Is this new stunted growth, and did you cut off the old previous stunted growth? in my experience once a stem starts stunting it won't revert back unless the stunted growth is removed allowing it to put out fresh shoots.
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Rotala Rotundifolia Stunted Growth
- Thread starter paranoidandroid
- Start date
Is this new stunted growth, and did you cut off the old previous stunted growth? in my experience once a stem starts stunting it won't revert back unless the stunted growth is removed allowing it to put out fresh shoots.
paranoidandroid
Member
You mean this could be due to excess micro fertilizers?
paranoidandroid
Member
Yes, the majority is new growth after trimming.
No, I think what @GHNelson is checking is if you are dosing macro nutrients . . Nitrate, Phosphate and Potassium.
There is a theory that Rotala don't like too much Micro or too much Potassium......I would assume that the Tropica Premium also has Potassium in the mixture!
Don't dose for a couple of weeks.....see what happens!
Don't dose for a couple of weeks.....see what happens!
paranoidandroid
Member
What puzzles me is that I added the Rotala Rotundifolia because it was supposed to be an easy plant and I needed exactly that to fill-in the background. And it has been the only plant I have issues with, all the other are fine.
Yea, Some members do have problems with Rotala Rotundifolia......I think Konrad had issues with poor growth!
He put it down to excess Potassium!
But I think it could be a combination of imbalanced fertilizer dosing😉
He put it down to excess Potassium!
But I think it could be a combination of imbalanced fertilizer dosing😉
paranoidandroid
Member
Really disappointed with all this. It's been 5 months since setup and I've only invested money and cannot seem to be able to stabilize the tank and enjoy it.
One day is lack of CO2, the other is lack of nutrients, then is excess nutrients. I still can't go above 6 hours of light at 60% because I start getting GSA (despite dosing Phosphates because supposedly the GS is due to a Phosphates deficiency).
One day is lack of CO2, the other is lack of nutrients, then is excess nutrients. I still can't go above 6 hours of light at 60% because I start getting GSA (despite dosing Phosphates because supposedly the GS is due to a Phosphates deficiency).
paranoidandroid
Member
An update on this issue:
I am still not able to grow the Rotala Rotundifolia in a healthy way.
I have tried stop dosing Ferts for a week, as suggested, and this did not help. It stunted the growth even more and also stunted the growth of other healthy plants.
I resumed the dosing and I have been increasing it on a weekly basis to see the impact. I am currently dosing 6x the recommended dosage of Tropica Ferts (50% Specialized + 50% Premium). 50% Specialized in enough to keep the nitrates level at around 20-30 ppm.
Yes, I know this is not cost-efficient option and that I should go the EI DYI path. However, I want to firstly understand the problem and then decide on the longer-term solution.
With the current "strong" ferts dosing, the growth is back to what it was before. For instance, there are two or three consecutive days when there is a lot of new growth and the issue seems to be solved, but then it stunts again without a logical explanation. This can be seen in a single stem, where the leaves have a healthy growth, then there is a portion with tinny leaves and the top portion is back to normal growth.
I should mention that I consider that CO2 is a solved issue and out of the equation. I think I have a very stable and uniform distribution of CO2 across the tank.
Any ideas on what else I should try?
Thanks!
I am still not able to grow the Rotala Rotundifolia in a healthy way.
I have tried stop dosing Ferts for a week, as suggested, and this did not help. It stunted the growth even more and also stunted the growth of other healthy plants.
I resumed the dosing and I have been increasing it on a weekly basis to see the impact. I am currently dosing 6x the recommended dosage of Tropica Ferts (50% Specialized + 50% Premium). 50% Specialized in enough to keep the nitrates level at around 20-30 ppm.
Yes, I know this is not cost-efficient option and that I should go the EI DYI path. However, I want to firstly understand the problem and then decide on the longer-term solution.
With the current "strong" ferts dosing, the growth is back to what it was before. For instance, there are two or three consecutive days when there is a lot of new growth and the issue seems to be solved, but then it stunts again without a logical explanation. This can be seen in a single stem, where the leaves have a healthy growth, then there is a portion with tinny leaves and the top portion is back to normal growth.
I should mention that I consider that CO2 is a solved issue and out of the equation. I think I have a very stable and uniform distribution of CO2 across the tank.
Any ideas on what else I should try?
Thanks!
Hi all,
<"Boron (B) deficiency"> might be a possibility, as far as I know I've never seen it, but it causes tip stunting and is non-mobile within the plant. You should be able to buy <"Borax" (sodium tetraborate decahydrate)"> over the counter for cockroach control.
cheers Darrel
The growth pattern strongly indicates it is an issue with a <"non-mobile plant nutrient">. If you have hard water (high dKH/dGH) then it could be an iron (Fe) issue. Iron availability looks to be <"a frequent issue"> with Rotala rotundifolia, but I've always seen it <"with chlorosis before">.
<"Boron (B) deficiency"> might be a possibility, as far as I know I've never seen it, but it causes tip stunting and is non-mobile within the plant. You should be able to buy <"Borax" (sodium tetraborate decahydrate)"> over the counter for cockroach control.
cheers Darrel
John q
Member
Have you tried planting a stem of this in a different part of the tank, just to see if there's any difference in growth?
Paulus
Member
Like @John q mentioned. Try to cut some tops and plant them in different positions. For me i noticed it was not the position when rotalas didn't grow like i wanted/expected. The "test" positions made that clear for me.
Now using softer water again (rainwater for now) instead of tapwater and the rotalas are going crazy.
So for me it was the water. Light, dosing, co2 havent changed since.
Now using softer water again (rainwater for now) instead of tapwater and the rotalas are going crazy.
So for me it was the water. Light, dosing, co2 havent changed since.
paranoidandroid
Member
Since I am dosing 6x the recommended dosage of Tropica Ferts, I am already dosing Fe at an equivalent level to the EI. Do you think that this rules out a Fe deficiency?
Yes, I have already tried planting elsewhere and the problem persists.
Hi all,
For most nutrients you can equate the amount you added with the amount that is plant available, but it isn't like that for iron, due to the number of ferric (iron III) compounds which are insoluble. This means <"we have to use a chelator"> to ensure iron (Fe) ion availability. Various chelators are available, but not all are very effective at <"higher pH values">.
My guess is that Rotala rotundifolia doesn't actually require a huge amount of macro-nutrients. @Kezzab very successfully grew it <"emersed"> in a bowl <"with a Sarracenia">.
cheers Darrel
No, I don't.
For most nutrients you can equate the amount you added with the amount that is plant available, but it isn't like that for iron, due to the number of ferric (iron III) compounds which are insoluble. This means <"we have to use a chelator"> to ensure iron (Fe) ion availability. Various chelators are available, but not all are very effective at <"higher pH values">.
I'm pretty sure that is the nutrient availability issue. The switch to softer water <"has increased the availability"> of which ever was Liebig's <"limiting nutrient">.
My guess is that Rotala rotundifolia doesn't actually require a huge amount of macro-nutrients. @Kezzab very successfully grew it <"emersed"> in a bowl <"with a Sarracenia">.
cheers Darrel
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Rotala rotundifolia is an easy stem that do well in non CO2 set up, and it ought to do even better in high tech. I dont want to speculate why it is stunt in your tank. What I learn is that you can’t please all plants at all time. I have easy plants that died, but difficult plants thrived I can’t explain. If your other plants are doing fine, it may not be fruitful nor worthwhile to tweet other parameters to make rotala grow. There are many rotala like plants such as luwidgia you can consider to replace.
Sammy I
Member
It's definitely CO2, i have a 180L tank that's half full of rotala and some of them use to stunt often even thought my CO2 was "good" with a lime green dropchecker. I've recently increased CO2 a lot so now i'm verging yellow dropchecker and my rotala are growing better than ever, out of like 400 stems i can see about 6 stunted tips.
Using an in-tank diffuser on a 250L tank is pushing it especially if it isn't positioned correctly, what size is the diffuser? From your photos it looks like the CO2 it going straight up, instead of down with the flow of water. Maybe if you took some PH readings to determine CO2 you will have a better understanding on how "good" your CO2 is.
Using an in-tank diffuser on a 250L tank is pushing it especially if it isn't positioned correctly, what size is the diffuser? From your photos it looks like the CO2 it going straight up, instead of down with the flow of water. Maybe if you took some PH readings to determine CO2 you will have a better understanding on how "good" your CO2 is.
paranoidandroid
Member
As I have explained in my previous posts, I have meanwhile replaced the in-tank diffuser with an in-line diffuser.
The drop checker is yellowish lime green since lights on.
Sammy I
Member
I just read back to your post about switching to inline, in the photo there are a couple of rotala stems that seem to be growing better and less stunted. Now that you have improved CO2, If you think you have a nutrient deficiency why not just dose EI? The theory being if you dose EI and still have problems then your CO2 and flow is not correct.
paranoidandroid
Member
Or it could be a water hardness problem. I only have a JBL strip test so it is probably not very accurate, but it reads 7-14 dGH and 6-10 dKH.