More and more people are starting to keep anacharis in their aquarium tanks and although anacharis is generally considered to be a beginner friendly plant, we often see people having problems with it.
Over the last year or so, there has definitely been a spike in people reaching out due to problems with their anacharis dying and the number of people seeing likey they are having problems with the plant just keeps on going up.
Due to this, we have decided to publish our own article going over why your anacharis is dying as well as how you are able to fix it to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Why Your Anacharis Is Dying!
We have our breakdown of why your anacharis may be dying below and then under that, we will be taking a more in-depth look at each potential problem:-
- Low Quality Water!
- A Lack Of Fertilizer!
- Unsuitable Water Flow!
- Sudden Change In Water Parameters!
- Unsuitable Light!
- Water pH Levels!
- Ammonia And Nitrate Levels!
- Water Temperature!
In some cases, your aquarium may actually be having problems with more than one of these issues so keep that in mind too.
Bad Water Parameters!
The first and most common reason that we see people’s anacharis dying is due to bad water parameters.
We have had countless people reach out to us where they say that their anacharis was doing fine for weeks or even months and then all of a sudden, it started to die off.
In almost every single one of these cases, the problem was bad water quality.
Get yourself a cheap water test kit to take some readings in your tank to get a better idea of exactly what’s going on in there and then make any adjustments required to fix the parameter that’s out of whack.
After around two weeks of your water parameters being within range for your anacharis, it should be starting to look healthy again and in many cases, the plant should be able to make a full recovery with minimal long term problems.
A Lack Of Fertilizer!
Another really common reason that we see people’s anacharis dying is due to a lack of fertilizer.
Anacharis is a plant that requires a decent amount of nutrients in order to stay healthy and if it isn’t getting them from the water, then it will start to die off.
The best way to ensure that your anacharis is getting the nutrients that it needs is to use a fertilizer designed specifically for aquarium plants.
There are plenty of different brands and products out there to choose from but we recommend going with something like Seachem’s Flourish Comprehensive Supplement.
This stuff is packed full of nutrients that your anacharis will love and it will help to keep it healthy and looking great.
Unsuitable Water Flow!
Another issue that can cause your anacharis to die is unsuitable water flow.
Anacharis does best in aquariums with moderate to high water flow and if the flow in your tank is too low, it can cause the plant to start to suffocate and die.
If you think that water flow might be an issue for your anacharis, try moving it to a different part of the tank where the flow is stronger.
You may also need to adjust your aquarium’s filter to increase the flow rate if it is too low.
Sudden Change In Water Parameters!
A sudden change in water parameters can also cause your anacharis to die.
If you make a change to your aquarium’s water (such as a water change or adding new fish) and the new water has different parameters than the old water, it can cause shock to your anacharis which can lead to it dying.
To avoid this, always slowly acclimate your anacharis to any new water that you add to the tank and make sure that the new water has similar parameters to the old water or only use partial water changes.
For some reason, more and more people are starting to do full water changes in their tanks far too regularly and there is rarely any real need for it. A partial water change of 10-25% can offer you the same benefits without the potential downside of changing too many water parameters too quickly.
Unsuitable Light!
Another common issue that can cause your anacharis to die is unsuitable light.
Anacharis does best in aquariums that have moderate to high lighting and if the light in your tank is too low, it can cause the plant to start to die off.
If you think that lighting might be an issue for your anacharis, try moving it to a different part of the tank where the light is stronger.
You may also need to adjust your aquarium’s lighting to increase the light level if it is too low.
Water pH Levels!
Another thing that we want to touch on is water pH levels.
Anacharis does best in aquariums with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH but it can also do well in slightly acidic pH levels as well.
However, if the pH level in your tank suddenly drops or spikes, it can cause your anacharis to die.
To avoid this, always test your aquarium’s water regularly and if you notice a sudden change in pH, take steps to fix it immediately.
Ammonia And Nitrate Levels!
Next up, we have ammonia and nitrate levels.
Anacharis is a plant that is very sensitive to ammonia and nitrates and if either of these levels get too high in your tank, it can cause the plant to start to die off.
To avoid this, test your aquarium’s water regularly and if you notice an increase in ammonia or nitrate levels, take steps to fix the problem immediately.
Water Temperature!
Last but not least, we have water temperature.
Anacharis does best in aquariums that are kept between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit but it can also do well in slightly cooler or warmer temperatures as well.
However, if the temperature in your aquarium suddenly drops or spikes, it can cause your anacharis to die.
