Plants grow new leafs but don't grow taller

[Paulmota]

Hello,

I would very much appreciate your in-sight on this problem I'm having.

I have a 52 G tank and I use two 54 W T5 (6500K+8000K) during 7 hours a day. I have a fertile substract and I am using EI (DIY fertilizers from a very experienced aquarium grower) with great success for now.

The water temperature is 80.6 ºF and pH is 7

I do not use CO2 and choose to keep only easy growing plants:

Microsorum pteropus
Anubia nana
Ludwigia repens "Rubin"
Bacopa caroliniana
Cryptocorine wendii "green"
Cryptocorine wendii "brown"
Vallisneria nana
Echinodorus bleheri

I've built the tank 6 months ago, the echinodorus was introduced 2 months ago.

All of them are growing well, slow but steady and I have no algae issues.

Yet, the echinodorus and the vallisneria are not getting taller. Both regularly grow new leafs, and the vals have grown runners really fast. All leafs look healthy with no signs of nutrient deficiencies.

So I'm wondering, what makes plants grow taller other than light levels. I do not think I have too much or to little light, and I don't think the tank is to tall (20").

What else could be influencing plant grow?

Maybe this pictures can help

This is the best picture I have from the Vals on the lateral glass (sorry about the ugly, messy hose )

Although this is not a major issue for me, I would like to understand what is going (or not) in my tank

Thanks in advance

Paul

 

[dutchy]

Too much light. Go back to only one bulb or if that's not possible, remove the reflectors or raise the light by 10 inch for now. The plants are not growing very well because the natural present CO2 runs out before the lights turn off.

You might also want to start using Excel on a daily basis, which will provide your plants with a carbon source. That will make them grow better.

 

[Paulmota]

Too much light. Go back to only one bulb or if that's not possible, remove the reflectors or raise the light by 10 inch for now. The plants are not growing very well because the natural present CO2 runs out before the lights turn off.

You might also want to start using Excel on a daily basis, which will provide your plants with a carbon source. That will make them grow better.

Hello Dutchy, thanks for the reply.

I was really convinced that I didn't have too much light. Unfortunately, your first two options do not work for me. But I'll try to find a way of raising the lights.

I'll leave like that for a while and see how it goes. If I get poor results, I'll consider CO2 (injected or liquid).

Thank you once again

Regards,

Paul

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I agree with dutchy that there is too much light...

Can you use shade cloth in layers to reduce light? Or use floating plants (many stems make good surface cover btw) to help block some light...since dutchy's options are not viable for you?

I was really convinced that I didn't have too much light.

Many of us have been there Many folks still think so w/o knowing. WPG is really fairly useless as a guage to how much light the plants are really getting....

 

[Paulmota]

After thinking a bit, I figure out a way of installing only one light bulb.

The light fixing is built in a way that one bulb doesn't work if I disconnect the other. So I installed two very simple light bulb holders (sorry, don't know the name in english) and an electronic ballast that I had hanging around in the house.

So I now have only one 54 W light bulb over the tank.

I'll give you a "report" in a few weeks!

Thanks again for the help