It takes more than just fish to have a flourishing aquarium; plants are also essential to preserving the ecosystem. But when the plants in your aquarium start to struggle, it can be confusing and frustrating. These symptoms, which can include withering, turning brown, or just not growing, suggest that something is wrong.
Restoring the natural beauty of your tank begins with figuring out why your plants aren’t doing well. The issue may be caused by a number of factors, such as poor lighting, nutrient shortages, or even problems with the quality of the water. To find the best solution, the root cause must be determined.
This post will walk you through the typical causes of aquarium plants not growing and offer helpful advice on how to bring them back to life. Your plants can revert to their vivid, lush state with the correct adjustments, resulting in a harmonious and exquisite underwater environment.
- Inappropriate lighting
- How to choose lighting
- Video on the topic
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Inappropriate lighting
Add light; aquarists’ forms frequently contain this advice. Furthermore, standards of one W per liter of volume are provided. This is categorized as "poor advice." All that will happen is that the algae will grow wild and further impede the growth of the plants.
Why formula 1 W/l. is ineffective. Takeshi Amano invented it, and someone told him about it at some point. All that had to happen was that the formula was taken out of context and put to use. Amano made this statement towards the end of the 20th century regarding his 1.5 m tall aquarium. If we apply this advice to our smaller aquariums, we will end up with a true swamp instead of a tidy fish pond.
The kind of vegetation, the quality of the water, and the fish housed in the aquarium must all be taken into consideration when choosing the lighting. Another crucial element is the radiation spectrum. For aquatic vegetation, merely measuring illumination in watts is unacceptable.
Plants respond to lamp intensity differently than what the human eye perceives. While everything in the water appears to be amazing and light to us, the plants "go blind." Conversely, we perceive the water as being excessively dark when there is an adequate amount of green light. We worsen the situation by adding more light.
There isn’t a clear formula that works under any circumstances. Only through experimentation can the ideal outcome be achieved. The state of the plants themselves serves as an indicator. In response to low light, they produce fewer leaves and slow down their growth. The problem is likely malnutrition combined with inadequate lighting if the stems elongate and the distance between internodes grows.
Take notice of anubias, ferns, and cryptocarines. Even in dim light, they develop new leaves normally. If other species suffer and they feel normal, start adding lighting or altering its quality.
Normally, photosynthesis processes take place in an orange-red or blue spectrum of light. Manufacturers hardly ever include these lamps in their aquarium lamps. They tend to use cold white or slightly bluish spectrum lamps more frequently. Though it is useless for plants, we still like it.
Poor growth could indicate that a lamp has reached its limit if one with the necessary spectrum is used in it. Here, the plants that were previously developing start to wither. Although the lighting appears to be fine to us, the plants have already sensed that the lamp is "dead." Purchasing a new lightbulb would be a sensible course of action here.
How to choose lighting
A PA R-meter measures the amount of light in a professional manner. However, it’s unlikely that aquarists own this equipment. As a result, you can apply broad suggestions. For instance, T 5 has twice the brightness of T 8, which is the lowest along the length. Although they are ineffective at dispersing light rays, a small lamp and LEDs provide greater light along the length. Halogen lights perform exceptionally well in aquariums that are 90 cm or taller; however, they should not be used in shallow aquariums.
For most plants, T 5 lamps with reflectors are appropriate. The tank’s length is taken into consideration when choosing them. Most plants require two tubes. Not all plants require the strong lighting provided by four T-5 lamps.
Indicators of color temperature ranging from 2000 to 10,000K. If the manufacturer provides a color chart, select red, orange, yellow, and green. Blue will rise excessively. Algae will start to grow wildly at these signs.
The length of the illumination is a significant indicator. The natural habitat of the plant species that are planted in the aquarium will determine this. They are all typically from Asia, Africa, or South America.
In these untamed areas, a day spans between 12 and 14 hours. However, it’s not always bright. For aquarium inhabitants, therefore, turning on the backlight for seven to twelve hours a day is sufficient. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the situation. Reduce the amount of time that lights is on if algae starts to appear.
When plants in your aquarium are not growing well or are dying, there’s usually a problem with their surroundings. Frequently occurring causes include insufficient lighting, contaminated water, or insufficient amounts of vital nutrients. You can support your plants’ growth and make your aquarium healthier and more colorful by recognizing and resolving these problems, such as by adding fertilizer, enhancing the water’s quality, or modifying the amount of light provided.
| Possible Cause | Solution |
| Insufficient Light | Increase lighting duration or intensity |
| Improper Water Conditions | Test and adjust pH, hardness, and temperature |
| Lack of Nutrients | Use aquarium plant fertilizers |
| Algae Overgrowth | Reduce light exposure and clean the tank regularly |
| Incompatible Fish | Remove or replace fish that damage plants |
Although it can be difficult, getting your aquarium plants to flourish is not impossible. The secret is to closely monitor your tank, make necessary adjustments based on basic observations like lighting, CO2 levels, and nutrient levels. Simple adjustments frequently have a significant impact.
In the event that your plants continue to struggle, it may be worthwhile to investigate less evident problems such as substrate selection, water quality, or even the kind of plants you’re using. Even the hardiest plants can occasionally succumb to the wrong set of circumstances.
Recall that patience is crucial. The right balance takes time to establish in aquariums because they are delicate ecosystems. You can create a vibrant, lush underwater garden out of your struggling plants by paying attention to details and making small adjustments.
