# my anubias is not doing well



## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

My anubias is starting to turn brown/yellow on the end of its leaves and it is planted/nestled in glass beads. I have kept most of the root exposed but covered enough so that it doesn't float. I purchased it in early december

My other compact sword plant(s), which split into two while washing off the gel, has some brown on its leaves. But there is new growth on both plants. I purchased it about a week ago.

So far I have given my tank one dose of Flourish and going to do another dose after a water change tonight. The tank sits near a window with blinds for filtered light. 

how much brown should I allow before removing the leaves? what would help the anubias stay healthier\greener longer?


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Post some current pictures of your tank & the plants.*

What kind of light are you using in the tank? What is the K rating on the bulb?

I would hold off on the nutrients. Anubias grows reallllllllly sloooooooooow. 

Also what size tank do you have? 

What else lives in the tank?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I'd say it's probably your lighting. But we don't have that info to determine anything yet.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Anuibis is very low light.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

What kind of light are you using in the tank? What is the K rating on the bulb?
-_Tank has a central color changing LED module under the center. Only light is from the house window and a 6k kelvin CFL lamp that gets used in the evening. Trying to find an alternative light of some sort that is either small or round or both._

I would hold off on the nutrients. Anubias grows reallllllllly sloooooooooow. 
-_i ended up doing a 100% water change, just adding 1ml of Prime and 1ml of Flourish. Having a 3 gallon makes it hard to reduce the 5ml for 50 gallons of Prime down to the correct amount for a 3 gallon. So I have been using 1ml for the entire 3 gallons._

Also what size tank do you have? 
-_Hawkeye 3 gallon round tank_

What else lives in the tank?
-_1 betta, and 2 compact sword plants along with the 1 anubias_

I was trying to start the cycle in the tank without the fish just using the plants and using Stability. The day after getting Glory the water clouded up so I picked up Clarity and it turned the water a mustard color and within 24 hours it had captured all the crud and settled it on everything. So a 100% water change was done tonight without adding Stability.

Tank is heated to 80F with an adjustable 25W heater


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

anybody have any new thoughts since I posted some info about my tank?


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I'd say it's lighting. How often do you add Flourish? It could also be over-fertilized. 
My anubias grows a new leaf every week and a half or so- not all are slow growing. Mine is getting pretty big and I use 2 ml of Flourish once a week (bc I have other plants) and about 11-12 hours of 6500K a day. 

I honestly never had much luck with "low light" plants before the 6500k light - hornwort, salvinia and java fern died before in my tank even with ferts. Lighting is important for the growth of healthy plants. 

Another thing, is there carbon in the filter you use? Because that would limit how much of the Flourish actually gets used by the plants. 
Do you have a pic? How is it "nestled" in the gravel? The rhizome cannot be buried (the caterpillar shaped thing all the leaves stem out from).


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I'd say it's lighting. How often do you add Flourish? It could also be over-fertilized. 
-_The first 1ml dose was 24 hours before a 100% water change. Then another 1ml when the new water was added. Tank is 3 gallons but closer to 2.5~2.75 gallons with plants, glass beads, etc._

I honestly never had much luck with "low light" plants before the 6500k light - hornwort, salvinia and java fern died before in my tank even with ferts. Lighting is important for the growth of healthy plants. 
-_My current light is decorative only, Red/Yellow/Blue color changing LED's, and it's located under the tank. The more natural light it does get comes through a window that has sheer curtains with slightly turned up blinds. There is a lamp next to the tank with a 6k kelvin CFL that gets used for about 4 hours in the evening._

Another thing, is there carbon in the filter you use? Because that would limit how much of the Flourish actually gets used by the plants.
-_No carbon filter but i recently made my own sponge bio filter using a 1 inch uptube, a pre filter and a 1" pvc end cap along with my old air pump and air stone._

Do you have a pic? How is it "nestled" in the gravel? The rhizome cannot be buried (the caterpillar shaped thing all the leaves stem out from). 
-_I can post a pic later when I get home. There are only a few glass beads covering the rhizome to hold it down. I thought about using a substrate but wanted to try the glass beads as an alternitve since I already had them._


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

*4 hours is not very long for the plants to produce food. And the natural light during the day, is it direct? Without direct or moderately direct sun the plants have no way of producing food. The salvinia I experimentally put in the kitchen window does not receive enough light - though it is natural- and I always find dead leaves. 
*The sponge filter is fine. Carbon would just remove the minerals you need. So no worries there. 
*The glass beads are holding down the rhizome?? Take it out. You can attach the roots (the stringy bits) to a piece of wood or something to hold it down. I bought a dollarstore weighted fish plant, removed all the leaves and tied my anubias to the weight base. The glass beads are otherwise fine- though I don't know for how long with the sword plants you have.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My Anuibus grows so fast.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

*4 hours is not very long for the plants to produce food. And the natural light during the day, is it direct? Without direct or moderately direct sun the plants have no way of producing food. The salvinia I experimentally put in the kitchen window does not receive enough light - though it is natural- and I always find dead leaves.
-During the day the blinds are slightly turned up and there is a sheer curtain. so it is more indirect light i guess. I will open up the blinds and pull the curtain until I get a better tank light.

*The glass beads are holding down the rhizome?? Take it out. You can attach the roots (the stringy bits) to a piece of wood or something to hold it down. I bought a dollarstore weighted fish plant, removed all the leaves and tied my anubias to the weight base. The glass beads are otherwise fine- though I don't know for how long with the sword plants you have.
-OK. I will unbury it and see how I can keep it weighted down. I don't have any decorations in the tank except for the beads, plants and a floating betta log. New idea. I may try and use the base of the old fake plants that came with the tank.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

It would not surprise me if anuibus can survive 4 hour lighting.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

would it be ok to let it float around for a few days until I find something to help hold it down?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You can root it as long as the Rhizomes not buried.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes, you can leave it "free" floating until you get a weight. It doesn't float anyway, the leaves are heavier than a java fern, for example, they will likely stay very close to the bottom. But you won't see any growth probably until the roots can clamp onto something.


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