I struggle with plant care and keep killing my plants

[CasCat]

Hey, I'm Cat, and I'm basically a plant assassin. I've tried everything to keep those pesky floating plants alive, but nope, they all meet their demise.

No snails, no lid, lid, different tank, different lighting - nothing works. I've even tried various fertilizers and a sponge filter. Still, they vanish into thin air.

It's not like they just suddenly drop dead; they slowly fade away. Salvinia starts sinking and then rots - it's like it's trying to escape my care. Frogbit, both tropical and temperate, just melts away from the roots up. And don't even get me started on Duckweed - it gets these tiny holes and disappears without a trace.

I attempted to grow Hyacinths, but let's just say that was a joke. I've also struggled to keep potted plants alive, and even my supposedly 'lucky' bamboo is looking a bit down. It's like I have a reverse green thumb - anything that touches air is doomed.

[florapix]

I've got a Zorchzon sword that's like a tank. Never had an issue with it. You might want to give one a shot, see if it's your plant-killing nemesis' kryptonite.

[CasCat]

I've got a Zorchzon sword that's like a tank. Never had an issue with it. You might want to give one a shot, see if it's your plant-killing nemesis' kryptonite.

I've had zero issues with submerged plants, all my tanks are fully planted. Swords and crypts thrive, hygrophila polysperma does great too. I've also had success with Christmas moss, Valisneria, and Moneywort. Even a hair grass hitchhiker is doing okay, no root tabs needed, lol. Anubias, Anacharis, Hornwort, and Bladderwort all do well for me.

Java fern, not so much - it's a plant killer. Wisteria's been a struggle too. Ludwigia used to do great but now it's just mediocre.

[belleora]

I'm really sorry to hear about the hyacinths - they did look lovely. It's just so frustrating, isn't it? I've been there too, though, and I'm not just talking about floating plants. I used to be absolutely terrible with plants - all kinds, houseplants, garden plants, you name it. I'd either forget to water them or overwater them, and either way, they'd end up dying. I was so bad that my mum actually took a plant I'd just bought and took it home with her because she knew I'd kill it.

But then I got a place with a garden, and I decided I was going to learn. I read a lot, practiced with outdoor plants, and somehow, it just clicked. Now I'm actually pretty good with plants, and I'm not really sure what changed - maybe I just got better at watering them properly and not drowning them. Maybe you'll develop a green thumb later in life too.

I'm guessing it's something to do with your water chemistry or lighting, but I'm not sure how to pinpoint it. Some plants do struggle in softer water, don't they?

[CasCat]

I'm really sorry to hear about the hyacinths - they did look lovely. It's just so frustrating, isn't it? I've been there too, though, and I'm not just talking about floating plants. I used to be absolutely terrible with plants - all kinds, houseplants, garden plants, you name it. I'd either forget to water them or overwater them, and either way, they'd end up dying. I was so bad that my mum actually took a plant I'd just bought and took it home with her because she knew I'd kill it.

But then I got a place with a garden, and I decided I was going to learn. I read a lot, practiced with outdoor plants, and somehow, it just clicked. Now I'm actually pretty good with plants, and I'm not really sure what changed - maybe I just got better at watering them properly and not drowning them. Maybe you'll develop a green thumb later in life too.

I'm guessing it's something to do with your water chemistry or lighting, but I'm not sure how to pinpoint it. Some plants do struggle in softer water, don't they?

My water parameters might give you a clue - I've got a GH of 90-145 and pH that ranges from 7.3 to 8, depending on the tank. Temperature-wise, my non-heated tanks sit at around 72 degrees when it's not a heatwave, and up to 82 for my betta tanks. I've also got nitrates in my tap water, which I thought would be a plus for floating plants, but I guess not.

I've even managed to kill a Venus fly trap my kid had - gave it the right humidity, water, and a bright window with no direct sun. It was gone in a week, and my son was pretty crushed. I've also killed an aloe plant, which is basically impossible to kill, right? It seems like anything indoors is doomed if I'm taking care of it.

[knightoak]

I'm gonna take a wild guess here, but how's your filter setup? I mean, I know it sounds silly, but some of these floating plants are actually pretty sensitive to water on their leaves. I've heard that's because they're not exactly waterproof, which is kinda ironic considering they're aquatic plants.

Maybe try adjusting the flow or blocking off the area around your filter? I'm not saying that's the solution, but it's worth a shot, right? Also, do you have a hood on your tanks? I'm wondering if condensation might be dripping onto your poor plants. Either way, I wish you the best of luck, and I'm still stumped as to why they're thriving for me but not for you.

[roygun_1]

I'm with you on the floating plant thing. My submerged ones do fine though, no issues there. I've had success with swords and crypts, hygrophila polysperma, Christmas moss, valisneria, and moneywort. Even got some hair grass that came in on a hitchhiker and it's doing alright. Anubias is fine, anacharis does okay, hornwort is good, and bladderwort's been a nice surprise. Java fern's the one I kill, wisteria's not great, and ludwigia used to do well but now it's just meh.

[Snout]

I've been having a similar issue, but I've finally got one that's propagating. It's a small miracle, and I'm not counting my chickens just yet. Our water parameters seem to be similar, so I'm curious - what fertilisers are you using, and how much?

[Snout]

I've managed to get one that's actually doing alright for now - it's dwarf water lettuce, the tropical kind, not the pond type, 'pistia stratiotes'.