Frogbit taken a turn

[jameson_uk]

Hi all,That looks much better. The new leaves look good.My guess would be that they are the leaves that were nutrient deficient, because it was a deficiency of a non-mobile nutrient (possibly iron (Fe)) the plant can't improve their condition.

I'd probably just pinch them off.

These were the worst plants but definitely looking better I have been pinching off the leaves like this (or in a few cases just chucking the plants as I have a bit too much).

The poor leaves were like the lush green ones a week or two ago and I have always noted this in my other tanks that some leaves end up getting stuck underneath others so don't get the light and end up going underwater. Quite often these poor leaves aren't visible unless you take the plant out and turn them over.

I am going to monitor them a bit more closely over the next few weeks but hopefully things are back on track.

 

[G H Nelson]

Do you have snails in this tank?
hoggie

 

[jameson_uk]

Do you have snails in this tank?
hoggie

Yes. I do think they caused the holes but I think the leaf was in bad condition first.

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi
I would suspect that the snails are laying eggs underneath....that could be the answer!
hoggie

 

[jameson_uk]

Hi
I would suspect that the snails are laying eggs underneath....that could be the answer!
hoggie

Interesting. Never thought of that. The weight of the eggs would be enough to drag the leaves under.


Also now I think about it, I did some Ramshorn snails from my Betta tank in the summer (https://www.ukaps.org/forum/index.php?posts/563480) and the frogbit did start going downhill in the autumn....


The pond snails have always seemed to love the frogbit but a mix of less feeding, the ramshorns and less livestock has seen quite a reduction in their numbers. These always seemed to be in the frogbit but never seemed to damage it.

That said I don't recall seeing any ramshorns on the frogbit and there are actually far less pond snails than before.

 

[G H Nelson]

Could be the jelly-like covering of the eggs that are inhibiting normal growth...then when the eggs hatch, the snails have a good breakfast😉
Have a look after lights come on in the morning for eggs.
hoggie