Mr Stout wrote:

My planted 29 USgal tank is looking pretty shabby. My Amazon swords have
holes in most of the leaves; the dwarf sag is nearly all gone; my hygro is
completely gone; the cardinal plants are leggy and full of holes; however,
my anubias is doing wonderfully and so is the java moss and java fern. My
question is, what might be happening to my plants?

This tank has been set up for about 1 ½ years now. The water parameters are
great (pH 7.4, KH apx 3º, GH apx 3º, Ammonia 0, NO2 0, NO3 .5 ±).

According to the charts, you have a CO2 level of about 3.6, which is barely
above what it would be without the DIY CO2 setup. A good DIY setup should be
able to give you 20+ppm CO2 in a 29 gallon tank without problems.

If your Nitrate level is indeed 0.5 ppm, this is extremely low, although most
test kits can't give a measurement this low. Are you certain this is correct? If
so, a good target range for Nitrate is 5-10ppm.

Low CO2 and low Nitrate could account for the symptoms you are describing.


I add DYI CO2, flourish iron, and "Seachem®" Equilibrium (to purified
water). I have a Custom Sea Life 50/50 55watt light and 2 -15 watt compact
fluorescents mounted in the hood.


It sounds like you are not dosing traces. Try rereading these sections of the
group FAQ:

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/balance-randall.html
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/