Rotting Plants :: Why!!

[tirtha1979]

Started a new setup 1st of this month. Then suddenly temperature dropped down in Delhi and Tank Temperature drooped to 16 degree. Was really stuck in Office work so could not arrange a heater before 10th Jan. After installing the heater I increased the temperature to 24 degree.

Now I am seeing, all plants are stunned and Glosso, HM, Staurogyne sp started rotting. Take a look at the glosso leaf below.

Tank Setup:

Volumn: 20G
Light: 120Watt PLL. 6 Hrs a day
Substrate: Amazonia II
Ferts: Potassium, CSM +B and Fe 10% every night.
50% water change after every 3 days.
CO2: 5 BPS with Ceramic difuser

Really confused what is going wrong. Is there any chance the plants will recover or I have to get new plants all over again?

Please help.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I think your main issue is the HIGH amount of light!!!!!!

Are you really using 120 watts on a 20 gal tank?

If so, I would cut that by at least 75%!

That will still leave plenty for the plants.

Light is what drives nutrient demand and I doubt you can supply enough c02 to sustain the light. You are driving the plants to grow
at a high rate. Even with a good substrate, it is c02 that will be limiting IMO....

No dosing of N?

Please elaborate on your c02 setup?

Please advise if I have misunderstood your lighting specs...

 

[tirtha1979]

Hi,

I think your main issue is the HIGH amount of light!!!!!!

Are you really using 120 watts on a 20 gal tank?

If so, I would cut that by at least 75%!

That will still leave plenty for the plants.

Light is what drives nutrient demand and I doubt you can supply enough c02 to sustain the light. You are driving the plants to grow
at a high rate. Even with a good substrate, it is c02 that will be limiting IMO....

No dosing of N?

Please elaborate on your c02 setup?

Please advise if I have misunderstood your lighting specs...

Thanks for the reply Gerry. I am using 2 x 55watt PLL in this tank (Total 110watt.) So do you want me to cut down 1 PLL?

I am difusing CO2 with a ceramic diffuser and bubble count is 5bps. I installed the difuser right opposite the filter output and can see they are mixing well. My drop checker is showing bright yellow all the time.

As it is newly setup tank with new amazonia, I thought to start dosing N from second month.

Will wait for your reply.

 

[Tom Barr]

Try CO2, patience and lower light, the rest should be fine.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[tirtha1979]

Thanks a lot Tom for the reply. Disconnected 1 PLL. So the tank will run on a single 55watt PLL. Hope, that will be enough for the plants. Will keep this thread alive with Updates.

 

[jonny_ftm]

If the tank is only plants for now, decreasing temp to 18-20°C will be better for plants and worst for algae. Later, when fish comes, you can raise temperature

55W PLL on a 20gal is way too high in my opinion to start with. 11W on my 12 gal was more then enough. With 22W, it was hard to start and control algae despite CO2 maximum with mist and a yellow tint. Fully dosing EI since immersion

Then, like Tom said, your tank is young, patience along with sticking to EI and CO2 will get rid of those algae