[New planted Tank Help.]

On 2/2/2022 at 2:06 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Great advice above! I will only add this tip. More plants 😁. 

Seriously though, adding more can really help a new tank work it's way through the awkward times. The first 6 months seem to be the roughest! 

Good looking tank by the way.

Thanks mate. I would of liked to have more plants but it gets pricey. Plus, I wanted to be certain I would be able to keep them alive and healthy.

[New planted Tank Help.]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:12 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

No I would not make any changes. Diatoms usually come and go after a week or 2 all on their own. When you start seeing green algae you'll know you've turned the corner. 

The plants are usually grown emersed and now are submerged so they are getting a little bit of a stress test. Your slow growers will stay brown the longest. I would aggressively trim off all the brown and dead stuff so the plants can focus on growing new and adjusted foliage. 

I like your plant choices. Some of them are not typical plants chosen by new plant keepers and I think fortune favors the bold when it comes to aquarium plants. The crypts looks like you've had fairly minimal melt, I think you have a java fern in the middle planted in the substrate, it would be better either superglue gelled to the rock or pushed into the artificial root structure you have if left in the substrate theres a good chance of rot in the rhizome. The bacopa looks great and it does great being trimmed and the cuttings replanted. I would let it grow out for another couple weeks then trim and replant across the back and you'll get a nice curtain effect. The water sprite can get big and the more you trim the bushier it will get. 

Welcome to the forum and planted tanks!

That is great to hear. The middle plants in the substrate are cryptocyrene, will they do better glue to a rock? I will def try trimming the brown and dead leafs back.  I was definitely hoping to get the curtain effect over time.

[New planted Tank Help.]

On 2/1/2022 at 10:39 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

At 2 weeks old or just new plants in an older tank- die back is totally normal- they are getting used to your tank, food, substrate, light, temp etc. Your tank is progressing nicely! Seeing nitrite and nitrate is awesome, the diatoms are a good sign that soon your tank will be able to support life! 

BTW, welcome to the forum!

New plants and tank. Thanks for the piece of mind that everything is ok. I was worried I needed to put more rootabs in. 

[New planted Tank Help.]

Hi Folks, 

I have a new aquarium that is 2 weeks old, with live plants and no fish. I've been watching the water parameters and feeding the plants twice a week (easy green + easy iron). I noticed algae (brown diatoms I think) growth in the tank the other day and did a water test....  0 ppm ammonia, 2-5 ppm nitrite and 5 ppm nitrates. Also, the plants have started to brown... and look like they are dying back ... Is this something I should be concerned about? Do I need to put in more root tabs? Any advice is greatly appreciated.