Who Gives A Fish Forums

Lexat wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2024 6:14 am I came across this thing about Excel "melting" certain plants, but I don't really get how it works - just something I read somewhere.

Vallisneria's indeed one of the plants that can struggle with Excel. Mosses also seem to have issues. I recall reading about Glutaflakedehyde, a potent disinfectant, but I must reiterate my stance - I strongly advise against using it or any algicide in your aquarium.

Fable wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2024 8:28 pm I've got a plant in my tank that's in a silent cycle right now and I'm not sure what it is (anyone know the species?). The lower leaves are browning - should I cut them off? I've also got some hornwort with wilting lower leaves, is this a light issue because the upper leaves are blocking them?

I think not using your blue light anymore might be causing the browning. Try using it again for at least 6 hours a day.

I'm not convinced blue LEDs are beneficial. Photosynthesis requires both red and blue light, but red is more crucial. White light, rich in red, blue, and green, around 5000K-6500K, promotes the best plant growth. Nine hours is still a lot, but if the intensity isn't there, duration can't make up for it. And stem plants do grow fast, which means they need more intense light and more nutrients.

Using blue light at night isn't advisable. Plants can't utilize it, but algae will, guaranteed. And fish have issues with blue light, they need total darkness.

oceanlover wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2024 9:26 pm Before we dive into the plant issues, can you tell me what your water parameters are looking like?

I actually stopped using the blue light pretty recently, but the browning had started way before that.

barnicle wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2024 4:56 am You can definitely remove the dead leaves, it'll help the plant focus on growing new ones. Maybe it's just taking some time to adjust to being underwater, a lot of aquarium plants are actually grown above water before being submerged.

I can remove the dead leaves from both plants then. They've been in the tank since July 26th, and I recall buying them submerged.

We have no data on the light spectrum or intensity, which is crucial for plant growth. The water haziness is expected in a silent cycle, but it's essential to consider this when assessing plant health. Stem plants like Ambulia require robust lighting and nutrient supply. However, in a new tank with no fish being fed, nutrients are likely to be scarce.