Crypt deficiency or damage

[jameson_uk]

I have a Crypt which had been growing well for nearly a year now but I am seeing more and more leaves curl up and look like they are dying off and holes in the middle of leaves.

Is this likely to be some sort of deficiency or something eating them?

 

[Victor]

These are green spot algae attached on the leaves that are killing the plant.

 

[zozo]

To some extend adding extra phospathes (KH2PO4) could reduce green spot algae on crypts. And or lowering the light intensity, one or the other or all togehter. Crypt is a relatively slow grower with low demands and susceptible to algae growth if light is at the high side.. BBA also can be an indicator for to much light intencity..

 

[jameson_uk]

BBA largely gone now. Are phosphate testing kits actually any use or is it not worth even checking? In a low tech setup (albeit with high lights) how much KH2PO4 should I try to start with?

I think some of this is historic when I was still getting things to my liking and there want much flow around the crypt. Should I be removing all leaves with GSA or just the ones that look in a bit of a bad way?

 

[zozo]

Maybe it's wiser to reduce the light too.. 🙂 Testing kits are useless as far as i know.. There seem to be electronic ones around for phosphate, popular in the marine hobby. But for a planted tank not worth the money if any good. How much you should add is always a guess and de[ends on various factors.. Stocking could be one of them, fish waste and food also produces phosphates.. In circumstanses of certain pH phospates can't go into sollution, if you search the forum about it, you'll find some good info.. Sorry i forgot the details, it's not realy important in my case.

Phosphate level doesn't need to be high, usualy recomended 0.5 to 1.5 ppm is adviced in high tech environments as a good level.. It also isn't realy toxic, nor is potassium which you add also with it if you KH2PO4.. If you mix it accordingly you can create a sollution to add just .5 ppm phosphate extra, that could be a start..

Since it is low tech, it is slow tech.. So if you change things it can rather take weeks before you see improvements. So patience is a virtue..

Personaly i dose up to 1 ppm to 1,5 ppm extra per week on my low tech.. An di saw a significant reduction of green algae on the crypts leaves.
The tank is now running about 16 months and still not matured to it's full potential.. While it develops i might change my regime, go with the flow and what the plant (mass) tells me. In the first year i also added nitrate, but since a few months stopped with that because i encreased the bioload with adding more fish. And seeing the emersed plant growth on top and in my filter i do not realy seem to need extra nitrate anymore and also get some from the tap. 🙂 Also nitrate test kits tell you zip, it says in between this or that range, but still to far apart to be precise in ppm.