I need some help. My name is Art and I kill tissue culture plants.
As an homage to @Vin's famous Rotala Kill Tank thread, I've also titled this thread using the "kill tank" designation as it fits with what has been happening to me lately. I do need help to figure it out and, hopefully, others will also benefit.
I have a new tank (~30 gallons) with the dimensions similar to a 60p. It was started on May 31, 2023 using the dark start method where I inoculated the tank with Dr. Tim's One and Only and dosed PO4 for about 2 weeks. Then I planted heavily.
I have been able to convert the emersed plants I started with and the submersed ones are doing just fine. However, each and every one of the tissue culture plants I have planted have died within a week or two. I don't understand why.
Do you have any techniques with tissue culture plants that gets you a higher chance of success?
As an homage to @Vin's famous Rotala Kill Tank thread, I've also titled this thread using the "kill tank" designation as it fits with what has been happening to me lately. I do need help to figure it out and, hopefully, others will also benefit.
I have a new tank (~30 gallons) with the dimensions similar to a 60p. It was started on May 31, 2023 using the dark start method where I inoculated the tank with Dr. Tim's One and Only and dosed PO4 for about 2 weeks. Then I planted heavily.
I have been able to convert the emersed plants I started with and the submersed ones are doing just fine. However, each and every one of the tissue culture plants I have planted have died within a week or two. I don't understand why.
Possible reasons - I think
- New tank syndrome - the tank is not over the year old point so maybe it is still cycling in some what that is impacting the sensitive tissue culture plants. Yes, I'm using Aqua Soil but I'm testing for ammonia and I'm getting zero reading. I know @Dennis Wong has mentioned this as a cause.
- Poor quality tissue culture plants - I have purchased from several retailers and the plants are coming from different growers. However, they plants are still at stage 1 of development. This means that they have yet to develop a strong enough root system. When I get them, I almost want to incubate them somewhere until they move into stage 2 and have a better chance at life in an aquarium.
- Wrong aquarium conditions - something is off with my key parameters such as CO2, light or fertilization. While my set up may not be ideal for young tissue culture plants, the other plants are doing just fine. Maybe the lighting is too intense for them and I should shade them and slowly move them to more light?
- Poor aquarist technique - sometimes it's not the tool but the person using the tool. That's me. Maybe my technique just sucks and I need to be coached up.
Do you have any techniques with tissue culture plants that gets you a higher chance of success?