense suggests it would be the same regardless of tank sizes....im guessing youll be lining them in a row with v. little space between them effectively maximising the available light from the 100cm unit you have? I read somewhwere that on smaller tanks you...

Hi Andy, Clive will be the best person to answer this but i remember reading one of his posts about this and perhaps your best bet, if an option, would be to place the spray bar in the centre rear with the koralias either side pointing to the front to give the most even flow pattern back to...

Ah, im running 2x 39w t5 on my 180l tank and ive now got the light unit 12" above the water surface as i too suffered a lot of melt.....best way to stop/prevent it is to reduce lighting intensity and optimise c02/distribution. Too much light is always a killer, learned from Clive and recent...

Hi Andy, Have you changed anything with your lighting? 4x t5 39w seems pretty high for a 180l, and even with a lime green dc you could be suffering a shortfall with all that light. Do you have the option of raising the light unit or reducing the number of tubes in use? Cheerio Ady

Yeah, I know 9 times out of 10 it's gonna be co2 /light, but just wondered if anything else causes complete failure. Although I feel now I could have done more regards the light and co2 it to my mind was much improved on my first attempt in dragons crypt where the same lighting was used but co2...

As above. Is the structural failure of submerged aquatic plants always a co2 (and/or light combination) issue or is there anything else within reason that can cause rapid failure? Cheers Ady

Hi 1. Hygrophilia polysperma rosanervig 2. Blyxa japonica 3. Hygrophilia difformis 4. Some sort of ludwigia? Unsure really as its green. Cheerio

Hi there, well the plants we buy are all going to suffer to a degree and take a little time to acclimate to the underwater conditions we put them in. Emersed (as the eleocharis sp mini is grown) they have unlimited access to c02 but we limit this immediately when we submerge them. This is why...

Yeah I have marsilea in my shrimp tank (minimal amount of liquid carbon) it grows really really slowly but isn't dying! I've got some more to try on my high tech pressurised c02 tank so will see the comparison. Also have eleocharis mini on order for the high tech tank so will see how it fares...

I've read recently that this species doesn't need trimming due to its smaller size so maybe try leaving it alone and see if it starts spreading itself.... Maybe even try trimming some and leaving another patch untrimmed to monitor the difference if any? Cheerio Ady

yeah, im not 100% sure, but i dont think it will re root.....plus it will be v. difficult to try, maybe lead weight some and drop it onto the substrate as a test to benefit us all :D :wink:

yeah just mow it down and itll come back strong and send out more runners. that may be easier said than done with this plant.

Hi Chris, i dont know for sure what is wrong with your silvania, but a while ago i had an issue with aphids which apparently can cause a mold on the leaves which deteriorates the plant. I dont know if you have any aphids on your plants, it doesnt look like it, but heres a link to that thread...

Fluctuating/changing c02 = melt, which is exactly what this looks like. I had some staurogyne from a high tech tank, went into liquid carbon supplemented tank and all went exactly like this and declined rapidly to mush. 600g cylinder will possibly last only a couple of months (depending on tank...

good question...that could explain constant yellow dc!

Hi Rehman. The dc will most likely be remaining yellow due to the almost closed top edge design, with gas off being reduced due to smaller water/air contact area. This will be something to watch when you add livestock. You may need to reduce c02 injection and or add an airstone or agitate the...

Did you try TGM's exceptional value plants as you can save a bit with these and they are good too. Postage always adds a lump, but if theres nowhere local with decent plants to buy you have to bite the bullet and pay to get the good stuff. All the other sites mentioned above are good so will be...

I would say no 2 is pearl moss (although quite difficult to see as the photo is a little blurred) and no 3 is flame moss. Unsure about no 1.

You could fill your tank temporarily. Its an edge isnt it so wont take a lot to empty again when the rest arrive. Or do as Gary said and put it in a jug of water.

Hi Iain, this may be a case of the plant starving itself due to its good growth. Ive just removed a huge portion of my microsorum petite tonight and it looks like i havnt touched it! Maybe the plant mass it developed blocked the necessary passage of c02/ferts over the leaves/roots and...

Hi, i would suspect your c02. You stated your old system of a near useless glass diffusor which injected bubbles which immediately escaped the surface. If this is the case, then your new super atomizer should help dramatically. You have already noted an improvement in distribution now that the...

some people use tights!

Yeah your right that these tanks arnt designed for real planted scapes. One thing that confuses me slightly about par is that its a light intensity reading? and at the substrate how can this be increased if you add another light unit as surely they just punch the light down the same ie not...

Right, im currently suspecting transition so im leaving alone for the time being to eliminate this, if the problem persists and there is no improvement, and as im already dosing 2x recommended excel, ill look into more light as this may be down to LCP (Light Compensation Point) and the plants...

Re: Plant melt in new set up. 1-2 grow tropica! Im thinking even if it is c02 related, i may need more light for these plants as you suggest. I seem to remember reading somewhere a quote from G Farmer saying on smaller nano etc you can use up to 1w per litre? Im looking into another light...

Re: Plant melt in new set up. Hi, the plants have only been in for less than 2 weeks, so unsure if they have been growing. I suspect c02 as it is melting im seeing, but i did have concerns about the light. However the tank is only 40cm tall and i would have thought the plants would have just...

Hi, currently suffering a bit of plant melt in a less than 2 week old set up, which i suspect is going to turn into a lot of plant melt! Im currently carrying out every other day 50% water changes to reduce ammonia spike from ADA Aquasoil amazonia powder. No heater, but 76 degrees f due to warm...

Seems like an awful lot of light for 100l. This will in turn drive the needs for c02 and ferts up. I think i can see fish in the tank, so rather than try to increase c02 and ferts, i would be inclined to reduce the amount of light you are using anyway. Also are you usin a full ei fert system...

is it the slightly drooping leaves your concerned about? Are there 2 types of plant there also and is one ludwigia arcuata?

Does this mean we can not cut it if we want it to grow vertically rather than horizontally? Sounds stupid, but it is normally used as a compact ground cover, but id like it in some areas to reach higher into the water column. Cheers, Ady.

Hi there, check out freshwatershrimp sponsor site, they specialise in mosses and liveworts..... there are some cool mosses and mini pelias, all listed as c02/non co2, high light/low light, tropical/coldwater..... should be bulletproof... :lol: im about to try some out with liquid carbon c02...

Sounds like it may be. Mine took a good 4 months + to get going really. I had very soft water then so it probably struggled with that a little too. Im adding mineral salts now so thats increased hardness a bit. With your hard water i think it wont take as long to start showing good growth. The...

I know this species thrives in hard water areas naturally, unsure about the rest but as a crypt id of thought it would be more tolerant of lower c02, but not fluctuating c02. Mine took months to start growing well, it may be a slow acclimator! It will benefit from fertile substrate or root tabs...