Deficiency advice

[Costa]

Hello

Do you have any advice on the following plant deficiencies / tank issues?



This is a newly planted Echinodorus (I think), you may see some growth on the right hand side (dark brown leaves) and brown patches on the older leaves which usually start at the tip and progressively the leaf melts away.



The above is also a recently planted Ozelot (again, I think - I'm very bad with plant names) and the new leaf on the right hand been affected by this browning, and also the stem is yellow.

Tank: 900L/235 US gal (660 L main + 240 L sump)
Filtration: bad flow, around 1600L/hr
Soil: Caltech 9 or something, I can't remember, I got it from CO2supermarket last year but they don't stock it any longer
Lights: 145 W / 4800 lumen Beamworks LED
CO2: a big bottle of DIY sugar + yeast, I don't think it's doing much really
Ferts: CO2 supermarket all in one macro + micros

I know I don't have the perfect conditions, if you could advise it would be great.

I am planning on improving flow in the immediate future, I m waiting on the delivery of a 10000L/hr pump. CO2 I don't think there's anything I can do about, the tank is very big for CO2 I'm afraid (and I'm not that rich).

Thank you very much

 

[Zeus.]

From my reading and limited experience I would say fluctuating CO2 linked with poor flow leaving the plants not knowing what to do about the CO2 as one day is great and the next its poor the plants start to adjust to the [CO2] then it starts to change its internal adjustment mechanisms then the CO2 level changes again. they are not getting anything constant. Compounded massively by the Flow OFC

You may be better off without the CO2 then the CO2 problems will go away.
I have a 100G and on fourth maybe fifth 6Kg bottle this year so soon adds up
Limited cash just get the flow right, forget the CO2

my 2 cents

 

[ceg4048]

Yep, definitely poor CO2. Sorry mate, Sugar based CO2 will not work well in monster tanks.
You probably have too much light as well. Very difficult to tell with LED. I do not know the conversion factor to PAR from Lumens.
You might be able to get away with your CO2 method if the lighting could be reduced. By how much, I have no idea.

Cheers,

 

[Edvet]

Also looks partly loosing the emersed growth if i see the leafshapes.

 

[Costa]

Thank you!

If it makes any difference, the plants are 3 weeks old and the CO2 is only 4-5 days old. I am planning to upgrade the pump as well as the flow.

I don't know how many PARs the light has but I was surprised to read you find the lights too strong, it's 5000lm in a 900L tank, ie 6lm/L - even if we only factor the main tank it's again less than 10lm/L.

Regardless, if you had a tank like that, what plants would you opt for (except the standard Anubias and Croptocorynes)?

 

[ceg4048]

I don't know how many PARs the light has but I was surprised to read you find the lights too strong, it's 5000lm in a 900L tank, ie 6lm/L - even if we only factor the main tank it's again less than 10lm/L

Hi,
Well as I mentioned, I really do not know what the PAR values are. You might be correct, it may not be very bright from the point of view of the plants.
Plants actually do not care about Lumens.
Lumens are a measurement of how humans perceive light.
PAR is a measurement of how plants use light.
So a number such 6 lumens per liter really does not tell you anything.
Check these couple of threads, maybe it helps you understand a little about light (or maybe it just confuses you)
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/please-look-good-for-plants.11949/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/would-this-led-light-be-suitable-for-my-tank.21381/#post-218680

If it makes any difference, the plants are 3 weeks old and the CO2 is only 4-5 days really. I am planning to upgrade the pump as well as the flow.

OK, yes, that does make a difference. The leaves were grown above the water (I'm assuming) so they are not aquatic and will fail more easily - but they are still failing so it does tell you something about the CO2 levels. There is not much you can do about your sugar system, but it is a warning that you are on the borderline, so I wouldn't add any more light for the moment, at least.

Regardless, if you had a tank like that, what plants would you opt for (except the standard Anubias and Croptocorynes)?

I think the only plants you'll probably want to avoid are the ones that require high CO2, such as carpet plants, but you should easily be able to grow any of the common stem plant like Ludwigias. Althernanthera will add a little bit of color. You can try covering some of the wood pieces with moss. There really are lots of choices.

Cheers,

 

[Costa]

Thank you Clive and all for taking the time to reply, will follow your advice and report back as soon as my new pump arrives and make the changes you recommended.
Have a nice day!