Plants + Activated Carbon = Dead plants?

Question

I have a fish tank with anacharis under a fluorescent 15 watt lamp The plants dont look that good. I bought fertilizer yesterday and so far I havent seen any improvement. Do you think that the activated carbon inside my power filter is sucking all the nutrients + the fertilizer out of the water thus starving my plants?

I don't get algae in my tank and I've had it for more than a year.

I have goldfish and the water is generally room temp. or cold.

Answer 1

It's hard to say what the problem might be without knowing more about your tank.

To begin with, you mention that you have a 15 watt lamp, but what's the size of your tank? Given that you should have at least 3 watts per gallon for "high" lighting, is it a 5 gallon tank? If so, that might be okay. If it's a 55 gallon, you're seriously under the amount of wattage you need.

Along with the wattage, what's the spectrum? Plants use a little light from all wavelengths, but need more in the 450-500 and 680-700 namometer range for photosynthesis (red and blue colors). If tour fluorescents produce light mostly in other wavelengths, it doesn't do your plants any good no matter how high the wattage.

How heavily stocked is the tank? If you have enough fish, they will be providing most of the nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide needed by your plants already, but there are trace elements like iron which is usually deficient in aquaria that would be needed. If the tank is heavily planted, you may need to supplement CO2 as well (also, if the tank is heavily planted, light may not reach lower leaves, and these will die).

At any rate, a day isn't enough time to see any recovery of the plants from fertilizer - this is something you may only see in new growth. It's possible that the carbon would be adsorbing some of the fertilizer ingredients, especially elements that are metals like iron. If you don't have a specific need for the carbon (removing medication, tannins from driftwood, etc.) it may be better to leave it out for now.

Answer 2

It has nothing to do with the filter media (the carbon). It is more likely that the Anacharis (a cold water plant) is rotting in water that is too warm. Do you have fish in the tank? The fish will provide more than enough nutrients for the plants (you don't need fertilizer, it is just a supplement for more nutrient-hungry plants). Just be patient and give the Anacharis a chance. Email me if you have any questions.

Nosoop4u

Answer 3

you can't expect a fertilizer to work in a period of 1 day, that's impossible
you need to keep your water clean, that means 25% weekly partial waterchanges with a gravelsiphon

The carbon has nothing to do with it

Give the fertilizer time to work, at least a week before you will see any changes and improvements

Also leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights

you could als give hornwort and cabomba plants a try


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 4

No way on the carbon. Don't put ferelizer in the water. You'll just get algae from the excess iron. You only need fertelizer if your plants suck all the nutrients out of the water. Unless you can see bubbles rolling off of your plants from the intense respiration they're undergoing, then they're not respirating enough to suck all the nutrients out of the water. I guanratee you this isn't happening under 15 watts of light.

You need more co2 or more light for anything to grow in your tank. 15 watts is not enough for anything but java moss. Try another light bulb & some flourish excell liquid carbon.

Anacharis also benifits from a little bit of clalcium in the water. a small handfull of crushed coral will do this well.