Low-tech help needed

I’ve been struggling for a while now. I just cannot seem to get the balance right. This is a 29g so it’s 24” deep. Dirt tank capped with gravel. I started with an LED, but switched to a single T5 which is at least keeping plants alive instead of covered in hair algae. Cannot grow stems at all… they get leggy fast and wither. My tap water is very hard. Staying low-tech, how can I get better growth from these plants or other recommendations on plant that would actually thrive in my setup.

I’ve been struggling for a while now. I just cannot seem to get the balance right. This is a 29g so it’s 24” deep. Dirt tank capped with gravel. I started with an LED, but switched to a single T5 which is at least keeping plants alive instead of covered in hair algae. Cannot grow stems at all… they get leggy fast and wither. My tap water is very hard. Staying low-tech, how can I get better growth from these plants or other recommendations on plant that would actually thrive in my setup.