37 It grew for a while & then died/still grows, but slower.
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Plants FAQ, by multiple authors.
37 It grew for a while & then died/still grows, but slower.
This is by far the most common problem beginners experience, and has
several different causes.
1. Plants can store some nutrients and trace elements, using them
later. When they come from the greenhouse, they are fully stocked.
But after a month or more, if you do not supply them with a
balance of nutrients they take what's missing from their stock.
When the stock's gone, the plant dies.
2. Most potted plants are grown emersed (hydroponically) in
greenhouses, and are used to growing in very high light (i.e.
filtered sunlight) and with high levels of nutrients, and must
acclimate to aquarium conditions. First, they'll lose the old
leaves which were growing out of the water and produce new leaves
that have a different shape and firmness. Secondly, as they
acclimate to the lower light and nutrient levels their growth rate
will temporarily slow down.
While potted plants ship well, this may not be true for non-potted
plants. They may have been stressed by passing through many hands
from grower or collector to wholesaler to retailer, so they may
not be in optimum condition when you acquire them. The non-potted
plants were most likely grown underwater, but also outdoors under
filtered sunlight, so they also must acclimate to the aquarium
conditions.
3. The plant might not be a true aquatic plant. Many stores pass off
land plants as aquatics (see our BLACKLIST). These plants can
manage to stay alive for a month or more, but eventually succumb.
4. Some plants go into hibernation. Aponogeton bulbs will lose all
their leaves, at which point they should be removed from the tank
and kept in cold water for a few months. Then they can be
replanted and will send out new leaves.
5. Cryptocorynes will "melt" all their leaves on a change in water
chemistry. Don't despair, eventually they will send out new
leaves.
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