Plants dying. Don't know why

[skuredboi3000]

I have a 20 gallon freshwater planted aquarium. I've had it for about 7 months and plants have constantly died in it and the last plant renaming is some Green Temple. I have eco-complete substrate, pH is a bit high at 7.6 and I'm working on lowering that but it doesn't seem to ever go down with Seachem Acid Buffer. Ammonia is 0.0 ppm, nitrite is 0 ppm. Nitrate is 15 ppm. The tank is in my room so it might get more light than it should because I turn it off around 10 pm then back on around 7 am when I get up. I unfortunately don't know what light it is but I remember buying it at Petco because it said it's made for freshwater plants. There's three tetras and two siamese algae eaters in it. Over the months I've tried adding liquid API CO2 booster, Seachem Flourish, Iron, Nitrogen, and Potassium plus root tabs. Most plants died within a few weeks, but Green Temple is a fighter. The old leaves are darkened and weak looking, while new growth is withered and pale around the edges with green veins. Thanks for any input.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Andrew, is this a 20g high or low tank? Also, knowing the specifics of your light is important for planted tanks. Is it fluorescent or LED?

 

[skuredboi3000]

Andrew, is this a 20g high or low tank? Also, knowing the specifics of your light is important for planted tanks. Is it fluorescent or LED?

Its a 20 gallon wide tank and the light is fluorescent. I want to move it out of my room so it will get a more regular lighting schedule but there has to be something else causing all this dying and sadness.

 

[SnakeIce]

That looks like magnesium or calcium deficiency. I'd try the magnesium first since your ph indicates you should have enough calcium. Get some epsom salt and dose a half teaspoon to start out. That will give you about 3 ppm magnesium. If that is the issue you will see improvement in growth within a week.

Oh 7.6 is not high and not a problem, that is moderately well buffered and good for most plants. I wouldn't continue to try to change it. Stability is better and your buffering is giving you that stability.

 

[skuredboi3000]

That looks like magnesium or calcium deficiency. I'd try the magnesium first since your ph indicates you should have enough calcium. Get some epsom salt and dose a half teaspoon to start out. That will give you about 3 ppm magnesium. If that is the issue you will see improvement in growth within a week.

Oh 7.6 is not high and not a problem, that is moderately well buffered and good for most plants. I wouldn't continue to try to change it. Stability is better and your buffering is giving you that stability.

Thank you so much! I'll add the Epsom salt now and buy some calcium just in case. That's crazy that Ive added just about every supplement imaginable except for magnesium and calcium and they're the most likely culprits.

 

[myswtsins]

Also that is just too long of a light cycle. Light drives the uptake of all other nutrients and with 15 hours of lights the plants would need a huge amount of nutrients to create balance and live (and that much nutrients causes a whole mess of other problems). The plants are essentially starving just trying to photosynthesize. Why can't you have it on a shorter light cycle in your room?

If you think of how plants need ALL nutrients but at differing ratios it doesn't seem crazy that the only ones you didn't add are the ones it needs....it needs them cause you didn't add them. Which goes back to the light vs nutrients available. Basically when any nutrient runs out that plant can't continue to grow or even live after an extended time of deficiency.

Like FreshyFresh said knowing what light you have is important. Picture of the light could help. How many bulbs? How many watts is bulb(s)? What brand is it? Does it have a reflector? What kind of reflector (white, metal, single, individual...)

 

[skuredboi3000]

Also that is just too long of a light cycle. Light drives the uptake of all other nutrients and with 15 hours of lights the plants would need a huge amount of nutrients to create balance and live (and that much nutrients causes a whole mess of other problems). The plants are essentially starving just trying to photosynthesize. Why can't you have it on a shorter light cycle in your room?

If you think of how plants need ALL nutrients but at differing ratios it doesn't seem crazy that the only ones you didn't add are the ones it needs....it needs them cause you didn't add them. Which goes back to the light vs nutrients available. Basically when any nutrient runs out that plant can't continue to grow or even live after an extended time of deficiency.

Like FreshyFresh said knowing what light you have is important. Picture of the light could help. How many bulbs? How many watts is bulb(s)? What brand is it? Does it have a reflector? What kind of reflector (white, metal, single, individual...)

I stay up late studying in my room with the lights on but that's easily avoided. I'll study somewhere else and here's pictures of the light.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I've got similar Perfecto brand fluorescent hood with the same exact ZooMed 24" T8 lamp on my 29g and it keeps/maintains anubia and java fern in this tank. It should do marginally better over a a shallower 20L, but it's still the low end in terms of being able to grow plants, especially if the lamp is 6-12months old.

 

[OrionGirl]

Turning the light off on the tank but having ambient light in the room will be ok. The light from the room light won't be as intense, won't drive growth. Ideally, get a timer for the light so the light doesn't come on as early, then it can be on while you're there to enjoy the view.

 

[skuredboi3000]

I've got similar Perfecto brand fluorescent hood with the same exact ZooMed 24" T8 lamp on my 29g and it keeps/maintains anubia and java fern in this tank. It should do marginally better over a a shallower 20L, but it's still the low end in terms of being able to grow plants, especially if the lamp is 6-12months old.

So would you suggest getting a more powerful light to put in the hood or getting a separate hood that has a bunch of lights already installed in it?