Should I be dosing EI at all?

[Phil63]

Hi guys, I've had my tank up and running for a few months now and it's fully stocked up with the fish and plants that I want, but several of the plants seem to be developed holes mainly the Amazon swords and java ferns. The rest of my plants seem to be doing well though.
As you can see from my pictures, the majority of my plants are stem plants, so is the EI dosing I'm doing going to be of much use?? Should I be using root tabs instead, or both??
My substrate was a bit of a Mish mash hen I first set up my tank. I added 1 20 liter bag of caribsea, then when I realized I needed more to make my aquascape, I was unable to get hold of any more, so I covered it with tropica plant growth substrate. I believe this is inert and I may need to add root tabs?
Hopefully you guys could point me in the right direction (again) .
Thanks in advance,
Phil

 

[PBM3000]

I'm in a broadly similar situation, albeit with a totally inert sub, and am treating the holes with Potassium Phosphate. Dosing roughly 1/16th teaspoon twice weekly (a large pinch) and it seems to be paying off slowly but surely.

I also use root tabs (API), dose Flourish and Excel on my low-tech set up.

 

[Phil63]

Well I am dosing EI with potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulphate and micros. I have a co2 system but I don't dose flourish apart from when I do a water change.
Have you always used root tabs? I think this is what I need as I feel I'm doing everything else

 

[PBM3000]

Sorry, I should have clarified; my tank is a low-tech affair and I only dose the above. A great many things I've read point to strongly-rooted plants benefiting from tabs.

Not sure what's 'chewing' my swords though....

 

[Phil63]

Your tank looks great! Can you recommend any root tabs that I could try?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

but several of the plants seem to be developed holes mainly the Amazon swords and java ferns. The rest of my plants seem to be doing well though.

Do you have a Bristlenose plec (Ancistrus sp?). If it was just the Amazon Sword it definitely looks like Plec damage, but I've never known them eat Java Fern.

cheers Darrel

 

[Phil63]

No, I have some SAEs though but I've never seen them eating the leaves. I never really thought it could be fish damage, now I'm even more confused

 

[PBM3000]

Your tank looks great! Can you recommend any root tabs that I could try?

Thanks. I use the API ones.

Do your holes looked chewed or 'rotted'?

Edit - just looked at the holes. I'd say they weren't chewed! I can only recommend what I did for mine; the potassium sulphate.

 

[Phil63]

Thanks for the help. Like I say, I'm already dosing that in the water column so I'll give the root tabs a go. Thanks for the help. I'll let you know how I get on