Help with a struggling water sprite

[cichlidgirl22]

My 10g tank's water sprite is exploding - can barely spot the fish anymore.

On the other hand, my 20g's water sprite is really struggling, especially the ones in the substrate. The floating ones are melting and turning brown.

What's going on here?

[boomer]

Without knowing the specifics of your setup, it's difficult to pinpoint the issue. Assuming your lighting has a suitable spectrum, intensity shouldn't be a problem for floating water sprite. However, when rooted in the substrate, it does require stronger light due to its fast growth rate. I've noticed that Ceratopteris cornuta, a great floating species, doesn't do as well when rooted.

As a fast-growing plant, water sprite needs adequate nutrition. You might consider using a comprehensive liquid fertilizer. It's also worth thinking about the differences in fish and nutrient levels between your two tanks. I've had varying degrees of success with water sprite in my own tanks.

The brownish discoloration on the floating leaves could be due to excessive light.

[cichlidgirl22]

Without knowing the specifics of your setup, it's difficult to pinpoint the issue. Assuming your lighting has a suitable spectrum, intensity shouldn't be a problem for floating water sprite. However, when rooted in the substrate, it does require stronger light due to its fast growth rate. I've noticed that Ceratopteris cornuta, a great floating species, doesn't do as well when rooted.

As a fast-growing plant, water sprite needs adequate nutrition. You might consider using a comprehensive liquid fertilizer. It's also worth thinking about the differences in fish and nutrient levels between your two tanks. I've had varying degrees of success with water sprite in my own tanks.

The brownish discoloration on the floating leaves could be due to excessive light.

Here are my lights -
20g: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZC ... =ff0d01-20
10g: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T9 ... =ff0d01-20

I use some flourish in the 20g, a full dose every two weeks. The 10g doesn't get any.

[boomer]

My 10g tank's water sprite is exploding - can barely spot the fish anymore.

On the other hand, my 20g's water sprite is really struggling, especially the ones in the substrate. The floating ones are melting and turning brown.

What's going on here?

The 10g light seems to be a better spectrum, that could be the issue. Kelvin around 6500K is ideal for plants, it's high in red, blue and green. Red is crucial for photosynthesis, so that's likely why the water sprite is thriving in that tank.

In contrast, the 20g light is more blue-dominant and probably lacks sufficient red. A Kelvin rating of 7000K+ may not seem like a huge difference, but for plants, that missing red spectrum can significantly slow growth.

[infold]

I've had a pretty mixed experience with Water Sprite, too. It's supposed to be one of the easier plants, but mine did alright for a bit then just kinda stopped thriving. No idea what went wrong, to be honest.

[shakinStevens]

I've had a pretty mixed experience with Water Sprite, too. It's supposed to be one of the easier plants, but mine did alright for a bit then just kinda stopped thriving. No idea what went wrong, to be honest.

This issue is quite common and usually stems from nutrient depletion in the tank. Nutrients come from various sources, including fish waste, tap water, substrate, and fertilizers. Initially, your tank likely had sufficient nutrients, allowing the plants to thrive. However, over time, these nutrients get depleted, and the plants' growth slows down as a result. I've encountered this problem multiple times and was able to identify and fix the cause, although it sometimes took me months to figure it out.

The differences in setup, substrate, number of fish, and water changes (volume and frequency) between your two tanks are likely contributing factors. It's probable that your smaller tank has more concentrated nutrients than the larger one. The Flourish you're using on your 20g contains iron gluconate, which only lasts for 1-3 days before it breaks down and becomes unavailable to the plants. Breaking down the dose into 14 smaller ones might be a better approach. However, iron might not be the primary issue; you might want to consider increasing the dose amount as well. There are 14 essential nutrients, and if even one is lacking, the plants will suffer and stop growing.

[cichlidgirl22]

I've had a pretty mixed experience with Water Sprite, too. It's supposed to be one of the easier plants, but mine did alright for a bit then just kinda stopped thriving. No idea what went wrong, to be honest.

This issue is quite common and usually stems from nutrient depletion in the tank. Nutrients come from various sources, including fish waste, tap water, substrate, and fertilizers. Initially, your tank likely had sufficient nutrients, allowing the plants to thrive. However, over time, these nutrients get depleted, and the plants' growth slows down as a result. I've encountered this problem multiple times and was able to identify and fix the cause, although it sometimes took me months to figure it out.

The differences in setup, substrate, number of fish, and water changes (volume and frequency) between your two tanks are likely contributing factors. It's probable that your smaller tank has more concentrated nutrients than the larger one. The Flourish you're using on your 20g contains iron gluconate, which only lasts for 1-3 days before it breaks down and becomes unavailable to the plants. Breaking down the dose into 14 smaller ones might be a better approach. However, iron might not be the primary issue; you might want to consider increasing the dose amount as well. There are 14 essential nutrients, and if even one is lacking, the plants will suffer and stop growing.

Here are the differences between my tanks:
10g - lots of snails, one lone guppy.
20g - about 2 snails, lots of fish.

Water changes are the same, 50% per week.

What if I accidentally overdose on fertilizer? Will it harm my fish?

[boomer]

My 10g tank's water sprite is exploding - can barely spot the fish anymore.

On the other hand, my 20g's water sprite is really struggling, especially the ones in the substrate. The floating ones are melting and turning brown.

What's going on here?

Yes, fish can be affected detrimentally by overdosing plant additives/fertilizers. Their physiology is designed to function in a specific environment, and anything dissolved in the tank water can diffuse across cell membranes, entering their bloodstream and internal organs. This is why medications can be so dangerous, along with overdosed fertilizers.

For instance, fish from hard water habitats need hard water in the aquarium because their internal physiology relies on certain substances, like calcium and magnesium, which they assimilate from the water. Soft water fish, on the other hand, don't need these substances and can develop problems like calcium blockage of the kidneys when kept in hard water.

In your case, I still think the spectrum of the light is the issue.

[cichlidgirl22]

Without knowing the specifics of your setup, it's difficult to pinpoint the issue. Assuming your lighting has a suitable spectrum, intensity shouldn't be a problem for floating water sprite. However, when rooted in the substrate, it does require stronger light due to its fast growth rate. I've noticed that Ceratopteris cornuta, a great floating species, doesn't do as well when rooted.

As a fast-growing plant, water sprite needs adequate nutrition. You might consider using a comprehensive liquid fertilizer. It's also worth thinking about the differences in fish and nutrient levels between your two tanks. I've had varying degrees of success with water sprite in my own tanks.

The brownish discoloration on the floating leaves could be due to excessive light.

I've been looking for a budget-friendly light, does anyone have any suggestions for a good, affordable option?

[boomer]

The light on the 10g seems to be a good fit for the spectrum. Is it possible to find the same type in a size suitable for the 20g? I'm not too familiar with the current LED options, so I wouldn't want to suggest anything that might not be accurate.