ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 I started this tank over a month ago and can’t get anything to grow. the water test say ph 7.4 ish hardness and kh are ok i have a small stock of fish in the tank 12 black neons, 1 pearl gourami, 2 molly, 2 Cory cats and a Chinese algae eater. tank light is a fluval plant 3.0 im doing 25% water change weekly with ro water. Then add some sea chem flourish only 2ml per gallon tank will do nothing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Are you using liquid fertilizer or root tabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 Just the flourish. No root tabs and substrate is gravel only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSH OUTDOORS Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Are you doing water changes because your Nitrates are high or because you think you need to? Water changes with RO is basically taking everything the plants need to grow out of the tank. Unless your nitrates are approaching 40 ppm I would hold off on them. I am guessing your plants are starving for nutrients both Nitrates and micro nutrients they will need for new growth. They basically have nothing to feed on with a gravel substrate and nothing in the water column. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 1 minute ago, DSH OUTDOORS said: Are you doing water changes because your Nitrates are high or because you think you need to? Water changes with RO is basically taking everything the plants need to grow out of the tank. Unless your nitrates are approaching 40 ppm I would hold off on them. I am guessing your plants are starving for nutrients both Nitrates and micro nutrients they will need for new growth. They basically have nothing to feed on with a gravel substrate and nothing in the water column. I guess because I’m trying to get the water not so brown.... ‘still new to the hobby. So no weekly water changes? That will save me a 2 hr trip to the store to buy 40 gallons of ro water every week. ‘I’m thinking of tearing it down and redoing the substrate with the dirt type I used in my Ram tank and the plants took off.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSH OUTDOORS Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 I would have to know more about your water to give you a definitive answer on that. I have pretty hard water but in my 75 gallon tank with gravel substrate I am having no issues growing Java fern, annubius, hornwart and water sprite just using easy green, iron and potassium. In my 95 gallon my Vallisneria, amazon sword and other floating plants are growing like weeds with runners going everywhere. That is with a flourite substrate though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 @ScottEsh Wow, that is some commitment you have for your tanks. I wouldn’t keep fish if I had to drive 2hrs and buy RO water every week. I would definitely test your water more. You’re pretty lightly stocked in my opinion, so I doubt you even NEED to change water weekly. Once your plants get going you’ll need to do it even less. It’s hard for me to identify your plants, but maybe they are slow growers. Are they dying off or just not noticeably growing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 5 minutes ago, OceanTruth said: @ScottEsh Wow, that is some commitment you have for your tanks. I wouldn’t keep fish if I had to drive 2hrs and buy RO water every week. I would definitely test your water more. You’re pretty lightly stocked in my opinion, so I doubt you even NEED to change water weekly. Once your plants get going you’ll need to do it even less. It’s hard for me to identify your plants, but maybe they are slow growers. Are they dying off or just not noticeably growing? Here’s what I have... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 11 minutes ago, DSH OUTDOORS said: I would have to know more about your water to give you a definitive answer on that. I have pretty hard water but in my 75 gallon tank with gravel substrate I am having no issues growing Java fern, annubius, hornwart and water sprite just using easy green, iron and potassium. In my 95 gallon my Vallisneria, amazon sword and other floating plants are growing like weeds with runners going everywhere. That is with a flourite substrate though. What water info do you need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 30 minutes ago, ScottEsh said: I guess because I’m trying to get the water not so brown.... ‘still new to the hobby. So no weekly water changes? That will save me a 2 hr trip to the store to buy 40 gallons of ro water every week. ‘I’m thinking of tearing it down and redoing the substrate with the dirt type I used in my Ram tank and the plants took off.. Here is a tank I just planted and got started 2 weeks ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 Just now, ScottEsh said: Here is a tank I just planted and got started 2 weeks ago And here is my Ram tank that I’m fighting ick in. But the plants are growing insanely.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekjunkie28 Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Everything. Why are you using RO water? That has to be crazy expensive. You probably could have bought several RO units by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 (edited) 48 minutes ago, ScottEsh said: Edited March 16, 2021 by ScottEsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 6 minutes ago, tekjunkie28 said: Everything. Why are you using RO water? That has to be crazy expensive. You probably could have bought several RO units by now. I get it from Meier at .44 a gallon. The water here is crap. Super hard and ph like 12 or higher tons of tds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekjunkie28 Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 A pH of 12?? How?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, tekjunkie28 said: A pH of 12?? How?? Everyone out here refuses to drink city water we all go to local stores and buy bottled water. I’ll do a water test later and post findings from local tap,water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekjunkie28 Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 That's crazy. But if it's healthy alkaline water then I would drink it. It has numerous health benefits as long as it doesn't contain contaminates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 I think your java ferns are buried too deep from the pics. The rhizomes should be exposed, while the roots itself can be buried in the substrate. Java fern is a slow grower so as long as it’s not melting you should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJV Aquatics Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 As mentioned, RO water lacks minerals that plants and fish need. Even with very hard 'liquid rock' water, often a 50/50 mix with RO is all that's required. With that much wood, you'll have excessive tannin's for quite some time. If I was you, I wouldn't use RO water and would do 50% weekly water change followed by a cap or two of flourish comprehensive. You didn't mention your lighting...which can be an issue in a 24" deep tank, especially with brown water. You may need more intensity or a longer duration. I have a 48" Finnex Planted + 24/7 on my 60g in 24/7 mode on a timer from 7am-1am and plants grow well (but no tannins). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 (edited) @MJV Aquatics is spot on. Your RO water plus tannins are totally inhospitable to plants. Tannins make it difficult for light to maintain PAR through your tank depth. Mix your high TDS mineralized water with RO. However, get a very reliable reading first. What can happen is that the tannins will cut through the buffer minerals (RO has _no_ buffer) and the tannins will start to Yo-Yo with pH. You might add crushed coral to your substrate to help add GH / buffer to the water. But this is all why your plants won’t grow. I’m guessing your pH right now is way down near 6.0. How do you get pH 7.4 and hardness? What test are you using? Edited March 16, 2021 by Fish Folk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottEsh Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 45 minutes ago, MJV Aquatics said: As mentioned, RO water lacks minerals that plants and fish need. Even with very hard 'liquid rock' water, often a 50/50 mix with RO is all that's required. With that much wood, you'll have excessive tannin's for quite some time. If I was you, I wouldn't use RO water and would do 50% weekly water change followed by a cap or two of flourish comprehensive. You didn't mention your lighting...which can be an issue in a 24" deep tank, especially with brown water. You may need more intensity or a longer duration. I have a 48" Finnex Planted + 24/7 on my 60g in 24/7 mode on a timer from 7am-1am and plants grow well (but no tannins). The light is a fluval plant 3.0 48-60” it’s set for 12 hrs a day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJV Aquatics Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, ScottEsh said: The light is a fluval plant 3.0 48-60” it’s set for 12 hrs a day Then it would seem the problem is likely water and tannins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDoc Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 1 hour ago, ScottEsh said: ph like 12 or higher 🤔🤯 HOW?!?! Where are you that your city water has a pH of 12 (or higher)?!?! How are you testing that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 I also wonder about this. That seems high enough to be a corrosion issue for pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 In the long term you would be better off buying an RO system rather then buy RO water 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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