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Is Ph=8.2 high for plants?


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I see many guides for plants have the top of the PH range at 7.5 or 8.0. The water I have at work is at about a Ph of 8.2, gh=14, kh=7. I have been struggling a little with plants so far. Me/my coworkers/and my amano shrimp have just about successfully murdered 4 plants so far. I had a water sprite that was doing great but now it is looking sadder with patches kind of like a phosphate deficiency. (I was advised earlier to not use root tabs with my eco-complete, but I may pop one in to see if it perks the water sprite up some.) The guppy grass that I got for free with my shrimp is growing like crazy though. 

I have fairly simple reasonings as to why my previous plants have died, but does having a ph of 8.2 put more stress on a plant that will contribute strongly to its demise? 

 

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On 6/14/2021 at 10:09 PM, bwar said:

I see many guides for plants have the top of the PH range at 7.5 or 8.0. The water I have at work is at about a Ph of 8.2, gh=14, kh=7. I have been struggling a little with plants so far. Me/my coworkers/and my amano shrimp have just about successfully murdered 4 plants so far. I had a water sprite that was doing great but now it is looking sadder with patches kind of like a phosphate deficiency. (I was advised earlier to not use root tabs with my eco-complete, but I may pop one in to see if it perks the water sprite up some.) The guppy grass that I got for free with my shrimp is growing like crazy though. 

I have fairly simple reasonings as to why my previous plants have died, but does having a ph of 8.2 put more stress on a plant that will contribute strongly to its demise? 

 

I do not know of any really hard and fast guide that would strike out plants with a pH that high. Often, a pH that high is accompanied by "hard water" - minerals dissolved in the water - which is perfect for most plants. It appears that's your situation (GH = 14 / KH = 7).

I'd assume something is perhaps off with the balance of your lighting type / photoperiod / spectrum / depth; your water temperature; and your fertilization.

For my part, I've done a lot of root tabs in Eco Complete. Plants do great. Here's a few photos from my planted tanks with Eco Complete that I've use Root Tabs in . . .

IMG_3334.jpg.ffd849aa1473c0462912e9c156c3acf8.jpg

13121556-580C-4EE5-B6B7-36523E2F686C.jpeg.eb31261c0c99a70325b1d23d33102ca7.jpeg

1840121199_ScreenShot2021-01-23at1_38_04PM.png.207fa375c65295778a0af67218c194f8.png

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Nope, not too high for plants. My water has a Ph of 8.2, also with eco-complete in my 29 gallon tank. I'm still working through nutrient/light balance, but none of my plants are struggling terribly after the initial settling in. I do dose with Easy Green, Easy Iron and I just started adding some extra potassium after noticing pinholes on an anubias leaf.

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On 6/14/2021 at 10:21 PM, Fish Folk said:

I do not know of any really hard and fast guide that would strike out plants with a pH that high. Often, a pH that high is accompanied by "hard water" - minerals dissolved in the water - which is perfect for most plants. It appears that's your situation (GH = 14 / KH = 7).

I'd assume something is perhaps off with the balance of your lighting type / photoperiod / spectrum / depth; your water temperature; and your fertilization.

For my part, I've done a lot of root tabs in Eco Complete. Plants do great. Here's a few photos from my planted tanks with Eco Complete that I've use Root Tabs in . . .

IMG_3334.jpg.ffd849aa1473c0462912e9c156c3acf8.jpg

13121556-580C-4EE5-B6B7-36523E2F686C.jpeg.eb31261c0c99a70325b1d23d33102ca7.jpeg

1840121199_ScreenShot2021-01-23at1_38_04PM.png.207fa375c65295778a0af67218c194f8.png

oh wow, ok I'll go into putting the tabs in with a little more confidence then. I am going to use a little makeshift inserter though. It was a little annoying holding onto them with my tweezers last time. Thank you for the response! 

On 6/14/2021 at 10:32 PM, laritheloud said:

Disclaimer: I’m not a scaper and this is definitely a jungle 🤣🤣🤣

2B77662A-3A0E-4576-846C-5777BE3E3E45.jpeg

Thank you for the response! I am an engineer so art is not really my forte, but I think that tank looks good. You should  be proud of it! Since you have a 29 I'll ask a follow up question. How do you like the size of it? 

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On 6/14/2021 at 10:43 PM, bwar said:

oh wow, ok I'll go into putting the tabs in with a little more confidence then. I am going to use a little makeshift inserter though. It was a little annoying holding onto them with my tweezers last time. Thank you for the response! 

Thank you for the response! I am an engineer so art is not really my forte, but I think that tank looks good. You should  be proud of it! Since you have a 29 I'll ask a follow up question. How do you like the size of it? 

I like it okay. The height is great for taller plants. But if I had to do it over again, I'd choose a 40 breeder as my beginner tank for the longer footprint. 😉 I have a 55 gallon tank waiting to get filled. I'm going to start building it once I get everything I need together, and this time around, I'll see if I can figure out some moderation and scape it a bit more thoughtfully instead of trying everything out! Thank you so much for your kind words!

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