Scarlet temple seems to slowly dying

[Andy Aqt]

Hi everyone,

I have a 4 weeks old 65 gallon planted tank with some Scarlet Temple from co-op. This is my first attempt at keeping red aquarium plants so I know I must have done something wrong here.

Initially the plant was blooming with the deep red color with new roots shooting out and I love it. This is before the tank is completely cycle as well.

but for the past 2.5 weeks the plants slowly turn into its current state, and I am more curious regarding the situation than frustrated as other “green” plants are all thriving. I added a few more red stem plant and dose some Flourish Iron by Seachem 7 days ago and other red plants also turn more green. I have potted dirt under sand as my gravel and I dose two pumps of easy green every other day as well. For light, I have 3hrs on 6hrs off then 4.5hrs on then off till 9am, I also have CO2 for the same period of time.

I hope that I can still save the Scarlet Temples and looking forward to hear your suggestions.

Thank you

[Mmiller2001]

My first guess is too little light. What kind of light do you have? Also, you are under dosing EG for such a large tank.

It's not unheard of, but doing a siesta while injecting CO2 is unusual. Are you fighting algae?

What's your GH and KH?

How are you measuring CO2?

[Torrey]

@Andy Aqt I defer to @Mmiller2001 & @Seattle_Aquarist when it comes to CO2. They have consistently been the quickest & most reliable to respond and have really accurate advice. 

Good luck, I'm confident they will help you get your ST back into great health!

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 3/3/2022 at 5:14 PM, Andy Aqt said:

Hi everyone,

I have a 4 weeks old 65 gallon planted tank with some Scarlet Temple from co-op. This is my first attempt at keeping red aquarium plants so I know I must have done something wrong here.

Initially the plant was blooming with the deep red color with new roots shooting out and I love it. This is before the tank is completely cycle as well.

but for the past 2.5 weeks the plants slowly turn into its current state, and I am more curious regarding the situation than frustrated as other “green” plants are all thriving. I added a few more red stem plant and dose some Flourish Iron by Seachem 7 days ago and other red plants also turn more green. I have potted dirt under sand as my gravel and I dose two pumps of easy green every other day as well. For light, I have 3hrs on 6hrs off then 4.5hrs on then off till 9am, I also have CO2 for the same period of time.

I hope that I can still save the Scarlet Temples and looking forward to hear your suggestions.

Thank you

Hi @Andy Aqt

@Mmiller2001is correct that you seem to be under-dosing your Easy Green, for medium light tanks 1 pump per 10 gallons twice a week is the recommended dose.  Also, your green plants are also suffering, notice how the older leaves are turning brown.  I also see "cupping" of the leaves of your Alternanthera reineckii.  Alternanthera reineckii is not the easiest plant to grow well to begin with but the older leaves on your green plants shouldn't look that bad with the 'bronzing' (see arrow).  Since both older seem to be suffering that would indicate one or more of the mobile nutrients is unavailable.  That would include all of the macro-nutrients as well as magnesium and some of the micro-nutrients.  I would start by dosing at least the recommended amount (6 pumps 2X per week) and you may need to go higher than that with high light and CO2.

Do you have any water parameter information?  pH, dKH. dGH; nitrates (ppm)

Are you doing weekly water changes to replenish the nutrients the plants are utilizing from your water?

I too run CO2 on a split period, 2 hours in the AM and 2.5 hours in the evening but I run my CO2 24 hours a day.  What light are you running on that 65 gallon?  -Roy

[JoeQ]

I'm not a co2 guy so I am not the best authority, but I an AR guy. All of your plants are incredibly stressed, ST is usually a first to show this and seems the worse for wear. Its likely a combination of light and nutrients, for example im running a 36g bowfront, without co2, i run my lights 14.5h a day at about 40% and dose a fertilizer higher in nitrogen 1ml a day then alternate iron 1 ml a day (depending on plant conditions). I water change every 2 weeks, on the days after water change they get 2ml of fert and 2ml of iron to start the cycle. I would think with a 65gallon using co2 and using Ez green you should be dosing atleast double or even triple what im dosing! 

Edited March 4, 2022 by JoeQ

[gjcarew]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:06 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @Andy Aqt

@Mmiller2001is correct that you seem to be under-dosing your Easy Green, for medium light tanks 1 pump per 10 gallons twice a week is the recommended dose.  Also, your green plants are also suffering, notice how the older leaves are turning brown.  I also see "cupping" of the leaves of your Alternanthera reineckii.  Alternanthera reineckii is not the easiest plant to grow well to begin with but the older leaves on your green plants shouldn't look that bad with the 'bronzing' (see arrow).  Since both older seem to be suffering that would indicate one or more of the mobile nutrients is unavailable.  That would include all of the macro-nutrients as well as magnesium and some of the micro-nutrients.  I would start by dosing at least the recommended amount (6 pumps 2X per week) and you may need to go higher than that with high light and CO2.

Do you have any water parameter information?  pH, dKH. dGH; nitrates (ppm)

Are you doing weekly water changes to replenish the nutrients the plants are utilizing from your water?

I too run CO2 on a split period, 2 hours in the AM and 2.5 hours in the evening but I run my CO2 24 hours a day.  What light are you running on that 65 gallon?  -Roy

The plant on the left looks like ludwigia palustris (or maybe ludwigia repens), which under most conditions is a deep red plant. My guess is the brownish leaves that @Seattle_Aquarist pointed out were grown under higher light, maybe at the store, and you're seeing green tops due to pretty severe lack of light. That could also lead to all the lower leaves on the scarlet temple dying back.

[JoeQ]

The Ludwigia should be Ludwigia Ovalis, and the browing is from lack of light, the proof is here is a current picture of mine. Notice the plants right under the light are lush while the one only a foot away has brown leaves and black beard (healthy plants are the best way to inhibit algea)