Why Are My Plants Growing Slow?

[Aurion]

My Anubias and Java Ferns have barely grown in the past two months. The tank is a 20 gallon with a Fluval Aquasky light, running 8 hours a day. Substrate is gravel, and I dose Seachem Flourish weekly. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. What's the deal?

[aflux]

Low growth could be due to insufficient nutrients or light. The Fluval Aquasky is decent but might not be strong enough for some plants. Have you checked your phosphate levels? Also, gravel isn't ideal for root feeders. Try adding root tabs if you haven't already.

[ottero]

Yo, my plants were chillin' like that too till I bumped the light to 10 hours. Maybe your light's too weak or not on long enough. Also, gravel's kinda sketchy for plants, gonna need root tabs or switch to sand.

[kindpulse]

Low growth could be due to insufficient nutrients or light. The Fluval Aquasky is decent but might not be strong enough for some plants. Have you checked your phosphate levels? Also, gravel isn't ideal for root feeders. Try adding root tabs if you haven't already.

I agree with aflux. The Fluval Aquasky is okay for low-light plants but might not cut it for moderate to high-light species. Root tabs are a must with gravel. Also, consider increasing your Flourish dosing to twice a week if your plants are still struggling.

[mounta7]

How old are your plants? Sometimes they take a while to adjust before they start growing. My Anubias took like three months to settle in before they took off. Patience might be key here.

[Aurion]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'll try adding root tabs and increasing the light duration. The plants are about three months old, so maybe they're still adjusting.

[aflux]

Three months is a decent amount of time, but Anubias and Java Ferns are slow growers by nature. If you're not seeing any browning or melting, they're probably fine. Just keep an eye on them and adjust as needed.

[ottero]

Yeah, those plants are slow af. My Java Fern took forever to do anything. Just don't mess with 'em too much, they'll get there.

[kindpulse]

Another thing to consider is water flow. Anubias and Java Ferns prefer gentle flow. If your filter's too strong, it might stress them out. What kind of filter are you using?

[mounta7]

Another thing to consider is water flow. Anubias and Java Ferns prefer gentle flow. If your filter's too strong, it might stress them out. What kind of filter are you using?

That's a good point. I had to baffle my HOB filter because it was too strong for my Anubias. They perked up after I reduced the flow.