Fertilized Substrate

[JustKenna]

I know you can't put fertilizer in the water of an axolotl tank but can you put fertilized substrate under the sand in your tank or is that bad too? A couple of my plants have turned a little brown and I just want to perk them up a bit. If I can't put the fertilized substrate in with my axie I plan to just put my plants in a fertilized fish tank for a few days/weeks.

 

[michael]

They should have plenty of fertilizer from the axolotl waste. Adding fertilizer will goof up your water quality. Maybe they are plants that won't work with axolotls.

 

[Cacique]

What kind of plants and lighting do you have?

 

[JustKenna]

I just have a 30 inch 20 watt florescent aquarium light and the plants I have that are a little brown are dwarf sagittaria subulata, cryptocoryne wendtii green, and vallisneria nana. I also have Anacharis but it's doing great.

 

[JustKenna]

oh and I have an Anubias but it's doing fine too.

 

[Cacique]

Since your axie should be supplying enough fertilizer, it could be the lights. You could try raising or lowering the lights. Another option could be to try adding a bit more light but that would cost more. It seems like most issues with the plants are either nutrients or too much or not enough light, so I would start with the lights.

 

[keiko]

You don't really want to add too much light either because of your axolotls.

 

[Cacique]

Sorry for not pointing out what Keiko did, I can't believe it slipped my mind.

You could attach the plants to suction cups, or put them in the little rubber plant baskets they're sold in so much and attach that to a suction up and get it higher in the tank so the plant can get more light if it needs to. If there's too much light and you can't or don't want to raise it you could add some floaters like frogbit or dwarf water lettuce.

 

[Slongo]

Have you tried a walstad/el natural tank? PM for more info if you've never heard of them.