Dark migration in Scarlett temple

[BF McUmber]

Hello all,  

I had ordered a Scarlett temple and it had 4 stems in it. I had 3 that looked great at the stems. I noticed one of them had a black rot that is creeping up the stem. The second picture is attempting to show the dark part. I figure i did something wrong and was wondering if someone could help me identify what it was.  

Also my monte carlo is having trouble getting out of the pot. It's slowly breaking apart and floating and the main kernel is getting smaller.  Is that normal?

Additional information: the scarlett temple Even when wasting away is making tiny leaves. Also two of them became translucent at the base and one broke off. As in the first picture.  I did get a little hair on the plants but turned the lights down and it has not progressed.  Ph=7.8, nitrate=20, temp 74, easy green 1.5 squirt per week. 4 weeks old.  

 

[Fish Folk]

10 hours ago, bwar said:

Hello all,  

I had ordered a Scarlett temple and it had 4 stems in it. I had 3 that looked great at the stems. I noticed one of them had a black rot that is creeping up the stem. The second picture is attempting to show the dark part. I figure i did something wrong and was wondering if someone could help me identify what it was.  

Also my monte carlo is having trouble getting out of the pot. It's slowly breaking apart and floating and the main kernel is getting smaller.  Is that normal?

Additional information: the scarlett temple Even when wasting away is making tiny leaves. Also two of them became translucent at the base and one broke off. As in the first picture.  I did get a little hair on the plants but turned the lights down and it has not progressed.  Ph=7.8, nitrate=20, temp 74, easy green 1.5 squirt per week. 4 weeks old.  

 

I wish I had a "solved!" bullet to hit this issue with. Unfortunately, we've struggled with Scarlet Temple many times. Here are some things to bear in mind:

(1) It is often grown immersed (out of water). Co Op _begins_ conversion to immersed, but the buyer will need to complete that process. This means that melt-back to some extent is normal and to be expected.

(2) Scarlet Temple does require high light. But in tanks without a well-established balance of light / photoperiod to plant growth, algae tends to show up fast. Scarlet Temple is prone to difficulty relating to algae coating which "chokes" its ability to properly photosynthesize.

(3) Nutrient-rich soil really helps Scarlet Temple thrive. Inert aquarium gravel in a newly established tank often lacks what this plant needs to thrive and spread.

(4) Scarlet Temple does seem to need regular dosing of fertilizers. Easy Green is excellent. However, with the red leaves, an iron supplement may also be helpful.

(5) Additionally, it may be that late which is too soft lacks needed minerals to promote its health.