baby tear plant not doing good?

candicelee

I bought a baby tear plant and I don't thing it's doing very well. When I bought it (about a week ago) it was very bushy and over grown, it was potted. It;s been loosing alot of leaves and branches, I planted it in the gravel. The sides of the plant are covered in roots sould I ancor the branches down?

I bought some new plant light bulbs but they seem dimmer than the original white ones I had on there, is that normal? These ones are blue tinted.

Thanx

Any info will help, were new to this!

Cody

How many watts is this lighting?
Kelvin rating?
How often do you dose CO2?

Baby tear plants are medium-light plants. This means you should have a kelvin rating of at least 5500k, better yet 6500k and not higher than 6700k, with at least 5W per gallon IMO. You need a constant source of CO2 as well. I have never seen this plant grow well in regular gravel as well.

Blaxicanlatino

some would say that baby tears need VERY high lighting in order to be at its best. ALong with what Cody said, newly introduced plants tend to die off a bit when introduced to a new environment.

candicelee

Umm... I'm not sure what kelvin is? The're 15W/120V Incandescent bulbs. I haven't ever used CO2 or fertilizer, I've been looking for it some but no one in my town carries any. Are there any household thing I could put in the tank to help?
Thanx!
I've attatched a picturer of the lights I'm using now.

Attached Images

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Cody

These plants are as good as dead if you don't get CO2 and proper lighting ASAP. Proper lighting + CO2 for this plant alone will be $100+.

You can't grow anything but algae with incandescent bulbs.

No household items will help.

Kelvin is basically the color/temperature of light a bulb gives out. You need 5500k-6700k, and at least 5WPG, if not more.