# Plants dying



## Silentrevolt (Sep 7, 2015)

So, this is my first time owning a betta fish and having a planted tank. I've noticed that some of my plants turn brown and mushy, and some have slight white fuzz on them. 

The things that I figured might be causing it is not enough CO2, which it turns out I'm supposed to give out daily. I'm not sure what the white fuzz is, it could be an algae. My betta does not seemed to be affected by it. 

I've heard that aquarium salt could help, but I also wonder if there is more I can do. 

My tank is a five gallon starter tank from topfin. 

The temperature ranges from 76-78 degrees Fahrenheit. 

All I have for the bottom is gravel, although I wonder if I should add some plant substrate. I do have some liquid nutrients and whatnot for the plants. I believe it's called flourish. 

I do aa one gallon water change once a week. 

Also, my plants are dwarf hairgrass, water wisteria, and temple compacta.


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## MettaBettaKnight (Oct 25, 2015)

I'm fairly new to the whole live plant thing as well.. I've already had all my floating plants die off and I know why.. no water circulation, even though I was liquid dosing.

You said you have Flourish? well that ain't enough. Flourish consists of only macro nutrients you also need the micro, especially (K)potassium. when plants turn all yellow and then brown and melt away it's usually because they lack 'K'. 

I would advise you redo your tank and add some aquasoil or something underneath your gravel and dose micro nutrients too. Flourish Trace and Potassium for instance. for the CO2, you can dose that in liquid form as well with Flourish Excel or you can run pressurized CO2 gas, though that might be overkill with a 5gal. 

Btw, I read that dwarf hairgrass is not a beginners' plant.. it needs a lot of light and CO2.


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## LittleStar (Oct 2, 2015)

Hi there, I would remove it all at once. It could be mold and that will spread to your betta friend. Good luck and prayers are with you : )


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## Silentrevolt (Sep 7, 2015)

MettaBettaKnight said:


> I'm fairly new to the whole live plant thing as well.. I've already had all my floating plants die off and I know why.. no water circulation, even though I was liquid dosing.
> 
> You said you have Flourish? well that ain't enough. Flourish consists of only macro nutrients you also need the micro, especially (K)potassium. when plants turn all yellow and then brown and melt away it's usually because they lack 'K'.
> 
> ...


I got liquid CO2, which I've found has helped. 

I know draw hairgrass isn't a beginners' plant, but I got it just to see how well it will fare. It doesn't seem too bad compared to the other plants in terms of not dying. 

I'm planning on getting so soil. 

How should I redo my tank? Like what should I do with my fish during that time?


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## MettaBettaKnight (Oct 25, 2015)

Ok, sounds good. I hope your tank does better this time around after your redo. As for your Betta just put him in a plastic bucket or glass salad bowl along with the surviving plants and the heater, he'll be fine.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Photos would help but if the plants are new (1 month or newer). You most likely bought plants that originally grew emersed (above water). Most nurseries grow them this way as they grow faster, there's no algae or snails. But when put under water they can melt a bit from the transition. Remove mushy parts but leave any firm stem or undamaged leaves in. They should grow new leaves within a few weeks adapted for underwater life. I'm not sure about aquarium salt with those plants. I know anubias, swords, and marimo can tolerate a bit of salinity but I think some species don't. These are fresh water plants after all, they're not brackish.


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## sylveon (Aug 12, 2014)

What kind of lighting do you have? What size tank? A basic rule for a planted tank is as follows: CO2, light, water flow (oxygen), and nutrients must be in a rough balance for your plants to grow and flourish. If one of these is too out of sync you will start to battle some serious algae. And that's no fun! Dwarf hairgrass is a plant that requires high lighting. And to successfully have high lighting on your tank, you will need more CO2 than Excel and your fish can provide. It also means you will have to start dosing macro nutrients as well as micros, as your fish won't be able to provide enough for the amount of light you're putting in. 

A DIY CO2 injection should be okay for a smaller tank. It's inexpensive and very easy to make with a few simple items. There are tutorials for this all over the place. 

Macros consist of N, P, and K (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). You can get each of these separately in a dry form and dose that into the tank directly, or you can get them premixed in water (which is pricier but easier to dose - Seachem sells these). Flourish is a micro nutrient mix, which you already have, so that's good. Plantex CSM+B is another good micro one.

If you're going with a high light, high planted tank, I recommend fertilizing according to Tom Barr's EI dosing. It's a rough guide that makes sure your plants are getting all the nutrients they need. A quick google search will give you the amounts you need to dose.

Good luck to you! Dwarf hairgrass is a beautiful plant and your betta will absolutely love it. I hope you can have it flourishing!


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## MettaBettaKnight (Oct 25, 2015)

Hi there again, this might help you:
http://www.theaquaticplantsociety.org/nilocg-aquatics-dry-and-liquid-fertilizer/

I was browsing google looking for some NPK all-in-one ferts and came upon that seller. I think I'll be buying those two bottles soon. Should make things much more simpler for me.


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