explosive growth, pH crash, what happened?

Hi,

i've had a planted tank for about 3 years now. over the past year, most of
my plants died off (ozelot, crypts, etc), and the two remaining amazon
swords were looking pretty wan, and i had expced it to completely die off
leaving the tank just with anubius and java fern. since only the low-lights
are doing well, I hadn't renewed the lights either, and only fertilized once
in a blue moon (slow growth plants only)

however, in the past 2 months, the almost-dying amazon started to revive
itself, and basically went from a 4" puny, sad-looking plants to a 15"
bushy, healthy plants. to support its unexplained growth, I have increased
the fertilizer dosing. now the java ferns have leaves about 7inches long
and 1.5in wide, and is growing like a weed too.

I still don't understand what happened that caused the sword plants to
experience such amazing revival. I have not done much in the tank (37G
tall, 55W, fish, UGF, HOT Magnum) other than periodic water changes, and
only increased fertilizing/excel after it became apparent that the swords
were going through some sort of a revival. of course, this renewed growth
caused a pH crash to 6.0 since my water change cycle was no longer frequent
enough (my tank is very soft.. usually is like kH=2 or so.. now it's near
zero. I guess the plants ate up all the minerals), so I'm in the middle of
trying to stabilize it, but that's another story.

does anyone have any clue what may have changed in the tank to cause this
incredible change?

linda

LM wrote:
Hi,

i've had a planted tank for about 3 years now. over the past year,
most of
my plants died off (ozelot, crypts, etc), and the two remaining
amazon
swords were looking pretty wan, and i had expced it to completely die
off
leaving the tank just with anubius and java fern. since only the
low-lights
are doing well, I hadn't renewed the lights either, and only
fertilized once
in a blue moon (slow growth plants only)

however, in the past 2 months, the almost-dying amazon started to
revive
itself, and basically went from a 4" puny, sad-looking plants to a
15"
bushy, healthy plants. to support its unexplained growth, I have
increased
the fertilizer dosing. now the java ferns have leaves about 7inches
long
and 1.5in wide, and is growing like a weed too.

I still don't understand what happened that caused the sword plants
to
experience such amazing revival. I have not done much in the tank
(37G
tall, 55W, fish, UGF, HOT Magnum) other than periodic water changes,
and
only increased fertilizing/excel after it became apparent that the
swords
were going through some sort of a revival. of course, this renewed
growth
caused a pH crash to 6.0 since my water change cycle was no longer
frequent
enough (my tank is very soft.. usually is like kH=2 or so.. now it's
near
zero. I guess the plants ate up all the minerals), so I'm in the
middle of
trying to stabilize it, but that's another story.

does anyone have any clue what may have changed in the tank to cause
this
incredible change?

linda

I've got a theory, here goes...

A long time ago in a place far, far away... oops, wrong story.

Okay, What I think caused the incredible change was nature trying to
survive. The plants slowly died off from lack of nutrition and
neglect. Only the strongest survived. Then, when the competition for
nutrients was less, the survivor started to perk up. In addition, the
decaying mass of the dead plants added to the available nutrition for
the survivor. However, the plant also needed minerals, and depleted
those in the tank. With depleted minreals, and decaying plant matter
causing an acidic condition, your pH dropped precipitously.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it,
Dr. steve

Hmmmm, I think I saw an episode of CSI that went something like that.

but the story didn't say anything about bugs burrowing in the decay!

linda

"spiral_72" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hmmmm, I think I saw an episode of CSI that went something like that.

alas.. I guess I need to do some pruning... and more frequent water change!

linda
"steve" wrote in message
oups.com...

LM wrote:
Hi,

i've had a planted tank for about 3 years now. over the past year,
most of
my plants died off (ozelot, crypts, etc), and the two remaining
amazon
swords were looking pretty wan, and i had expced it to completely die
off
leaving the tank just with anubius and java fern. since only the
low-lights
are doing well, I hadn't renewed the lights either, and only
fertilized once
in a blue moon (slow growth plants only)

however, in the past 2 months, the almost-dying amazon started to
revive
itself, and basically went from a 4" puny, sad-looking plants to a
15"
bushy, healthy plants. to support its unexplained growth, I have
increased
the fertilizer dosing. now the java ferns have leaves about 7inches
long
and 1.5in wide, and is growing like a weed too.

I still don't understand what happened that caused the sword plants
to
experience such amazing revival. I have not done much in the tank
(37G
tall, 55W, fish, UGF, HOT Magnum) other than periodic water changes,
and
only increased fertilizing/excel after it became apparent that the
swords
were going through some sort of a revival. of course, this renewed
growth
caused a pH crash to 6.0 since my water change cycle was no longer
frequent
enough (my tank is very soft.. usually is like kH=2 or so.. now it's
near
zero. I guess the plants ate up all the minerals), so I'm in the
middle of
trying to stabilize it, but that's another story.

does anyone have any clue what may have changed in the tank to cause
this
incredible change?

linda

I've got a theory, here goes...

A long time ago in a place far, far away... oops, wrong story.

Okay, What I think caused the incredible change was nature trying to
survive. The plants slowly died off from lack of nutrition and
neglect. Only the strongest survived. Then, when the competition for
nutrients was less, the survivor started to perk up. In addition, the
decaying mass of the dead plants added to the available nutrition for
the survivor. However, the plant also needed minerals, and depleted
those in the tank. With depleted minreals, and decaying plant matter
causing an acidic condition, your pH dropped precipitously.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it,
Dr. steve

your story is perfect. that should be it. nature will find its way.

"LM" wrote in message
...
alas.. I guess I need to do some pruning... and more frequent water
change!

linda
"steve" wrote in message
oups.com...

LM wrote:
Hi,

i've had a planted tank for about 3 years now. over the past year,
most of
my plants died off (ozelot, crypts, etc), and the two remaining
amazon
swords were looking pretty wan, and i had expced it to completely die
off
leaving the tank just with anubius and java fern. since only the
low-lights
are doing well, I hadn't renewed the lights either, and only
fertilized once
in a blue moon (slow growth plants only)

however, in the past 2 months, the almost-dying amazon started to
revive
itself, and basically went from a 4" puny, sad-looking plants to a
15"
bushy, healthy plants. to support its unexplained growth, I have
increased
the fertilizer dosing. now the java ferns have leaves about 7inches
long
and 1.5in wide, and is growing like a weed too.

I still don't understand what happened that caused the sword plants
to
experience such amazing revival. I have not done much in the tank
(37G
tall, 55W, fish, UGF, HOT Magnum) other than periodic water changes,
and
only increased fertilizing/excel after it became apparent that the
swords
were going through some sort of a revival. of course, this renewed
growth
caused a pH crash to 6.0 since my water change cycle was no longer
frequent
enough (my tank is very soft.. usually is like kH=2 or so.. now it's
near
zero. I guess the plants ate up all the minerals), so I'm in the
middle of
trying to stabilize it, but that's another story.

does anyone have any clue what may have changed in the tank to cause
this
incredible change?

linda

I've got a theory, here goes...

A long time ago in a place far, far away... oops, wrong story.

Okay, What I think caused the incredible change was nature trying to
survive. The plants slowly died off from lack of nutrition and
neglect. Only the strongest survived. Then, when the competition for
nutrients was less, the survivor started to perk up. In addition, the
decaying mass of the dead plants added to the available nutrition for
the survivor. However, the plant also needed minerals, and depleted
those in the tank. With depleted minreals, and decaying plant matter
causing an acidic condition, your pH dropped precipitously.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it,
Dr. steve