Hi all,
It seems that I've done everything the best for my plants but got no result, my tank has been running for 75 days now and I'm stuck with 3 kind of plants that I can't grow (HC, HM and Ludwigia arcuata) and 2 kind of plants that can't grow healthily (Rotala green and downoi).
Tank spec and water parameters are as follow :
pH = 5.2-6.6 after and before CO2 on and off.
Temp = 27-28C
kH = 0 dkH.
gH = 4 dgH.
NH3/NH4 = 0 ppm.
NO2 = 0 ppm.
NO3 = 25 ppm dose with KNO3 x 3 at 4.76 ppm each time.
PO4 = 0.1 ppm dose with KH2PO4 x 3 at 0.58 ppm each time.
Fe = 0.1 ppm dose with Seachem Flourish 3 ml x 3 at 0.11 ppm each time.
Ca target 7.67 ppm dose with CaSO4 every week.
Mg target 1.64 ppm dose with MgSO4 every week.
K dose with K2SO4 x 3 at 9.22 ppm each time.
Tank = 80x30x40cm.
Lighting = 3x21watts T5NO (8 hours a day from 11am-4pm and 6pm-9pm).
Substrate = ADA Amazonia II + 10 Seachem Root Tabs.
Pressurized CO2 diffuse with external reactor at 4 bps and drop checker using 4dkH solution showing lime green to almost yellow color + small powerhead for extra circulation.
The bubbles is so fast and have hard time to count it.
CO2 is diffused by this reactor.
You can see the fine bubbles out of the filter output.
As the flow pattern is like this, plus small powerhead for extra circulation, so I don't think CO2 is the problem.
The major problems are :
- I planted HC since day 1 and they were stunted for 2 months but not dying.
- I planted Ludwigia arcuata and they took only 4 days to melted away completely.
- I planted Hemianthus Micranthemoides, they grow at certain height and then the lower part stem became broken or the tips were melted and destroyed.
I have tried to re-plant arcuata for 3rd time and bought the plant from 3 sources but the result was just the same and so as the HM.
The minor problems are :
- Rotala green, they were growing but stunted a while back and new growth appeared smaller in leaves size. I guess PO4 deficiency and after increase the dosing, they were getting better now but the old leaves seem to have some sort of deficiency too as like they move the mobile nutrient to support new growth but I don't know for sure. Maybe some pictures will help
- Downoi, although they keep sending new shoots but the leaves appeared in smaller size compared to the first time I bought them. The old leaves were melted since planted.
I have re-planted the HC, HM and arcuata about 2 weeks ago but the arcuata were melted again in just 4 days left only 1 stem that survive and it is growing now although very slow.
The HM still repeat in same history...
Broken stem...
Some of them is melted at the tips...
As for HC, I noticed some of them pearl these days but not sending new shoots yet to almost 2 weeks now.
Oh and yes there are some BBA on driftwood and BGA on front glass panel substrate (I think it's in early stage form, don't know for sure as I have cover the front glass with black tape) but I totally confused why there's BGA while my tank have high NO3? Also why my NO3 level keep increasing since I WC and even I decrease the KNO3 dose? What is leaching? Amazonia or melted plants?
Now I'm increasing more PO4 and Flourish dose, a bit of Ca and Mg while decreasing NO3 to see if there's improvement. What else should I do, why I can't grow the easy arcuata and HM while the others claim it is wild weed? Why almost all of my plants are not healthy except Anubias petite that sending new leaf each week, Flame moss and Needle leaf Java Fern only?
Even worse, I,m starting to blame the chemical powder that I bought is fake powder or the lighting bulbs is not suitable for plants, are they possible?
Please fellow aquarist help me and thank you before.
It seems that I've done everything the best for my plants but got no result, my tank has been running for 75 days now and I'm stuck with 3 kind of plants that I can't grow (HC, HM and Ludwigia arcuata) and 2 kind of plants that can't grow healthily (Rotala green and downoi).
Tank spec and water parameters are as follow :
pH = 5.2-6.6 after and before CO2 on and off.
Temp = 27-28C
kH = 0 dkH.
gH = 4 dgH.
NH3/NH4 = 0 ppm.
NO2 = 0 ppm.
NO3 = 25 ppm dose with KNO3 x 3 at 4.76 ppm each time.
PO4 = 0.1 ppm dose with KH2PO4 x 3 at 0.58 ppm each time.
Fe = 0.1 ppm dose with Seachem Flourish 3 ml x 3 at 0.11 ppm each time.
Ca target 7.67 ppm dose with CaSO4 every week.
Mg target 1.64 ppm dose with MgSO4 every week.
K dose with K2SO4 x 3 at 9.22 ppm each time.
Tank = 80x30x40cm.
Lighting = 3x21watts T5NO (8 hours a day from 11am-4pm and 6pm-9pm).
Substrate = ADA Amazonia II + 10 Seachem Root Tabs.
Pressurized CO2 diffuse with external reactor at 4 bps and drop checker using 4dkH solution showing lime green to almost yellow color + small powerhead for extra circulation.

The bubbles is so fast and have hard time to count it.

CO2 is diffused by this reactor.

You can see the fine bubbles out of the filter output.

As the flow pattern is like this, plus small powerhead for extra circulation, so I don't think CO2 is the problem.
The major problems are :
- I planted HC since day 1 and they were stunted for 2 months but not dying.
- I planted Ludwigia arcuata and they took only 4 days to melted away completely.
- I planted Hemianthus Micranthemoides, they grow at certain height and then the lower part stem became broken or the tips were melted and destroyed.
I have tried to re-plant arcuata for 3rd time and bought the plant from 3 sources but the result was just the same and so as the HM.
The minor problems are :
- Rotala green, they were growing but stunted a while back and new growth appeared smaller in leaves size. I guess PO4 deficiency and after increase the dosing, they were getting better now but the old leaves seem to have some sort of deficiency too as like they move the mobile nutrient to support new growth but I don't know for sure. Maybe some pictures will help


- Downoi, although they keep sending new shoots but the leaves appeared in smaller size compared to the first time I bought them. The old leaves were melted since planted.

I have re-planted the HC, HM and arcuata about 2 weeks ago but the arcuata were melted again in just 4 days left only 1 stem that survive and it is growing now although very slow.
The HM still repeat in same history...

Broken stem...

Some of them is melted at the tips...
As for HC, I noticed some of them pearl these days but not sending new shoots yet to almost 2 weeks now.

Oh and yes there are some BBA on driftwood and BGA on front glass panel substrate (I think it's in early stage form, don't know for sure as I have cover the front glass with black tape) but I totally confused why there's BGA while my tank have high NO3? Also why my NO3 level keep increasing since I WC and even I decrease the KNO3 dose? What is leaching? Amazonia or melted plants?
Now I'm increasing more PO4 and Flourish dose, a bit of Ca and Mg while decreasing NO3 to see if there's improvement. What else should I do, why I can't grow the easy arcuata and HM while the others claim it is wild weed? Why almost all of my plants are not healthy except Anubias petite that sending new leaf each week, Flame moss and Needle leaf Java Fern only?
Even worse, I,m starting to blame the chemical powder that I bought is fake powder or the lighting bulbs is not suitable for plants, are they possible?
Please fellow aquarist help me and thank you before.