STOP Killing Your Aquarium Plants | 10 Easy Mistakes to Avoid

I LOVE aquarium plants, but I personally find them to be harder to take care of than fish. So, if you have a black thumb like me, let me share all the mistakes I’ve made so you can avoid them.
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#girltalksfish #plantedtank #plantedaquarium
0:00 How to not kill aquarium plants
0:19 Mistake #1
0:36 Mistake #2
0:57 Mistake #3
1:16 Mistake #4
1:40 Mistake #5
2:11 Mistake #6
2:31 Mistake #7
2:47 Mistake #8
3:38 Mistake #9
4:14 Mistake #10

[@GirlTalksFish]

*What past mistakes have you made that you wish beginner plant keepers knew about?*

[@garg4531]

When I bought my first aquatic plants I didn’t realize there were two main types: root feeders and column feeders So the rooted plants I got didn’t last too long…

[@Noval01rd]

Ask the shopkeeper which plants actually work in your aquarium and with the fish you have.. don't just go on picking any plants.

[@easy_fishkeeping.]

I think everyone should research well about the plant they're getting and of course research about how to keep them happy and healthy!

[@jeanettewilson3195]

In your videos if you could spell these plants out for us that would be amazing because I just try to look up one of them and I can't spell worth a s*** and I can't find it.

[@GirlTalksFish]

@@jeanettewilson3195 Check out the closed captions/subtitles because I think I corrected the spelling for most of them! 👍

[@jeremyfrost2636]

As someone who is just starting to transition from fake plants to live ones, this was a super helpful video that I'm probably gonna wind up referring back to often. Thank you.

[@Itou_san]

For my first tanks I had slow easy growing plants like Anubias that couldn’t really fight with algae when it came so I mainly recommend a fast growing plant that is easy to clean with a tube like hair grass with the right amount of light and nutrients from my past experience with plants

[@angiebear8727]

Yes this is a good tip. Did the same. Now I always use a good amount of fast growing stem plants when starting a tank. Helps so much with algae.

[@Handygrrl]

Bolted out of my chair and stuck a root tab next to my tiger lily 😅 and then finished the video....

[@Handygrrl]

As for mistakes, I would say I started with the wrong substrate

[@thefishpharm]

I have made every single one of these mistakes-- SO helpful!! This is one of the best plant videos I have ever seen. THANK YOU!

[@c-rhat]

Great advice on the stem plants! I have been struggling with “stem rot” on my Brazilian Pennywort. Absolutely love the look of the plant so going to try your floating method👍🌿

[@marksguitars5617]

great info! I have the black thumb also, finally getting hair algae under control and my plants are looking a little happier!

[@jonrenzarmada9781]

I'm looking forward for this video. 😊😊 Been having some problems with my aquarium plants lately 🤔🤔

[@SuperBoppy]

Great tip on stem plants. I never had success with them. I will have to try that floating technique.

[@elr5475]

This is soo helpful! Thank you!!

[@KamiInValhalla]

Really needed this. Thanks

[@fishtroverts]

Even with several tanks full of plants, I still learned so much in this video!

[@melissazhang390]

Hi. Excellent info on aquatic plants care. Do check if the betta at 2:12 is okay, it was displaying signs of illness.

[@joshkdavis2631]

A small trick I did with my sponge filter in nano tank to reduce the flow from the bubbles is to take a small piece of extra airline tubing, cut a 5” piece off and melt the ends together to make a small circle, than put the airline tubing for filter through that and let it float at the top. It contains the bubbles and reduces the flow and disturbances at the water line. Worked great for me and my red rooters are growing wonderfully! Love your videos!! Thanks for all the great info 😊

[@PurpleWolfLego]

Great video and very informative! Now I know why my emersed s reopens is melting! Thank you!

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Very informative video 👍😊 thank you

[@ComedicCats]

I really enjoyed this one. Brilliant video!

[@bokunochannel84207]

awesome 👍 this video solve my worries about starting aquascape

[@alide1553]

Thank you for this video…I’ve been going through with my anubias butterfly plants.❤️

[@retro6652]

Thanks for the vid! I am literally in the middle of trying to get potassium levels back up in my tanks beacuse the java ferns are doing the exact same thing. Like you, the EZ Green just wasn't enough and now I'm having to do a Seachem supplement. Hopefully they will reverse course!

[@bubblerings]

Liked!! Your floating the (emersed grown) stem plants is a top notch tip!! Thx!! 🍀😁🌈

[@jeffcarpenter6306]

Great Video! Your last tip is what I have happening to my fern. I will get some easy green. Thank you!

[@aniketsrivastava1870]

You got something more easier than Java fern please tell me ??

[@wisdomSP]

Sweet... Thanks!

[@Brawler.1588]

Your videos are great and very helpful. I have a java fern, java narrow leaf, and some anubias plants all above the subtrate. I was looking at getting the Easy Green All-in-One Fertilizer from aquarium co-op but not sure what it does to the tank besides adding more nitrates. It says 1 squirt a week but how do i know when something is wrong when testing with a test kit. Any extra information will be greatly appreciated.

[@EveeLover]

Thank you so much! I'm new to aquariums and trying to keep my aquarium plants alive :p

[@georgeballentine1045]

Good information

[@MyTnb]

I also have a black thumb- would the fertilizer help all the plants? I do have a Java fern but also Anubis and floaters- I just want to make sure it wouldn’t hurt the rest of the plants or the fish. Great video

[@BleuSkiddew]

One huge mistake when making a natural planted tank is only using gravel or sand without using a good mix of nutrient rich soil underneath. Once the tank became balanced and I was able to cultivate a healthy microbiome within the substrate the tank would run itself. I even went a step further by introducing and cultivating some wild caught aquatic invertebrates from my local bodies of water which mainly feed on decaying leaf litter which is easy to collect. The fish definitely enjoy eating the little invertebrates and so I was able to cut feedings from daily to about 2-4 times a week.

[@andrewkelford128]

Thankyou so much. I've been killing Java fern for years and never knew why,

[@fannymcfee69]

Honestly this is amazing advice! I have 4 tanks that have deficiencies now I know the reasons for all of them! Thank you! Also what would you recommend if you can’t get easy green?

[@RJsFishes]

Seachem flourish is a great fertiliser! I too can’t get easy green so I use that and it works just fine.

[@buhbam55]

Thrive is a good one also

[@VuHoang-kb3pn]

What kind of potassium supplement do you use? I also get brown leaves on my Javas, even using the easy green.

[@NarrowboatJourneys]

My java ferns are going black. I bought some trace element fertiliser today that supplies potassium, iron, boron. Hopefully it will help? They seem to be very slow growing though so it may be some time before I see results...?

[@darrylmoore5847]

Very nice video

[@evannorcom1925]

Thanks!

[@user-wc9go7we6g]

I’ve enjoyed so many of your videos. I have my first nano tank with good water parameters after a month or so. Just added snails and I hope to add a betta soon. I have some red root floaters now that I hope survive. I do have brown algae but I’m not fretting it too much. I wish there was more info on how often to do root tabs. I know it depends on conditions but maybe a general idea.

[@laurabustos6560]

Most of the root tabs have directions on every X amount of months to replace/ add. But if you have mainly floating plants or ferns/ moss, you'd be better off with liquid fertilizer. You really only need root tabs if you have heavy root feeding plants.

[@user-wc9go7we6g]

Thank you so much. I do have both….root tabs and liquid fertilizer (from aquarium coop). I didn’t realize the instructions were on the bottle.

[@laurabustos6560]

@@user-wc9go7we6g also, make sure not to overdo the ferts. If you're using aqua soil you prob only need whatever the lighter dose is. I have shrimp in all my tanks so I half dose everything to avoid any health issues because they're a bit more susceptible to metal poisoning. So for ex my root tabs are supposedly shrimp safe and directions are place one every 6 inches in a grid where you'll be planting root feeders. I put one about every 8-12 inches. And I half dose all liquids as well. If it says one pump per 10 gallons, I do a pump per 20 gallons. I have floating plants, ferns, moss, stems and carpeting plants heavily planted in all my tanks growing well without c02 and with minimal fertilizer. So under dose rather than over is my own personal philosophy! Wishing you much luck with your tank!! Be careful with Multiple Tank Syndrome, I was out of the hobby for 15 years while raising my son, just didn't have time, but since I started again I've gone from one 10g to 6 nano tanks in less than a year!!🤣✌️

[@user-wc9go7we6g]

Thank you so much for the info. I only have one 6 gallon right now and I did gravel only. I have good water parameters and only snails at the moment with some plants and floating plants. But soon to have one more fish or a small school. I have the bug now and already have plans for the next tank. It’s very addictive. I wish the east coast had an aquarium coop store. There isn’t much on this coast.

[@laurabustos6560]

@@user-wc9go7we6g will, I wish you luck. I personally think nano tanks make having multiple tank syndrome worse! I started with a 10g, then a 6g cube, another 10g then a few more 6g cubes and a tiny 3g cube. When the Petco half off sales are on, I find it very hard to not head on in and get a couple more!! ✌️

[@AuronFFX]

Adding an oto cat really helped with the hair algae growing all over my poor red ludwigia and bacopa. It's only been two days but they look happier and have new growth.

[@oceandove]

Great video very informative 😊 During tip number 8 at the 3:33 mark there’s a beautiful purple plant in the background that caught my eye. What would be the name of this plant please?

[@Helpfulsuggestions]

Wonderful now you tell me not to use too much superglue. lol. You are so pretty❤

[@audrianafouts6447]

You said your floating plants melted from your sponge filter so you switched to a different type of filter to help with the surface agitation, what filter did you change to. My frog bit and red root floaters are struggling.

[@danikover994]

4:08 Is that a Kuhli loach? How can you ake them not hide all the time? I heard of people introducing them to the tank and never see them again and they think they died, but after years at a rescaping for example they found out that they were there all the time.

[@zaferboran5343]

Türkçe alt yazı kullandığın için seni anlıyor ve ilgi ile izliyorum. Sana başarılarının devamını dileyip teşekkür ederim.

[@ESF19791111]

VERY-GOOD EXPLANATION VIDEO :) THANK YOU FOR SHARING :) THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)

[@FoolyLiving]

My floating plants turn black - I cant get duckweed to grow to save my life. Tried everywhere - outside in a vat, inside in a small tank with no current, in my big tank on the side without current with good lighting.

[@Good13man]

I like your suggestion to float your new plants.

[@norbertthoens3561]

Gute Tipps, gerade für Anfänger in der Aquaristik! 👍

[@themusicofnewyork1570]

Black Kuhlis swimming there? They're so cute, have them too

[@stephaniesandiego9106]

My anubas is turning yellow and brown. I'm using potassium and leaf zone ( API fertilizer).

[@crazymat5615]

i love your vids sm

[@SameerShaikh-lw9xh]

Hi there i m facing one problem with my plants like they are turning brown from bottom side and only top portion is green , i m providing 8hrs of light and diy co2 and EI dosing fertilizer. Does anyone know what will be the cause and solution, please advice me

[@RaceSmokie]

@GirlTalksFish do you know some factory which makes aquarium filters? I have one idea for outside air aquarium filter (which I have never seen till now) which I would like to see alive.

[@bufficliff8978]

Contact information for companies are usually on the boxes of items being sold at the store. Can also just Google brands and contact them via contact page. People who want things made typically have to have a workable design, have to have spoken to a lawyer, then gone to China themselves, hired a translator, hire a company to manufacture prototypes, and then once the idea works find a seller for it. Looking at community college business networking classes would be a good choice for you. If you're charismatic you can talk to a lawyer and pursue a patent and then attempt to contact trade professors with skill in manufacturing or college professors in engineering and...fish biology (I forgot what that discipline was called right now) to see if a partnership would be of interest in getting prototypes of your designs built. It'll cost you a lot of money unless you just email the companies directly and surrender rights to designs

[@jmc2491]

I’ve got a question for you, Ma’am, do you ever notice small white bugs jumping around on your floating plants? If not, would you know what they may be?

[@zippyflop09]

Sounds like aphids, I think there may be some information online on how to safely treat it in tanks if you look around.

[@derschwereGustaf]

Maybe springtails?

[@bettababe7836]

I ended up not liking using super glue for my anubias, now plant weights are my friend

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

I disagree about the flow being too strong. I have red root floaters in a much smaller aquarium with a fairly strong air pump, and it doesn't bother the red root floaters. In your case, if there's nothing else you changed, it might simply be that the flow had either created too much humidity if it was a closed tank, or it blew away too many ferts that the floaters needed. In the picture with the more healthy floaters and low flow, I noticed the protein slick on the surface, and that may be actually feeding the floaters. Yes, flow can be too strong for some plants if you've got way too big a power head, but the bigger issue with aerators in planted tanks is that, unless you're running co2, aeration (i.e. too much surface agitation) can remove a lot of the natural co2 produced by decomposition of waste in the substrate. Walstad for example, does not recommend aeration unless the fish need it. You actually want co2 to build up in the water column so that it's higher in amount than it is in the air; Aerators remove this extra co2, so they can be a detriment unless the tank is massively devoid of co2 for some reason.

[@xmaTKDmma]

never used sand before always used the store rocks. Started a tank with sand and im sure the lack of minerals is what is doing it. poo doesnt make it deep into sand so maybe thats doing it. got some liquid and tabs to fertilize with. Hopefully i can save my plants.

[@Tommy_Tropical]

Root Tabs are clutch! I had a similar problem, and now a few weeks later the algae is minimal and my egeria densa is flourishing. Have patience and root tabs lol

[@priscillaspets]

⁠@@Tommy_Tropical Have you ever tried a layer of something like fluval stratum and then a cap layer of sand? I haven’t done it before but i’ve heard of people doing this, i might try it for my next tank

[@sarahtorreros4119]

I literally just bought two Java plants and put them in the tank gravel… I feel like this is to complicated for me :( but I want to be good at it

[@Zero_toocool]

Should u cut the leaves off a plant that has a broken stem?

[@OutdorsDanny]

Make sure you get fertilizer with no copper! If you have shrimp or ever decide to have shrimp, they will likely die in that tank from then on.

[@mrtrella83]

So I have a question so I have a 75 gal planted tank tryna get information why my planted ain’t growing I don’t know is it because I don’t have my tank near a window to get sunlight or cause I have a rimless tank??? Help me outtttt

[@Handygrrl]

Tank too close to sunlight can produce algae. Two best things for plants are great soil and great light. Get a full spectrum light if you don't already have one.

[@mrtrella83]

I have that fluval light

[@LonniesWorld007]

Your water was too soft and mines is always too hard hahah😂😂😂 ahhh the joy of fishkeeping/aquascaping

[@tentyme1]

Wow, lily from modern family has really grown up

[@thanuradayal1218]

How many hours I have lights on for a planted aquarium

[@garg4531]

The amount of light required isn’t universal as everyone’s tank is different She did a whole video, I think, about how one can figure out for themselves how much their tank needs But I think 8-12 hours a day is a good basis

[@thanuradayal1218]

@@garg4531 thank you for answering so quickly I will find your video and watch

[@garg4531]

@@thanuradayal1218 Glad I could help! And I don't have any videos, I was referring to on by Girl Talks Fish She has a lot of helpful advice when it comes to planted tanks^^

[@L._._]

Best plants with betta ? Anubis’s and pathos roots in? Why is my Anubis’s never growing lol .

[@donnabopp9327]

My plants have been doing well, but my water is green. How do i fix this?

[@XxItzkenExX]

Why do I have this white flakes ick looking like on my plants ?

[@billyshadoan6881]

love you irene

[@Noval01rd]

Ohh please tell me how to stop that.... I just scrub every leaf

[@btcbob11392]

Will " easy green " raise my nitrite or nitrate level ?

[@theohood783]

Yes, it will raise your nitrate levels. The plants feed on the nitrates.

[@carlyholmes3604]

With the Anubis can I put just the roots in the substrate

[@neilmartin99]

Yes. Make sure the rhizome is above though. It actually looks quite nice glued to a small rock however.

[@polbry1]

i like that small stingray fish hahha

[@DeformedDevices]

My crypt took a year to take off

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@BrodysBettas]

Whats up with the copy and paste comments? 😂

[@cablenetworksystems]

For retired people

[@brandonr6618]

wait a minute, thats not a girl.......

[@nucleargandhi9036]

miss algae magnet is going to talk about keeping plants alive now. nice

[@monicakimber7888]

miss algae magnet is going to talk about keeping plants alive now. nice