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Even if you haven’t had much luck so far keeping your aquarium plants alive it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. So don’t despair. By taking a look at the possible causes and sorting things out it will help you to grow a lush planted tank.
Aquarium plants die for a variety of reasons all of which can be remedied in one way or another. So here are the main reasons why plants in an aquarium often don’t survive for long.
- Nutrient Deficiencies In The Water Column
- Nutrient Deficiencies In The Substrate
- Incorrect Tank Lighting
- Unsuitable Tank Temperature
- Irregular Tank Maintenance
- Lack Of Plant Maintenance
- Fish/Shrimp/Snails Eating The Plants
I know that the list above can look a bit ‘accusing’. But I’d like to point out that none of the things on the list above means that you’re a bad fish keeper. It’s just that plants often have different needs from the other tank inhabitants. And understanding their needs is the key to keeping them healthy and lush.
So this article is all about how to identify and remedy the problem that is causing the loss of your aquatic plants.
Aquarium Plants Dying Because Of Nutrient Deficiencies In The Water Column
All aquariums have nutrients in the water. Nutrients occur naturally when you keep fish, shrimp and/or snails in a tank. The simple fact that your tank inhabitants eat and poop is the thing that produces the nutrients in the water column.
Aquarium plants feed off these nutrients and help to turn the dangerous ones into less toxic substances. Which means that having a live planted tank is great for your fish and their tankmates because the plants make their environment healthier.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of your fish and their tankmates, there can be a lack in certain nutrients as far as your plants are concerned. If the water column in your tank is low, or lacking, in a particular nutrient(s) that your plants really need to thrive then the plants are going to suffer and eventually die off.
This is particularly true for aquatic Epiphyte Plants such as Java Moss, Anubias and Bucephalandra that feed mainly through their leaves.
Aquarium Plants Dying Because Of Nutrient Deficiencies In The Substrate
A lot of aquarium plants feed mainly through their root system. Cryptocorynes, Amazon Swords and Dwarf Sagittaria, are good examples of popular root feeding aquarium plants. So being planted in a nutrient rich substrate is important for their survival.
The problem with nutrient rich substrates is that over time the nutrients are used up by the plants and the substrate then becomes inert. So you’re left with a substrate that is as low in plant nutrients as sand is. Which is basically zero.
And if there are no nutrients for your root feeding plants to use they will starve and die off.
Solving A Plant Nutrient Deficiency In An Aquarium
To solve a nutrient deficiency problem in your aquarium the simple answer is to add nutrients to the water column and/or the substrate depending on which type of plants you keep. But identifying which nutrients you need to add to solve the issue takes a little detective work.
The YouTube video link below is by Cory at Aquarium Co-Op. In the video Cory uses an easy to read diagram, and his longstanding personal experience, to explain the effects of different nutrient deficiencies in aquatic plants. And, most importantly, he gives good advice about how to put things right.
Incorrect Lighting For Aquarium Plants
Different kinds of aquarium plants have different lighting needs. Some plants need very little light to survive and others need several hours of light each day to flourish. So making sure you know how much light your preferred plants need before you buy them is important. It’s a simple case of doing a little research before you buy your aquarium plants to give them the best chance of survival.
If you just buy the plants that you like the look of without thinking about their lighting needs you run the risk of losing at least some of them. Which can be disheartening when you want your aquarium to look good. And it can also become expensive if you have to keep buying new plants.
So if you’re having a problem keeping the plants in your aquarium alive lighting is another thing to consider when trying to fix the problem.
Unsuitable Tank Temperature For Your Aquarium Plants
Just like any of the fish, shrimp or snails you keep, plants do better in certain temperature ranges. You wouldn’t keep a Goldfish in a tropical tank or a tropical plant in a cold water tank. It just wouldn’t work.
If your plants keep dying off it’s worth looking into what temperature range they do best in. And if your tank temperature isn’t suitable for keeping them at their best you can adjust it. Be careful though. You need to make sure that any temperature changes are suitable for your other tank inhabitants too. It’s no good saving your plants if it means that you end up losing your fish, shrimp and/or snails. It would be better to get some different types of plants that can live in your original tank setup.
Tip: If you’re going to change the temperature in your aquarium it’s best to do it gradually over several hours, or even days, to avoid shocking your fish, shrimp and/or snails. Abrupt changes can be deadly.
Irregular Tank Maintenance And Aquarium Plants
Anyone who keeps an aquarium knows that they have to carry out regular tank maintenance. From partial water changes and removing algae, through to full tank maintenance and problem solving, it’s all part of the aquarium hobby.
Regular tank maintenance isn’t just important for your livestock it’s important to your aquarium plants too. A dirty tank is just as deadly to plants as it it to everyone else in the tank. So keeping on top of your maintenance schedule makes a positive difference all round.
I know that most of us have had to let things slide from time to time because of life’s pressures. But the more regular we can keep things, even with the occasional blip, the better.
Lack Of Aquarium Plant Maintenance
Aquarium plants, just like garden plants, need regular maintenance. Trimming off dead leaves, thinning out, and general pruning, are just as important in an aquarium as it is in our yards and gardens.
Even if you have fish, shrimp and/or snails that will eat decaying leaves it doesn’t mean that you can leave the ‘gardening’ up to them. You still need to monitor the plants and carry out any maintenance that needs to be done before things get out of control. Regular trimming and removal of dead leaves for example, encourages new healthy growth. Which means that your aquatic plants will look good and live for longer.
A little time and attention can make all the difference to whether your plants thrive or wither away.
Fish/Shrimp/Snails Eating Aquarium Plants
Another cause of aquarium plants dying is that the tank inhabitants are eating them to destruction. Whether you keep fish, shrimp or snails, or a combination of these in a tank, it’s possible that some, or all of them, are feasting on your aquarium plants.
It’s worth checking out whether any, or all, of your tank inhabitants have a taste for plants. And if they do are there plants that they won’t eat? Because some may only eat certain ones and leave others alone. In which case you can rethink what plants to replace the dead ones with so you can still have a lush planted aquarium without worry.
For example, both Goldfish and Oscars have a reputation for eating any aquarium plant. Rabbit Snails (article link) on the other hand, often eat Java Fern but don’t usually eat other aquarium plants. And most freshwater aquarium shrimp won’t eat the plants unless there isn’t enough food.
However, different fish keepers’ experiences with plant eating tank inhabitants can vary quite a bit. But it’s still worth checking out the general consensus if you think that your plants are being eaten rather than just dying off. And it’s important to watch what’s going on in your tank. You may be able to spot the culprit when it comes to your plants being munched on.
New Aquarium Plants Often Melt
Another valid point about aquarium plants is that they often ‘melt’. The reason for this is that a lot of plants that are destined to be added to a tank are actually grown out of water with only their roots submerged. Then we submerge them completely in our fish tanks and they have to adapt to their new environment.
Unfortunately, part of the adapting process means that they lose their bigger/outer leaves. Which makes them look as if they have died off. Sadly they do die off completely sometimes because they can’t adapt to being fully under water. But for the most part they only die back into their root system for a time. Then they come back and develop into healthy aquatic plants.
So it’s worth giving your new plants a chance to come back. If after several weeks they haven’t developed any new foliage, have completely disappeared, or are obviously rotting, you will have to start again.
Tip: When you buy new aquatic plants inspect them carefully and choose the healthiest ones on offer. That way you’ll have a better chance of them surviving even if they melt a bit at the start.
Final Note – Don’t Give Up!
Finding out why your aquarium plants keep dying involves a little ‘detective work’ on your part. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a complicated thing or that you will never be able to have a planted tank. I hope that the points I’ve gone through above will help you to sort out your plant problems and you go on to have a lush planted aquarium.
