nutrient deficiencies

[Native Keeper]

Hi everyone!

I recently noticed that my plants are abnormally colored. I know that this is caused by deficiencies. So, here's my question:

what should I be adding to the tanks for these plants? the two plants seen are in different tanks. Thx in advance!

[Guppysnail]

For the anubias I get those colored leaves sometimes. I just let them be they eventually turn green for me. I’m not a fertilizer user so I’m certain there is a better way. Just wanted to share that you may not need to do anything for those

[Native Keeper]

@Guppysnail, Anubias? I could've sworn it was Cryptocoryne, though I'm still kina new to the plant side of this hobby.

[Guppysnail]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:35 AM, HydraSlayer said:

@Guppysnail, Anubias? I could've sworn it was Cryptocoryne, though I'm still kina new to the plant side of this hobby.

🤣I have terrible eyes it’s probably a crypt. I have an anubias that looks identical and does the same thing. I age like fine wine but my eyes deteriorate like dry rotted corks 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Edited February 3, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi again @HydraSlayer

I can tell you what is happening but as to the cause I need more information.  What are you currently dosing for nutrients?  How much & how often?  What size tank? Also any water parameters you can share pH, dKH, dGH.  Thanks, -Roy

Edited February 3, 2022 by Seattle_Aquarist
added more info

[Native Keeper]

@Seattle_Aquarist, I dose it with Easy Green twice week, it's a 10 gallon tank, and I sadly cannot test the water right now; I misplaced my testkit and am still searching for it. 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @HydraSlayer

When you can provide a pH please let me know.
 -Roy

[Greg Stewart]

The first photo does look a lot like anubias glabra, but there are many species that look very similar.

Is it a brand new leaf, or is old and yellowing?

Anubias grow very pale new leaves. Crypts may also, but I have no experience with them. If it is an anubias, just let it grow, that leaf should darken as it matures.

The bottom photo could be a crypt, but I can't see what discolouration you're referring to. It's a bit blurry, and my eyes are horrible.

[Native Keeper]

@Greg Stewart, forgive me, I didn't take that photo very well, here's a better one of that plant, and yes I'm fairly certain it's a newer leaf.

 

[Greg Stewart]

@Native Keeper Is that a Crypt Wendtii? How long has it been in that tank?

The black spots look like melt. If it's new, it could be typical crypt melt adjusting to the water. If it's older, maybe something has changed in the water/tank. What's your water source? Did that change?

If you're dosing Easy Green and can't test for nitrAte at the moment, you can try the "EI" method... dose a crap-ton of Easy Green (for 10 gals i'd guess that's maybe 3 squirts several times a week? 😉 ) and do water changes daily. It's hugely wasteful in my opinion, but lots of people swear by it. EI (estimative index) dosing ensures that ample nutrients are in the water, but inhibits algae growth by removing the spores every day with the water changes.

Crypts, though, are sensitive to water quality changes. So, you might check your water source for issues if that plant has been with you a while.

You could also try cutting back the leaves and letting it start over. Crypts are good about that.

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Greg Stewart

[JoeQ]

I'm far from a nutrient expert but even the plants in the background don't look good. Are you sure this is just a nutrient problem and not a multifaceted (light, water and nutrient) problem? More info would help with that, such as:

 

Water parameters including temp, light mode and light schedule 

 

[Native Keeper]

@Greg Stewart, it is kind of new to the tank, may be in there for 3 weeks? it was actually in this tank with its original setup, but when we were in the process of taking it down, we didn't have places for the plants, so we just left them in the gravel along with 2 inches of water above the gravel. Once we cleaned this tank out fully, I moved all of the plants into multiple tanks. Then when I finally got to rescape this tank, I moved some of the crypts into it. That process you recommended, that seems like a little bit too much to do, thank you, but no thank you. I'll see how the plants do overtime and go from there. I have a topic on my account called "My Official Journal", I will likely leave updates on these plants there.

@JoeQ, the other plants you see are locally caught plants that I'm trying to grow so I can ID them properly. Every time I've collected them, they look like that, so my theory is that if I grow them in a tropical, nutrient filled environment (I collected them from a shallow, coldwater ditch), their true colors will show, and I'll be able to see what they are. But it could just be that that's their only coloration, only time will tell. On my account I have a topic named "My Official Journal", if anything happens with these plants I will likely put it on there.

[Mydonkeyfish]

Newer plants will melt or change color when getting used to a new environment. I would test for hardness and just keep dosing ferts!

[Greg Stewart]

On 2/4/2022 at 8:00 AM, Native Keeper said:

@Greg Stewart, it is kind of new to the tank, may be in there for 3 weeks?

This is probably the root of your problem. 2 to three weeks is exactly the time frame to see acclimation melt.

Many people actually trim off all the leaves for crypts and just let them grow acclimated leaves from the start.  The melt can have a negative impact on the water params, so if you don't have a test kit right now, that may be a safer thing to to do.

Yeah, the EI dosing is a lot. I don't do it. I don't like all that wastage. Over time you get a sense of what your plants like and don't like, and you can' test less often. But, for a new set up it's probably best to get a kit at your earliest convenience.

Plants take patience. So far these things look normal in your tank.