Floating plants melting

[SpacedCadette]

OK. I give up. I can't seem to sort out what I'm screwing up here. I cannot seem to keep any floating plants happy in my tank. I've tried different kinds of water lettuce and now I'm struggling with the brazillian pennywort. It's always this same type of melting as well.

I'm dosing regularly with the Easy Green. Currently following the recommendation of 1 pump per 10 gallons. It's a 40g breeder so I'm doing 4 pumps every couple of days.

Water parameters:
Temp 79F
Nitrate between 15-20
Nitrite 0
Hardness 150
Buffer 40
pH 6.8
Chlorine 0

Light settings:



The plants themselves:

Edited May 16, 2022 by SpacedCadette

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I'm wondering- is there a lot of surface agitation? I've noticed a lot of floating plants are not fans of that. Secondly- what about programming a siesta period? Plants seem to do much better when one is implemented. 

The way the plant melts could also be a sign of a deficiency, we have some good plant experts here that could pipe in

[JoeQ]

The thing jumping out at me is temp. From my understanding plants are easier to keep at lower temps, when you get up into the 80s it can be challenging. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@JoeQ speak truth there. @Fish Folk adds an airstone to his heated discus tanks so that's worth a try if you don't have that going. The Siesta might help as lights sometimes add to the temp as well. Negates my comment on surface agitation but I think I'd rather go with the other two options. 

[Fish Folk]

My new Frogbit just melted away in my 83°-F Discus tank. Water lettuce does great in tanks with _no heater_. Loved our Goldfish tank…

[SpacedCadette]

On 5/16/2022 at 3:27 PM, JoeQ said:

The thing jumping out at me is temp. From my understanding plants are easier to keep at lower temps, when you get up into the 80s it can be challenging. 

That's something I can definitely adjust! I think the lowest temp I can probably go with the fish that I have is maybe 75f. I'd be more comfortable with 76F. I can try and lower the temp slowly over the next couple of days and see how that goes!
 

On 5/16/2022 at 3:05 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Secondly- what about programming a siesta period? Plants seem to do much better when one is implemented.

Happy to try this out! I'm new to planted tanks though so I'm not sure what a siesta period is. Is that like a lights off time in the middle of the day?
 

On 5/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, Fish Folk said:

My new Frogbit just melted away in my 83°-F Discus tank. Water lettuce does great in tanks with _no heater_. Loved our Goldfish tank…

Your tank is lovely! And that water lettuce sure is thriving. Another bit of evidence in support of lowering the temp 🙂

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Yes! Time for lights off then back on- works for me with my snail vase and my 4.12 gallon cube (I just have old manual timers). You have a fancy light lots of good ideas here: 

Fluval Plant 3.0 Scheduling and Programming

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[SpacedCadette]

Awesome! Thanks @xXInkedPhoenixX!

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Depending on the shape of the light, your floating plants might not be getting enough. Of you had, say, a Fluval Aquasky or something skinny like that right at the top of the tank, the light at the top of the water is only going to be a couple inches wide. The floaters outside of that spread aren't really getting anything.

I couldn't grow water lettuce in my 55 with an Aquaneat, but when I changed to the Stingray 2, they started growing great. Turned out the only change I needed was way more light for water lettuce. I have another low light tank that'll grow salvinia great, but won't even grow red root floaters.

Floaters seem to eat a whole dang lot too. I find on my heavily planted 55, I can barely keep enough nitrates in there to feed my planted plants. The floaters are hanging on, but they're small and not really spreading. When I remember to keep them fertilized though, they do much better.

Oh, and most of my tanks are on for 3hrs in the morning, then off from 9:30 to 1, and then on from 1-8. They get that siesta period, the tanks don't get so much light they grow a bunch of algae, and I can enjoy them before and after work.

 

[Kurt Brutting]

Brazilian Pennywort can take some time to settle in new water parameters. I have some floating in one of my aquariums and it took a good month plus to adjust.