Sad Looking Anubias…Maybe?

[Zac]

Hey all,

Here’s a photo of my anubias. The old leaves look a little wilted and dark. Not sure if there is some sort of deficiency going on here. I’m not running CO2 currently. My light is on 7 hours a day at 90% brightness. I dose easy green twice a week. My nitrates are between 10-30ppm. It’s difficult for me to read the API oranges on the chart. It’s growing new leaves and isn’t rotting at all or turning brown/yellow. I believe the lighting is making it look yellowish along with the tannins. The stems and leave still seem sturdy. I’ve had this anubias for probably a year or so. It’s not new…but I’d like to make it look more bright and vibrant if I can

Any suggestions as to what’s going on?

Edited July 31, 2023 by Zac

[Fish Folk]

Doesn't look too bad to me. You might be dealing with an excess of available nutrients leading to a slight diatom algae bloom. Maybe trim the feedings back to once a week. Remember that Anubias is a  S.  L.  O.  W.  growing plant compared to stem plants. "Feeding" it heavily with ferts will not make it grow much faster.

[Zac]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:40 PM, Fish Folk said:

Doesn't look too bad to me. You might be dealing with an excess of available nutrients leading to a slight diatom algae bloom. Maybe trim the feedings back to once a week. Remember that Anubias is a  S.  L.  O.  W.  growing plant compared to stem plants. "Feeding" it heavily with ferts will not make it grow much faster.

I have frogbit and duckweed as well. Should I still try to lower my feet schedule?

[Fish Folk]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:44 PM, Zac said:

I have frogbit and duckweed as well. Should I still try to lower my feet schedule?

I'd ditch the duckweed entirely, or clean it all out weekly. I use this kind of a tool (search "aquascaping net"

With desirable floaters, you might consider building a floating ring out of airline, and putting your red-root floaters all _inside_ the ring. I'm guessing your Anubias is struggling with getting enough light with the surface covered over. I might be wrong. Just a theory.

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Fish Folk

[Zac]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:50 PM, Fish Folk said:

I'd ditch the duckweed entirely, or clean it all out weekly. I use this kind of a tool (search "aquascaping net"

With desirable floaters, you might consider building a floating ring out of airline, and putting your red-root floaters all _inside_ the ring. I'm guessing your Anubias is struggling with getting enough light with the surface covered over. I might be wrong. Just a theory.

 

Could I just superglue the ends of the airline tubing together to make a ring?

Edited July 31, 2023 by Zac

[Fish Folk]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:57 PM, Zac said:

Could I just superglue the ends of the airline tubing together to make a ring?

absolutely. you just want it air-tight so that it floats. It locks floating plant surface area into corrals so that light non-penetration is not pervasive.