Amateur In Need Of Advice!

Luis

New Member
Aug 25, 2019
4
0
1
26
Las Vegas
Hi, I am a 22 yr old college student.
I have about 5 yrs keeping fish and almost a 1 yr. with a poorly planted tank.
I currently keep a dirted 20g tank with an inch of dirt capped with another inch of sand.

Filter: AquaTech 30-60 with lava rock as media.
Fish: neon tetras, julli corys, and platies
Plants: 1 x amazon sword(~7"), 3 x bacopa(~ 1.5"), 5 x corkscrew val(~1"),2 x java fern(~1.5"), 1 x crypt. wendetti, (~2")and I believe 5x amazon compacta(~4").
Lighting : 2 x 23watt 6500k CFL bulbs (aproxmately 1600 lumens each).
Dosing: 1ml Seachem Flourish and 0.5ml Seachem Iron
twice per week.

The growth rate of all these plants is excruciatingly slow... almost unnoticeable.

Why are my plants growing so slow???

I know I don't have C02 but it is way too slow. They have grown about half an inch if not less in about 2-3 months. Why?

 

محمدرضا

New Member
Aug 25, 2019
6
0
1
43
iran
Hi, I am a 22 yr old college student.
I have about 5 yrs keeping fish and almost a 1 yr. with a poorly planted tank.
I currently keep a dirted 20g tank with an inch of dirt capped with another inch of sand.

Filter: AquaTech 30-60 with lava rock as media.
Fish: neon tetras, julli corys, and platies
Plants: 1 x amazon sword(~7"), 3 x bacopa(~ 1.5"), 5 x corkscrew val(~1"),2 x java fern(~1.5"), 1 x crypt. wendetti, (~2")and I believe 5x amazon compacta(~4").
Lighting : 2 x 23watt 6500k CFL bulbs (aproxmately 1600 lumens each).
Dosing: 1ml Seachem Flourish and 0.5ml Seachem Iron
twice per week.

The growth rate of all these plants is excruciatingly slow... almost unnoticeable.

Why are my plants growing so slow???

I know I don't have C02 but it is way too slow. They have grown about half an inch if not less in about 2-3 months. Why?

 

Luis

New Member
Aug 25, 2019
4
0
1
26
Las Vegas
post: 157942 said:
hi
plants density is much and I think your fertilizing is low.

By fertilizing do you mean the soil or dosing?
I am using a fairly good soil and on top of that I added Osmocote Plus and Ironite(aka DIY Root Tabs).
How much do you suggest I dose per week?
 

Phishless

Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Jul 13, 2017
1,103
972
113
Arnold, MD
I currently keep a dirted 20g tank with an inch of dirt capped with another inch of sand.

Plants: 1 x amazon sword(~7"), 3 x bacopa(~ 1.5"), 5 x corkscrew val(~1"),2 x java fern(~1.5"), 1 x crypt. wendetti, (~2")and I believe 5x amazon compacta(~4").
Lighting : 2 x 23watt 6500k CFL bulbs (aproxmately 1600 lumens each).
Dosing: 1ml Seachem Flourish and 0.5ml Seachem Iron twice per week.

The growth rate of all these plants is excruciatingly slow... almost unnoticeable.

You are only dosing micro ferts.
 

Luis

New Member
Aug 25, 2019
4
0
1
26
Las Vegas
Typical would be NO3, PO4, & K
What are your Ca & Mg levels in your water?

I have no clue but the DIY root tabs (Osmocote Plus) contain 1.3% Magnesium and Seachem Flourish 0.11% which I dose 1ml twice a week.
As for Calcium; only Seachem Flourish contains 0.14%.
I was very generous when adding the Osmocote Plus.

Regarding my Macro nutrients Osmocote Plus has 15% NO3 ...9% PO4 ...12% K. Seachem Flourish 0.07% N ...0.01 P2O5 ...0.37% K20

I do weekly 25% water changes this makes my nitrate stay around 10ppm
 

Phishless

Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Jul 13, 2017
1,103
972
113
Arnold, MD
Enough Osmocote plus tabs are helping for sure.
Good choice for root tabs with well rounded content.

I test for NO3 & PO4 every few weeks just to be sure macro dosing is close to what I want it to be.

Seachem flourish has so little macros it really doesn't count.

Remember seachem flourish contains no Ni.
There trace product does and Ni is needed for plant consumption of NH4.
 

TDot

New Member
Jun 25, 2019
6
0
1
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi, I am a 22 yr old college student.
I have about 5 yrs keeping fish and almost a 1 yr. with a poorly planted tank.
I currently keep a dirted 20g tank with an inch of dirt capped with another inch of sand.

Filter: AquaTech 30-60 with lava rock as media.
Fish: neon tetras, julli corys, and platies
Plants: 1 x amazon sword(~7"), 3 x bacopa(~ 1.5"), 5 x corkscrew val(~1"),2 x java fern(~1.5"), 1 x crypt. wendetti, (~2")and I believe 5x amazon compacta(~4").
Lighting : 2 x 23watt 6500k CFL bulbs (aproxmately 1600 lumens each).
Dosing: 1ml Seachem Flourish and 0.5ml Seachem Iron
twice per week.

The growth rate of all these plants is excruciatingly slow... almost unnoticeable.

Why are my plants growing so slow???

I know I don't have C02 but it is way too slow. They have grown about half an inch if not less in about 2-3 months. Why?

More light will do the trick. Try getting a clip on lamp and adding it to your aquarium. They are cheep at IKEA or Walmart. Might help. Good luck with school and your tank,,