lighting suggestion for low tech plants

[matt2426]

I bought a bunch of anubias and java fern and i believe the lights i have might be an issue ive tried keeping anubias and java fern on and off for about a year and always have some kind of defencities. I've tried ferts I've adjusted the lights. I don't know if there too strong or not strong enough was wondering what you guys use for lighting for low tech plants i have two of the aquactic life edge leds 36 inches on my 125 gallon tank. They look good but don't know if my plants like them was wondering what you guys use. Maybe I should look at other lighting options Thanks alot. Heres a link to the fixtures i use.https://aquaticlife.com/products/aqu...light-fixtures

[danotaylor]

What is you pH Matt? No matter what nutrients are available, in pH >7.5 (7 really) nutrient lock out occurs. When I lived in Toledo my tap water was 7.8-8.2 and no matter what I did I could not grow plants. Val is a plant that does well in higher pH water but it is one of very few...

[planter]

What kind of deficiencies? I mean are the leafs turning yellow glassy twisted? I might be wrong but that fixture might be geared for saltwater applications. It's strong light.

My ph sits around 7.6 out of the tap and in the tank before co2 I don't have any issues growing those plants

[matt2426]

What is you pH Matt? No matter what nutrients are available, in pH >7.5 (7 really) nutrient lock out occurs. When I lived in Toledo my tap water was 7.8-8.2 and no matter what I did I could not grow plants. Val is a plant that does well in higher pH water but it is one of very few...

ya I have a high ph of 8.2 so nothing i can do unless i start playing with ph then. Im really not sure i want to start doing that especially in my display tank. how do you adjust ph just do 50 percent RO to 50 of tap that your going to change out? I usually do 40 percent water changes like 3 times a week give or take I have all adult fish.

[matt2426]

What kind of deficiencies? I mean are the leafs turning yellow glassy twisted? I might be wrong but that fixture might be geared for saltwater applications. It's strong light.

My ph sits around 7.6 out of the tap and in the tank before co2 I don't have any issues growing those plants

It varies mainly i get yellow leaves that end up turing brown and dying some times i get leaves that just fall apart and on the java fern i get it where the leaves turn a really pale and brown and end up dying. There is a light for reef tank the version i have is not the reef led i have the regular one ill send a different link.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquatic-Lif...0AAOSwzJ5XfUz2

[danotaylor]

By "before CO2" do you mean you use CO2 injection?
Does anyone who uses CO2 and have issues growing plants? I doubt it. During injection CO2 would drop your pH into a range where plants can take up nutrients for sure.

[planter]

It varies mainly i get yellow leaves that end up turing brown and dying some times i get leaves that just fall apart and on the java fern i get it where the leaves turn a really pale and brown and end up dying. There is a light for reef tank the version i have is not the reef led i have the regular one ill send a different link.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquatic-Lif...0AAOSwzJ5XfUz2

8.2 is really high you must use a water softener. If that's the case can you bypass the softener? Ferns and anubias are known to be able to handle really hardwater.

Thank you for the link I didn't realize there was a freshwater version. Those plants don't need much light and I imagine that fixture is able give those plants sufficient light. You are also dosing ferts which again with these plants you really shouldn't have much of a nutrient problem if your dosing.

But first I'd try bypassing the softener before I did anything else. These plants respond slowly so I wouldn't expect an immediate change. I'm not sure if that's the problem but that's where I would start,

[matt2426]

8.2 is really high you must use a water softener. If that's the case can you bypass the softener? Ferns and anubias are known to be able to handle really hardwater.

Thank you for the link I didn't realize there was a freshwater version. Those plants don't need much light and I imagine that fixture is able give those plants sufficient light. You are also dosing ferts which again with these plants you really shouldn't have much of a nutrient problem if your dosing.

But first I'd try bypassing the softener before I did anything else. These plants respond slowly so I wouldn't expect an immediate change. I'm not sure if that's the problem but that's where I would start,

I dont have a softener i just have really hard water. I've checked around my township and asked a few other people in my area that keep fish tanks and they confirmed that there ph is also really high in the 8s i have well water .but my Discus thrive in it never had any issues raising discus in it but plants not so much. so you don't think a change of light would do anything. I really like the lights i have but it doesn't sound like new lights is the answer.

[planter]

Well if you don't have a softener and you can try to raise the plants close to the waters surface closer to the light if you feel the lights are not strong enough. If your Gh and KH are really high then then yes nutrient lock as danotaylor suggested is a possibility. If that's the case then using a 50/50 mix with RO might solve the problem

[planter]

By "before CO2" do you mean you use CO2 injection?
Does anyone who uses CO2 and have issues growing plants? I doubt it. During injection CO2 would drop your pH into a range where plants can take up nutrients for sure.

Yes Co2 helps but I've grown many low light plants in tanks with no co2 in the past in the same water without these problems

[danotaylor]

I'm happy you were able to succeed at 7.6. I wish everyone could, myself included, but 8.2 is a whole different story...

[bluelagoon]

@ planter, you are at the very high end where most plants can survive. 8.2 is way too high for plants. The optimum ph is 5.5-7.

[LizStreithorst]

Is the air clean enough where you live that you could collect rain water? RO is so wasteful and so costly.