Help Required: Beginner Plant Issues

[Iain Sutherland]

Once you get the koralias in and up the co2 level it should make a big difference, id also suggest that as you are having issues getting co2 into the tank to reduce the surface movement which will off gas a lot, it looks quite turbulent in the video.
Dont get demoralised, all of us had the same issues when starting out, the pieces will begin to fit together sooner or later and it will all be worthwhile.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I don't use CO2 and I don't know how you are getting on with this, but I might up the KNO3 addition a bit as the plants look a little bit nitrogen deficient.

The strange brown thing on the Java Fern is a new plantlet, just let it get bigger then attach it some where else. You should be able to see the new fronds have got bigger now.

cheers Darrel

 

[Stitch]

Thanks for reading and for the quick replies.

only thing i can say is maybe try to have the dc more yellow at the start not the end of the photo period i start mine 5 hours before lights on off 2 hours before lights off so it can ramp up steadily and stays the same colour throughout lights on

Sure, I can work on playing with this and try to increase the CO2 prior to lights on.

Agreed. All the symptoms you listed are strictly due to poor CO2. If flow/distribution is confirmed to be adequate then there needs to be an injection rate increase or better timing of the gas being turned on relative to the light. You can also supplement the CO2 with daily liquid carbon. Our sponsor AE sell their version of Excel for less £.

Thanks for confirming Clive. I'm in Dubai, where liquid carbon isn't really available, so i'll work on what Tim said to increase CO2 while not losing fish.

Once you get the koralias in and up the co2 level it should make a big difference, id also suggest that as you are having issues getting co2 into the tank to reduce the surface movement which will off gas a lot, it looks quite turbulent in the video.
Dont get demoralised, all of us had the same issues when starting out, the pieces will begin to fit together sooner or later and it will all be worthwhile.

Cheers Iain, i'll look to try and reduce the surface movement at the same time as increasing the CO2. Koralias are a few weeks off yet.

Hi all,
I don't use CO2 and I don't know how you are getting on with this, but I might up the KNO3 addition a bit as the plants look a little bit nitrogen deficient.
The strange brown thing on the Java Fern is a new plantlet, just let it get bigger then attach it some where else. You should be able to see the new fronds have got bigger now.
cheers Darrel

Thanks Darrel, I found the below image online. Based on this I think it could be a Phosphate deficiency as well "older leaves yellow, and parts of the leaf is reabsorbed leading to dead patches, the leaf falls off rather quickly.".

Could someone please recommend an increased dose to try for the next 4 weeks before my Koralias arrive?

Currently:
1tsp KNO3 (3 times a week)
1tsp KH2PO4 (3 times a week)
3tsp MgSO4 (3 times a week)

Once the CO2 / flow / distribution is improved will the plants recover? Or will the stems never grow leaves back at the lower part?

I really appreciate the help.

 

[ceg4048]

Let me clarify:
The fundamental problem in this tank is poor CO2. You need look nowhere else but for ways to improve the CO2 uptake. Fix your CO2 first and worry about other nutrient issues later. Nutrient dosing is easy to fix. CO2 is incredibly difficult to fix. No amount of KNO3 or KH2PO4 can ever fix this type of leaf falloff. Therefore keep your eye on the target and do not be distracted.

When you fix CO2 stems will regrow lower leaves, melting will cease, water will be gin clear, leaves will be super clean and will not rot. If you have liquid carbon then use it.

Cheers,

 

[Stitch]

Message received and clear as gin!

Cheers Clive.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I'll leave CO2 to Clive as I don't add it, but it is unlikely to be PO4--- deficiency. This is because even though phosphorus PO4--- is one of the macro-elements, plants only need about 1/10 as much P as N (NH4+or NO3-) or K+.

I've never knowingly seen phosphorus deficiency in an aquatic plant, but in terrestrial plants you get purpling and stunting of the new growth. Nutrients that are mobile in the plant (like N, P and K) tend to show in the older leaf as the plant transports N etc from older leaves to newer leaves (which are receiving more PAR). If you look at the Hygrophila corymbosa image the paling of the upper leaves looks very like nitrogen deficiency.I know that H. corymbosa grows well low tech, you can see it in this thread <Water Lettuce and it's impact on my tank | UK Aquatic Plant Society>.

If you have floating plants? you can use these to eliminate CO2 as an issue, as they have access to aerial CO2. This is why I use a floater for the "Duckweed index" method of nutrient addition <Slow growing plants and feeding | UK Aquatic Plant Society>.

cheers Darrel

 

[Brian Murphy]

I have the same juwel 400 tank and have been having problems from day 1. Co2 Distribution is very hard to get spot on on such a large tank, especially when trying to run 2 filters thus 2 spray bars working against each other. I've had to introduce a powerhead to push flow from the Co2 spray bar over to the other side of the tank but still I'm having problems from loss of flow due to inline mixer/reactor and the 2nd spray bar preventing the pushed over Co2 reaching that side of tank. The drop checker indicates green so shows enough Co2 is getting over but still getting poor growth. I am waiting for an UP inline atomizer from china so I can go back to one size of hosing as I had to go smaller in parts to fit on this particular mixer/reactor. I also angled the 2nd spray bar so it helps push the Co2 round the far side of tank and down. I also dose EI from aquariumplantfood.co.uk. Lighting is 2 x 54w on for 3 hours overlapping for one hour with the other 2 x 54w which are on for 4 hours, giving me 6 hours light. Co2 comes on 1 hour before lights on and off 1 hour before lights out.
My Hydrophilia Polysperma grows like weed in my low tech tank but struggles in this tank ..... it shouldnt be this way but I wont let it beat me!