BrendaJ Posted January 2, 2013 Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi, I am a fairly novice aquarist and am having trouble keeping the floating plants in my 48 gallon aquarium alive. I have tried frogbit & duckweed. The duckweed never really took hold, but the frogbit seemed to flourish for a few months and then gradually disappeared. I was under the impression that these two types would be easy to grow, so I am baffled as to why they haven't survived. My other aquarium plants are doing well: bacopa, spiral val, sword plant, java fern & cryptocorne. My substrate is laterite. My aquarium is situated near a bright window, and the light is on for 12 hours a day. I'm not sure if it's a fertilizing issue (I don't fertilize), a lighting issue (I have the standard bulb that came with my tank), or if my lemons or cardinals are eating them. I have other fish, but these are the only ones who really ever come up to the surface. I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed, and for any recommendations on alternate floating plants that you feel might be successful in my tank. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullymoto Posted January 2, 2013 Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 If a pant flourishes then does a turn around it tells me that it has depleated the water column of the minerals it needs to grow. you may simply just have to start dosing a fertilizer. If conditions were very wrong to begin with it would never flourish. were that the case you could be looking at a light issue, temperature issue, mineral content issue, co2 issue etc. This is likely what happened to the duckweed - the water was not right for that species. To be successfull for that species you have to replicate its natural habitat. could even be that your not doing enough water changes to replace natural minerals in the edmonton tap water. (you didnt mention your water change habits so im guessing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted January 2, 2013 Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 Let me know if you want more duckweed!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendaJ Posted January 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 If a pant flourishes then does a turn around it tells me that it has depleated the water column of the minerals it needs to grow. you may simply just have to start dosing a fertilizer. If conditions were very wrong to begin with it would never flourish. were that the case you could be looking at a light issue, temperature issue, mineral content issue, co2 issue etc. This is likely what happened to the duckweed - the water was not right for that species. To be successfull for that species you have to replicate its natural habitat. could even be that your not doing enough water changes to replace natural minerals in the edmonton tap water. (you didnt mention your water change habits so im guessing) Thanks cullymoto, your post makes a lot of sense to me. It's true, I wasn't doing enough water changes when the frogbit all died off. This has since changed. It looks like I will need to start fertilizing! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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