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Low light plants seem to grow well in my tank, but my hornwort has lost its deep, dark green color it had when I bought it.

Ammonia/nitrite: 0
Nitrate 5ppm
pH 7.7
Temp 75F

Lighting: 24w Flora-Glo over a shallow, 20 long.
co2: None - but dosing tank daily with Flourish Excel to simulate
Other fertilizers used:
-Twice Weekly: Flourish
-Once Weekly: Potassium

Tank has much velvet algae coated on wood and other decco. I'm wondering if it is stealing much of the nutrients. I like keeping this algae as my otos love it and the corys love sifting through it or laying on it - and, its georgeous

Plants in the tank: Anubias Nana (healthy), Java Fern (doing well), Hornwort (growth, but pale), Tiger Val, (touch and go, but currently healthy), mystery plant that grows like a weed (healthy), java moss (healthy), banana plants (new, but growth with new leaves/roots - however leaves are rotting).

I'd appreciate more help on identifying the mystery plant too.

Cory_Di attached this image:

I know I showed this in another thread, but here is the type of algae I'm talking about. Its pretty, but I'm beginning to wonder if it is hoarding nutrients.

I should probably mention that this algae can coat my anubias nana, java fern, and even the leaves of the hornwort to an extent.

I did have higher nitrate levels than I intended for a time (20-25ppm), but have since kept them to below 15ppm for the past 3 weeks. This hornwort was new and dark green and went into the tank after I got the nitrates back down to 5-10ppm.



Cory_Di attached this image:


Last edited by Cory_Di at 15-Nov-2004 14:51[/font]

It could be an Iron deficency. Plants tend to lose color and/or fall apart when there isn't enough Iron. You may want to get yourself a bottle of some sort of Iron suppliment (I believe Seachem makes it, as well as other companies).

Click [link=here]http://badmanstropicalfish.com/plant_problems.html" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] to find out more about common problems and mineral deficencies that occur in planted tanks. There might be the answer to your problem in that page

Thanks.

based on what I read through, my other thought was that the light just isn't enough either. Maybe its a combination of things. It appears to be getting a little darker since I added the weekly Flourish dose. I noticed on the container that it recommends once or twice weekly. Maybe I need to go to twice weekly.

I do have a second light fixture I can use. My goldie tank has 2-24 watt light bulbs on it. I once used it on my 20 long, but that tough hair or beard algae went out of control on me. Without supplemental co2, I don't know that the added light is a good idea.

I plan on starting up something like a 125g, that will have supplemental co2 when I move (hopefully, in the spring). I never intended for this to be a planted tank and that is part of the problem.

You should most likely up the dosage of Flourish; you can add more Potassium as well, although I don't think that's the issue. It looks like your hornwort just needs more trace ferts, especially iron. Since it did a little better once you started adding the Flourish, add a little more and see what happens... I doubt you'd overdose.

Good luck!
Sarah

P.S. I wouldn't worry about lighting too much with hornwort. I had it growing like crazy with that same bulb over a 29 gallon tank.

Last edited by wolfie8113 at 17-Nov-2004 23:59

I have an iron test kit and when I last used it the Fe was 0. I believe this is because I was using Stress Coat which removes "heavy metals". I stopped using it months ago and switched to Prime on your recommendation. I was adding iron regular for a while, but am afraid to keep dosing it until I recheck the levels. I'll do that this weekend to see where I'm at. I may need to keep adding it.

Don't worry about testing the iron levels... just gauge your dosing schedule off what the plants are doing. Heck, I throw about 15mL in my 65 every day, sometimes more. It's all in what your plants say.

Just ask yourself, Diane... "What does the hornwort tell you?"

-Sarah

I don't get it. With all the iron pipes around here, we don't have enough iron for the plants?

Will do, Sarah .

Hornwort is getting greener. I've been adding 1.5mL daily, along with Potassium. Banana Plants are looking better too as they were melting with each new leaf.

My daugther just got into plants and 1st thing I told her about the Hornwort was if it goes all pale on you, don't toss it out, given time it will come back. The Hornwort seems to go into a kind of shock when moved. I planted mine and within two weeks it looked awful. The last time I got some I just let it float for a week untill I started to see roots and then planted it. No shock! I've been doing this with all my plants and things are looking pretty good. You may want to give it a try.

Roots

I've floated hornwort for months and never seen roots. Maybe I don't have hornwort :%).

Arrrrghhhh! Wish I could tell the difference between foxtail and hornwort.