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Barren Wasteland of a Tank


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Hey everyone!

Looking for some guidance. I have spent a ton of money buying some beautiful healthy looking plants from co-op and yet everything seems to die in my tank. I have been buying a variety of things all easy low light plants that are supposed to be good for beginners and yet nothing stays nice for longer  than a month. I have tried val, java fern, anubias petite and a few other things while also using easy green. Nothing lives. These are the latest batch of plants and their current condition. They were beautifully green and very tall when I first got them . Can anyone tell me what they think I might be doing wrong? 

Any advice is appreciated.

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What type of light, and what type of fish? I don't really think much looks wrong with the plants in your photos - they are a little "lived in" but that's normal for plants.

They may be throwing a bit of a fit while they acclimate or something. Are you sure they are dead dead? When it comes to plants... if there's green, there's hope. 

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I suspect you need to upgrade your light a bit. Is it LED or fluorescent? can you give a pic of the tank or the light?

Also most plants do need fertilizer unless you have many fish.

Also, gold fish are known for uprooting and disturbing plants. You may need to really secure the roots of rooted varieties using a pile of larger rocks or an Aquarium Co-op Planter. I don't think it is an accident that the Java fern is your main survivor.

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1 hour ago, awesomejen2 said:

Hmm I guess I don’t know they are dead, dead but when I see holes and yellowing and breaking off of leaves. I don’t know what the specific output is of the light but it came with the tank so it’s not very high which was why I went for low light plants. Goldfish tank.

Definitely don't give up and throw them out at that stage, they can recover from much worse. I agree with Brandy that your lighting probably needs an upgrade. 

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I don't have a ton to add, but as a fairly new person to the hobby I can empathize with your situation. I experienced something similar.

I did all my research, bought all the "right" stuff, planted my beautiful new plants and then watched in horror as they melted and browned like crazy. Cue distress, internet research, water testing etc. My local fish store encouraged me to stop fiddling with the tank and give them time. Lo and behold, after a few weeks new growth popped up. My water sprite, which melted down to nothing, is growing out of control. I find it's difficult to step back and let nature do its thing, but that's been the best advice I've gotten.

Edited by Schwack
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