Heavy Planted Tanks- No CO2

[NanotankBank]

Hello,

I want to hear everyone’s opinions on how they manage to keep a heavily planted tank very healthy without the use of CO2. I’m noticing deficiencies in mine and I’ve been dosing with fertilizers, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s the lack of CO2. If anyone knows solutions, let me know!

[MattyM]

What are you dosing and what sort of deficiencies? A pic might help. 

Also, do you have good flow in the tank with some surface agitation? What's your substrate and stocking level like? 

[Flumpweesel]

How heavy is heavy?

What issues are you seeing? 

How long has it been planted?

 

I don't run CO2 I consider my tanks to be the heavy side of medium planted and I have no issues. I do stick with the easy plants though but I don't really believe CO2 is necessary things might grow faster with it but I'm not in a hurry.

[NanotankBank]

On 2/13/2023 at 2:11 PM, MattyM said:

What are you dosing and what sort of deficiencies? A pic might help. 

Also, do you have good flow in the tank with some surface agitation? What's your substrate and stocking level like? 

2 sponge filters running cause decent surface agitation, substrate is just some black aquarium gravel, stocking is pretty heavy: 29gal (1 Angel, 1 B. RAM, 4 Honey gouramis, 4 Albino Corydoras, mystery snails x5-6) I’m dozing api leaf zone, twice a week using the dosage on the bottle. I assumed it was potassium deficiency at the start cause I was getting spots on leaves and they’d start to decay. Now some leaves just seem like they are dying all around, not just spots. 

On 2/13/2023 at 2:15 PM, Flumpweesel said:

How heavy is heavy?

What issues are you seeing? 

How long has it been planted?

 

I don't run CO2 I consider my tanks to be the heavy side of medium planted and I have no issues. I do stick with the easy plants though but I don't really believe CO2 is necessary things might grow faster with it but I'm not in a hurry.

Here’s an old photo of my 29gal when I first planted everything. Seeing what I think is potassium deficiency (spots of decay), but now some leaves are just going brown all over or looking very unhealthy. Been planted about a month now. But some of the plants dying have been there for 6-7months

[MattyM]

On 2/13/2023 at 2:16 PM, NanotankBank said:

substrate is just some black aquarium gravel, stocking is pretty heavy: 29gal (1 Angel, 1 B. RAM, 4 Honey gouramis, 4 Albino Corydoras, mystery snails x5-6) I’m dozing api leaf zone, twice a week using the dosage on the bottle. I assumed it was potassium deficiency at the start cause I was getting spots on leaves and they’d start to decay.

Have you tried some root tabs? I've had the Potassium problem - some plants seem to need more than others. Doesn't hurt to dose some Potassium and/or try a different all in one. 

You can also try some sort of passive CO2 to see if it helps before shelling out for a full setup. 

[DebSills]

You may want to add some root tabs for those big swords - those are huge root feeders and may be sucking nutrients from other plants too, they need more than just the liquid and they're pretty good size

did you just start to see deficiencies, or have they been happening the whole time? I don't see anything particularly alarming with your plants in the pic above.

I don't use CO2 in any of my tanks, but do have stratum underneath my gravel cap in all but one which seems to help with my water at least...

Some detail photos of the deficiencies might help if you can

[Flumpweesel]

There is a certain amount of die back in the first month or so of adding plants depending on how they have been grown this can be dramatic. I wait and see what the new leaves do.

I would not expect co2 to be the issue and if it's nutritional co2 will make it worse as the plant as there plant will consume more.

Also what are your nitrate levels I keep mine over 20 (much nearer 40 most of the time) if it gets lower I get yellowing and die back.

You might need to reduce your water changes a little

[NanotankBank]

On 2/13/2023 at 2:33 PM, DebSills said:

You may want to add some root tabs for those big swords - those are huge root feeders and may be sucking nutrients from other plants too, they need more than just the liquid and they're pretty good size

did you just start to see deficiencies, or have they been happening the whole time? I don't see anything particularly alarming with your plants in the pic above.

I don't use CO2 in any of my tanks, but do have stratum underneath my gravel cap in all but one which seems to help with my water at least...

Some detail photos of the deficiencies might help if you can

Never used root tabs before. How do you go about adding them to a filled aquarium? Just drop them in or break them up?

On 2/13/2023 at 2:33 PM, DebSills said:

You may want to add some root tabs for those big swords - those are huge root feeders and may be sucking nutrients from other plants too, they need more than just the liquid and they're pretty good size

did you just start to see deficiencies, or have they been happening the whole time? I don't see anything particularly alarming with your plants in the pic above.

I don't use CO2 in any of my tanks, but do have stratum underneath my gravel cap in all but one which seems to help with my water at least...

Some detail photos of the deficiencies might help if you can

Also the deficiency in the swords and stem plants started about a month ago. The pic is form when I just added the stem plants the swords have been there since they were tiny

[DebSills]

On 2/13/2023 at 3:44 PM, NanotankBank said:

Never used root tabs before. How do you go about adding them to a filled aquarium? Just drop them in or break them up?

Easiest way is to use planting tweezers (especially in a taller tank) - you need to get them in the substrate right where the roots of the swords are...I would put at least one for each of the swords and then you could dot a few more where you are seeing some deficiencies...if you don't have planting tweezers, you can use your hands, just make sure you get the root tab deep enough in with the roots that it does it's job and doesn't pop back out...it won't work unless it is in the gravel with the roots

Here's an article that I have read a few times while setting up my tanks: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/plant-nutrient-deficiencies

Edited February 13, 2023 by DebSills

[John Henry]

Your tank could have multiple nutrient deficiencies if API Leaf Zone is all your using.  Leaf Zone is great for adding potassium and iron but that is all it adds.  Most all planted tanks will need a complete and balanced fertilizer that contains all the macro and micronutrients.  There are many to choose from,  Easy Green is popular on this forum.

[knee]

Have you checked your ph?

[Tait_007]

On 2/13/2023 at 4:29 PM, John Henry said:

Your tank could have multiple nutrient deficiencies if API Leaf Zone is all your using.  Leaf Zone is great for adding potassium and iron but that is all it adds.  Most all planted tanks will need a complete and balanced fertilizer that contains all the macro and micronutrients.  There are many to choose from,  Easy Green is popular on this forum.

I would agree with John here on the Leaf Zone. The YouTuber MD Fish Tanks uses Leaf Zone but he also has to add root tabs and a nutrient filled substrate to his tanks to get all the nutrients the plants need. If your tank is already set up the Easy Root Tabs are great to just stick underneath the substrate to give your heavy root feeders the boost they need.

[Phoenix1391]

Things im wondering. Water parameters; what’s the ph, kh, gh, and nitrates? How often do you water change? You showed a pic of when you first plante what’s it look like now. Looks like a lot of root feeders, but it’s planted in gravel. 
 

first instinct is the substrate. You could try using root tabs like everyone is saying, but without knowing everything else about the water and what the spots on the plants look like there could be other factors in play here.

[Lennie]

I personally believe  besides all water parameters and stuff, substrate and light plays a non-negligible role. Not exactly a detrimental or crucial role, but they do make a difference and makes a lot of things easier from my experience. You can surely grow many plants on inert substrate and have a beautiful planted tank, but it is harder to balance everything from my experience. I grow my all plants at 8.0ph+ and kh20, so I don't think it has a huge effect either, for average plants. This may change for higher tech ones, but you would want co2 for them usually anyway.

I never use co2, but my experience of using aquasoil+better lighting compared to dirted bottom inert substrate+roottabs and a decent lighting differs. 

You can see these videos just to get an opinion about an experience. I've personally experienced a similar result in my tanks.

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by Lennie