# Calcium deficiency in anubias and cryptocoryne.



## George1992 (22 Apr 2020)

I’ve already discussed this in a forum on another site but thought someone on here may be able to shed more light into why I believe I have a calcium deficiency even though my GH is around 195 mg/l.

The tanks been running for a year but for the past 6 months I can’t get the leaves to stop curling on my anubias and cryptocoryne. The amazon sword, bucephalandra, vallisneria all grow fine. The rotala rotundafolia and bacopa Caroliana seem to struggle in this tank too even tho it does fine in my other tanks. Even though the bacopa and limnophillia did really well in here for the first 6 months.

My lighting is a reasejoy LED and an aqua el leddy. I’ve recently started injecting co2. I dose TNC complete.

I’ve consider the lighting be to high but the anubias grows like this even in parts of the tank that are heavily shaded by vallisneria.

Can anyone confirm from the pictures if this is a calcium deficiency? If so, can anyone explain why I have a calcium deficiency as my GH is around 195 mg/l? This is a test of the tank water rather than tap water.

I’ve ordered some Seachem Equilibrium to try and sort this out but cannot work out why this is happening with my GH.


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## kilnakorr (22 Apr 2020)

Not have a lot of knowlegde with anubias but have a look at this thread:
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/anubias-leaves-curling.50972/


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## Zeus. (22 Apr 2020)

The odds of it being a Ca deficiency when you have very hard water is unlikely, was reading at the Barr report recently about Ca and T Barr himself had posted that Ca deficiency is very rarely seen. With the number one deficiency in CO2 injected tanks being CO2. Have you done a pH profile?

This chart may be some help




How much TNC complete are you dosing ? as the standard dose dosing really isnt enough for CO2 injection



Can you get a screen shot of your water report ?


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## George1992 (22 Apr 2020)

Thanks. Will have a read through that thread.

Co2 has only been running for a week or two and the tanks been running with the anubias for around 14 months so the co2 is still quite new to the tank. The curling leaves have been happening for around 6 months. I've been using TNC complete for about 2 weeks. Have been giving the recommended dose on the weekly water change day and then an extra dose half way through the week. Was previously using Tropica Specialised and used to give it the recommended dose on water change day with an extra pump or two most days. The tank is 200 litres.

Here is my water report:







Not sure what a PH profile is but my PH is usually about 7.2. Since I introduced co2 a couple of weeks ago it has dropped to just below 7.
The strange thing is, the problems seems to be specific to this tank. I've always had cryptocoryne becketti petchii in this tank which started to curl its leaves about 6 months ago. I introduced some cryptocoryne usteriana from one of my other tanks the other week which was growing really well. After 1 week in this tank the leaves have started curling.


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## dw1305 (22 Apr 2020)

Hi all,





Zeus. said:


> Can you get a screen shot of your water report ?





Zeus. said:


> The odds of it being a Ca deficiency when you have very hard water is unlikely


I agree with @Zeus., in fact I'd go further and say that it isn't calcium deficiency. 

@George1992 where do you live? Most of the tap water in S and E England comes from limestone aquifers, and the dGH/dKH are almost entirely derived from CaCO3.

If you have water with high calcium levels it can affect the <"uptake of magnesium"> (Mg) and iron (Fe), there may also be issues with keeping iron ions (Fe++/+++) in solution in <"alkaline water">.

cheers Darrel


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## George1992 (22 Apr 2020)

I'm in South Staffordshire. I've attached a picture of the report in my last message. PH comes from the tap at 7.2. Not sure of the local geography and wouldn't be able to confirm if my water comes through limestone. Would there be any way I could find out? I've got other tanks running and both species of cryptocoryne grow really well in them. Same with anubias as long as it doesn't get too much light.

Before I introduced co2, I also tried reducing the light intensity for a month or so by only having the reasejoy LED on for a couple of hours in the middle of the 6 hour light period of the aquael leddy. But I still had the same problem.


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## Zeus. (22 Apr 2020)

I was looking at another water report from one of our members from down south today and that one didnt give the Mg in the water either 




TNC complete doesn't have much Mg either, some epsom salts would be a good place to start IMO- cheap as chips- what size tank have you got @George1992 ?

Think introducing CO2 with high light as precipitated the issue, esp if the [CO2]/pH isnt stable from lights on till CO2 off


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## dw1305 (22 Apr 2020)

Hi all, 





George1992 said:


> I'm in South Staffordshire.


Have a look at @jameson_uk comments in the <"Magnesium in tap water thread">. Your water may be quite unusual for the UK, and chemically more like the <"mid-west of the USA">.





George1992 said:


> I've attached a picture of the report in my last message.


Another report that doesn't tell you anything that you want to know, the only ones that are of any use to us are the chloride, sulphate, sodium and conductivity values. Because they are all quite high it is likely you have hard water, but with some evaporite minerals in it. 





Zeus. said:


> didnt give the Mg in the water either


There isn't a statuatory requirement to report hardness, calcium, magnesium, PO4 etc. That is because there isn't a legally defined maximum permitted value, so the water company can't have breached it.

cheers Darrel
.


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## jameson_uk (22 Apr 2020)

Check https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/household/my-water-supply/water-quality/water-hardness that has the hardness parameters by area including average calcium and magnesium levels.


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## Zeus. (22 Apr 2020)

dw1305 said:


> There isn't a statuatory requirement to report hardness, calcium, magnesium, PO4 etc.



Thats would I thought  and past on to the member


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