Sick, stressed and dying plants in an aquarium commonly happen because of various reasons. Bad quality of water, wrong parameters or too low levels of CO2 can be the cause. Also absence of light commonly causes that.
Without enough light, plants seem weak and thin with small leaves, and the bottom parts later empty. Problems with food are also commonly happening causes.
Common Problems and Fixes for Aquarium Plants
Plants require micronutrients, so minerals and vitamins. They do not lack for healthy growth and good immunity of all living creatures. In an aquarium lack occasionally one of them or several.
Between commonly lacking is iron, calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. When plants suffer because of nutrient absence or bad balance, growth gets smaller or they show signs of dying. That usually meets with excessive growth of algae.
Absence of nitrogen is very common. New leaves grow weak, during low leaves yellow or bleach. A bit of plants entirely yellows, and old leaves become yellower than the young.
Old growth perishes for new growth. New leaves can be little and curled, growth slows a lot. Some species even redden.
For help, adding Potassium Nitrate is useful. Also phosphorus or PO4 commonly lacks in dose. Plants with good phosphorus are stronger and have nice color.
Potassium matters a lot for plant metabolism, photosynthesis and protein-product. It moves freely inside the plant, to avoid absence. If fertilizer does not have it, problems come.
One sign is little holes in leaves. Calcium problems commonly appear in soft water with low minerals. Here new leaves grow twisted or wrinkled, and fresh shoots wither and die.
Even if calcium is in water, it must be usable for plants. Occasionally leaves grow weak, yellow or brown. They even seem to not produce right color, size or fullness.
