Minanora Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 (edited) My first thought is potassium deficiency but I've never kept Hygrophila Pinnatifida before. This has been planted for three weeks. I've been keeping ferts pretty low since I was fighting algae. Edited April 28, 2022 by Minanora Updated title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 I have a lot of Java Ferns... If this is a potassium deficiency, does this mean I won't be able to dose fertilizers with an all in one like easy green? I hadn't changed the water in three days, maybe 3... I'd need to check my other thread to be sure. I added a full dose of easy green yesterday. Nitrates were at 30 today before a 65% water change. I did a half dose of easy green after the water change and added easy root tabs near the heavy root feeders. So there is a single tab near the Hygrophila Pinnatifida sections now. Used the tabs very sparingly since the plants have only been in for three weeks. Should I add more? I'm going to check nitrates tomorrow morning as well. I don't have a potassium test kit unfortunately. I mention nitrates because I worry that using an all in one to raise potassium will raise nitrates too high. Or am I safe since the hair algae is receding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Hi @Minanora Besides 30 ppm nitrates what are your other water parameters please? pH, dKH, dGH -Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 On 4/27/2022 at 9:29 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said: Hi @Minanora Besides 30 ppm nitrates what are your other water parameters please? pH, dKH, dGH -Roy pH changes through the day. Right now it's 6.8 CO2 has been on since 4. KH 11° GH 18° Nitrate is just under 10ppm after the water change and adding 4 pumps of easy green. I added 9 root tabs spread across the tank where my crypts are and other root feeders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Hi @Minanora It appears your light dosing of nutrients is resulting in insufficient iron. I took your second picture, enhanced and enlarged it and added an arrow. Do you see the dark leaf veins and lighter interveinal areas on the new leaf? Interveinal chlorosis. If a tank is running high nitrates and we cut back on the dosing level of any All-in-One fertilizer this can be the result. You may also have an issue with insufficient potassium as well. Pick up some Seachem Flourish Iron and Seachem Flourish Potassium and dose as directed. Please show us the results in a couple of weeks when new growth emerges. -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 @Seattle_Aquarist Thank you, Roy. Is the Seachem Iron going to be better to use than the Easy Iron product? I've also encountered a few tufts of staghorn algae; is dosing iron going to be an issue? I've also seen a few tiny attempts being made by bba. But I hit them with some h2o2 twice and haven't seen any since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Hi @Minanora Seachem iron, made from ferrous gluconate is more easily (i.e. quickly) absorbed by plants than DTPA iron (as in Easy Green) however, DTPA iron stays in suspension longer so it is available to plants for a longer period of time. Both should be able to do the job. I am not aware of a study detailing a correlation of algae and iron dosage. -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 On 4/28/2022 at 4:06 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said: Hi @Minanora Seachem iron, made from ferrous gluconate is more easily (i.e. quickly) absorbed by plants than DTPA iron (as in Easy Green) however, DTPA iron stays in suspension longer so it is available to plants for a longer period of time. Both should be able to do the job. I am not aware of a study detailing a correlation of algae and iron dosage. -Roy Thank you so much Roy! I truly appreciate your guidance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 @Seattle_Aquarist One more thing! If I'm dosing potassium and iron in this manner, how should I go about dosing micros? There are a lot to choose from.... I'm just looking for a recommendation that doesn't include extra iron or nitrogen. My current micro fert is the Fluval Gro+ micro. It has a bit of macros, and iron. I was thinking about picking up Seachem Trace tomorrow from my lfs. I'm going to go ahead and have my house sitters dose ferts once a week (for two weeks total) while we're on vacation, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 On 4/28/2022 at 8:05 PM, Minanora said: @Seattle_Aquarist One more thing! If I'm dosing potassium and iron in this manner, how should I go about dosing micros? There are a lot to choose from.... I'm just looking for a recommendation that doesn't include extra iron or nitrogen. My current micro fert is the Fluval Gro+ micro. It has a bit of macros, and iron. I was thinking about picking up Seachem Trace tomorrow from my lfs. I'm going to go ahead and have my house sitters dose ferts once a week (for two weeks total) while we're on vacation, Hi @Minanora Skip the Seachem Trace, pick up Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, much better for the micro-nutrients the plants need the most including some calcium and magnesium. I use it to supplement my micros. Also, the iron included in Comprehensive is ferrous gluconate not chelated iron like Fluval Gro+. Once you use up the Grow+ go to using Seachem Comprehensive for your micros. -Roy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 On 4/28/2022 at 9:18 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said: Hi @Minanora Skip the Seachem Trace, pick up Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, much better for the micro-nutrients the plants need the most including some calcium and magnesium. I use it to supplement my micros. Also, the iron included in Comprehensive is ferrous gluconate not chelated iron like Fluval Gro+. Once you use up the Grow+ go to using Seachem Comprehensive for your micros. -Roy Without your help I'm sure I'd have many more grey hairs. Lol! I'm the only employee at my company... I'm about to go on vacation for two weeks and I wear soooo many hats. I've been at my wits end trying to get my 75 dialed in for our house sitters and taking care of my son, and working, and the garden. Thank you again, Sir. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Hi Minanora, When we go on vacation I ask the "fish sitter" to come in every two days. I cut the photoperiod back on my tanks by about 40% and time lights for convenience of "fish sitter". I don't fertilize. The fish sitter comes in and adds 2 cubes, 1 cube, or 1/2 cube of frozen brine or tubifex to each tank - takes them 10 minutes tops. Fish do fine, plants grow more slowly, when I get home I trim my plants, do a water change, put lighting back to normal and look at pictures from my vacation. -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 On 4/29/2022 at 7:05 AM, Seattle_Aquarist said: Hi Minanora, When we go on vacation I ask the "fish sitter" to come in every two days. I cut the photoperiod back on my tanks by about 40% and time lights for convenience of "fish sitter". I don't fertilize. The fish sitter comes in and adds 2 cubes, 1 cube, or 1/2 cube of frozen brine or tubifex to each tank - takes them 10 minutes tops. Fish do fine, plants grow more slowly, when I get home I trim my plants, do a water change, put lighting back to normal and look at pictures from my vacation. -Roy That's a good routine. Do you let your co2 run while you're on vacation? Our house sitters are probably going to be staying at our house while we're gone. We have dogs that do not do well without someone around. Our house sitters are family. They have a roommate and are looking forward to having a break from sharing space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Hi @Minanora My CO2 runs 24/7/365. Enjoy your vacation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 @Seattle_Aquarist While I was doing my last water change today I did see these java ferns showing signs of deficiency. Iron? Honestly it looks like most plants are suffering from a deficiency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 Hi @Minanora Some of those leaves look more like physical damage but the spots of necrosis on the older leaves would indicate insufficient available potassium (k). -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 @Seattle_Aquarist well I guess it's a good thing we both concluded that I should supplement potassium outside of an all in one! I had a feeling that K would be an issue after I added a ton, like, a LOT of java ferns .... then listened to @Bentley Pascoe's talks about how K thirsty java fern is.... Plants! so feisty. So needy. >.> Well. I'll feed them some K and Iron before we leave for vacation on Sunday am. It'll be fine. Ty so much for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 Hi @Minanora When we cut back on an All-in-One to keep our nitrates (NO3) in check we also cut back on all the other nutrients as well opening the door for deficiency symptoms. I've known @Bentley Pascoefor years......great guy! Saw him at the big GSAS.org Spring Auction last weekend. -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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