Amazon Frogbit

[saundersbp]

Hello,

My Amazon Frogbit has started producing new lea

ves that are whitish. Is this anything I need to worry about. I couldn't find anything on line to check.

Many thanks

 

[John q]

Iron and or magnesium would be my guess. @dw1305 is the expert on this

 

[saundersbp]

Thanks for your reply. I have tropica aquasoil and use aquadip plant food as well. I didn't realise these wouldn't supply what I needed.

 

[Parablennius]

Iron and or magnesium would be my guess. @dw1305 is the expert on this

Seconded

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Iron and or magnesium would be my guess

Leaves that are whitish. Is this anything I need to worry about. I couldn't find anything on line to check.

I think what @John q and @Parablennius suggest is probably right. Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) is actually the <"plant I use"> to help and <"diagnose nutrient deficiencies">, via the <"Duckweed Index">.

Have a look at <"Frogbit taken a turn">, it shows a complete cycle from chlorotic to healthy.

....... When in short supply, the plant takes Mg from older leaves, and moves it to newly created ones. And since Mg is a key component of chlorophyll, older leaves get yellow (and are about to be dropped). Lack of sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc leads to chlorosis on newly created leaves........

Because the <"chlorosis is in the new leaves"> it is very likely that it is an iron (Fe) deficiency, because iron isn't mobile within the plant and it can't be moved to new leaves.

Have a look at <"MG/FE deficiency in S. Repens and Rotala Indica">

......Anecdotally we have also have a lot of threads where people (with <"traditional apologies"> to @jameson_uk ) have dosed iron (Fe+++) and still have <"iron deficiency symptoms">, presumably as a result of using a chelator that isn't suitable for <"their water hardness">.........

tropica aquasoil and use aquadip plant food as well. I didn't realise these wouldn't supply what I needed.

Iron issues are much more likely if you <"have hard water"> and are usually caused by the iron ions (Fe(++(+))) forming insoluble compounds and precipitating out of solution.

cheers Darrel

 

[saundersbp]

Iron issues are much more likely if you <"have hard water"> and are usually caused by the iron ions (Fe(++(+))) forming insoluble compounds and precipitating out of solution.

Hi Darrel,

Thanks for such a comprehensive and incredibly helpful response. I really appreciate it! I've followed up on the links you kindly shared and it does indeed look like an issue of iron. The water in the Yorkshire dales here is as soft as a babies bottom, however everything else fits. I will get hold of iron without delay and see how it goes.

With many thanks,

Ben

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The water in the Yorkshire dales here is as soft as a babies bottom

That is interesting, do you re-mineralise it?

I've followed up on the links you kindly shared

@jameson_uk 's threads have been really useful. I'm sure he won't mind me mentioning that he is red-green colour-blind, which makes the colour element of the "Duckweed Index" a lot more problematic.

cheers Darrel

 

[saundersbp]

That is interesting, do you re-mineralise it?

Cheers, I think given I don't really understand the question the answer is no! It's just what comes out of the tap but when I tested it, it came out as very soft, and we never get an kettle scale etc.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

It's just what comes out of the tap but when I tested it,

What does your <"water supplier say">? You may be able to tell <"from this map">?

nd we never get an kettle scale etc.

Sounds like it is soft water. You could try <"Chempak Sequestered Iron">, it contains magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn) as well as iron (Fe). Soft water isn't likely to contain much calcium (Ca), manganese or magnesium for <"geological reasons">.

cheers Darrel

 

[saundersbp]

You may be able to tell <"from this map">?

Thank you very much Darrel, according to the map we are soft. I will give the stuff you suggest a try!

Many thanks again

 

[_Maq_]

Is it solely Limnobium suffering this way? I'd like to see some more pics of your plants in the same tank. That could help with diagnosis.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I will give the stuff you suggest a try!

I assume the <"Chempak iron"> includes both magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn), because they are the three meso / micro-elements that are most associated with leaf yellowing (chlorosis). You would also get <"stunting and lack / loss of greeness"> with deficiencies of nitrogen (N) and / or potassium (K), and they are actually where I'd start in most situations, purely because plants require <"a lot of both of them">.

In the case of nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) they are all mobile within the plant, so when they cease to be <"Liebig's limiting nutrient"> you get, pretty much, <"instant greening">.

Manganese is an interesting one, it is a micro-nutrient and only required in small amounts by plants, and like iron (Fe) it is non-mobile in the plant, so deficiencies affect new leaves.

It is present in most hard water, but it may occur at levels that cause water tainting (and potentially human health) issues, so a hard water supply may have <"had the manganese removed from it">.

cheers Darrel

 

[saundersbp]

I assume the <"Chempak iron"> includes both magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn),

Thanks again - I will try the pack (on order from amazon) along with my regular fertiliser and will report back in a few weeks how its looking!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

will report back in a few weeks how its looking!

Best of luck, it will take a while unfortunately, whichever deficiency it is. The reason for this is that it is the new leaves that are chlorotic, meaning that the deficient nutrient isn't mobile within the plant and it is only new leaves, produced after that nutrient becomes available, that will be green.

You may find you get a small flush of <"green algae (Chlorophyta)"> initially. This is <"actually a good sign">.

Is it solely Limnobium suffering this way? I'd like to see some more pics of your plants in the same tank. That could help with diagnosis.

We've found that Limnobium laevigatum is a pretty good indicator of nutrient deficiencies, which was why it became my <"preferred Duckweed"> for the <"Duckweed Index">.

It always had to be a floating plant, to take CO2 out of the equation, and originally it was Lemna minor, but that has a <"number of disadvantages">.

cheers Darrel

 

[saundersbp]

It always had to be a floating plant, to take CO2 out of the equation,

That makes perfect sense. I had initially thought it might be lack of fish poop as there are no animals in the tank yet as I'm going on holiday for six weeks in the summer.

Other plants have started growing

 

[saundersbp]

Have a look at <"Frogbit taken a turn">, it shows a complete cycle from chlorotic to healthy.

Hi Darrel,
I owe you thanks! I bought Fe 13% EDTA Chelated Iron For Planted Aquarium Fish Tank Fertiliser EI Free UK P | eBay and added a little bit a week ago dissolved in water and lo and behold the new leaves on the frogbit are emerging as green not white! I also pinched off all the white leaves as you suggested.
Thanks so much for the tip - it seems to have done the trick!
Ben