plant nutrient deficiency

[triguy]

Can someone help me out with this plant? Based on Cory's article on plant nutrition it looks like a phosphate deficiency but I have a ton of guppies in this tank so I struggle to think there's a phosphate deficiency but I could be wrong. I dose flourish, potassium, nitrogen and I just started using liquid carbon and iron. The plant is attached to driftwood so root tabs cannot be used. Thanks

Plant Nutrition - Aquarium Co-Op

 

[Mmiller2001]

Do you know the ppm you are dosing on your Macros?

[triguy]

I'm not sure the PPM, just whatever dosing is appropriate for a 20 gallon tank based on seachem concentrations.

[Mmiller2001]

2 minutes ago, triguy said:

I'm not sure the PPM, just whatever dosing is appropriate for a 20 gallon tank based on seachem concentrations.

How much are you adding per dose and what is your dosing schedule. Looks like Macro deficiencies.

[triguy]

Flourish, potassium and nitrogen 2x/week and liquid carbon and iron roughly every other day. If I'm already dosing potassium and nitrogen, seems like it might be a phosphate deficiency despite having plenty of guppies in the tank. Is phosphorous the same as phosphates? Would dosing seachem phosphorous help in this case? Thanks for your help!

[Mmiller2001]

1 minute ago, triguy said:

Flourish, potassium and nitrogen 2x/week and liquid carbon and iron roughly every other day. If I'm already dosing potassium and nitrogen, seems like it might be a phosphate deficiency despite having plenty of guppies in the tank. Is phosphorous the same as phosphates? Would dosing seachem phosphorous help in this case? Thanks for your help!

How many ml of each per dose?

Phosphorus is the actual element and phosphates are the inorganic form of phosphorus.

Are you dosing Seachem flourish or flourish nitrogen and flourish potassium?

What are your nitrates testing at?

[triguy]

Flourish (comprehensive supplement) 2 ML

Flourish nitrogen 1.25ML

Flourish potassium 3-4ML

Nitrates are between 40-80 PPM. API master test kit isn't very clear at that range.

[Mmiller2001]

7 hours ago, triguy said:

Flourish (comprehensive supplement) 2 ML

Flourish nitrogen 1.25ML

Flourish potassium 3-4ML

Nitrates are between 40-80 PPM. API master test kit isn't very clear at that range.

Okay, I would stop dosing Nitrogen and we need to bump up potassium and add Phosphorus. 

I would dose 31.5ml per week of potassium. That's 20ppm K for the week. You can go all at once or spread it out over the week.

I would dose 38ml per week of Phosphorus. That's 2ppm P for the week.  All at once or over the week.

2ml of Flourish should be fine. That's .084ppm Fe. You will just have to watch and see.

Watch you nitrates and try to get them to 20-30ppm. If they dip below 20, we will resume Nitrogen dosing.

The advice above is dependent on a 50% water change per week. If you do less water changes, change the dose accordingly.

Flourish is a great product, but you may want to simplify with an "all in one" fertilizer. Flourish tends to get expensive in the long term. I recommend dry fertilizers, but it may be more effort than you want.

 

[triguy]

Thanks for your recommendation. How did you reach those dosings? I'm just curious as I'd like to eventually get to dry fertilizers but I realize I have a lot to learn about plant care and fertilizer schedules. Much appreciated!

[Mmiller2001]

31 minutes ago, triguy said:

Thanks for your recommendation. How did you reach those dosings? I'm just curious as I'd like to eventually get to dry fertilizers but I realize I have a lot to learn about plant care and fertilizer schedules. Much appreciated!

Certainly. Here you go.

https://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php

It's a bit confusing at first, but if you have any questions, just ask.

 

[triguy]

Thanks, so couple of questions

1) How do you measure the specific concentrations of macros and micros. The nitrate is easy because of the water test kit but what about for the others?

2) How do you adjust for the 25% weekly water change vs the 50% advised by rotala? Are there other links that show the actual calculations so I can make those adjustments?

Many thanks

[Mmiller2001]

16 minutes ago, triguy said:

Thanks, so couple of questions

1) How do you measure the specific concentrations of macros and micros. The nitrate is easy because of the water test kit but what about for the others?

2) How do you adjust for the 25% weekly water change vs the 50% advised by rotala? Are there other links that show the actual calculations so I can make those adjustments?

Many thanks

There are various test kits, but read here first.

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/fertilize-planted-tank

This explains how to calculate everything. He is using dry fertilizers, but all Flourish products are included in the calculator.

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/fertilize-planted-tank/mixing-dry-aquarium-fertilisers

If only doing 25% water changes. Reduce your dose by half. But I would really try to get 50% change in each week. 

I started EI dosing my low tech tank with 50% water changes, and I'm seeing major improvements. 

[triguy]

Incredible stuff. I clearly have lots of reading to do. What do you test for in your tanks? I assume besides the usual pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Thanks! GH, KH, phosphates? others?

Edited April 7, 2021 by triguy

[Mmiller2001]

13 hours ago, triguy said:

Incredible stuff. I clearly have lots of reading to do. What do you test for in your tanks? I assume besides the usual pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Thanks! GH, KH, phosphates? others?

I watch KH and GH above all things. I check Nitrates after water change to make sure nothing funny is going on. I have an API phosphate kit, but they aren't accurate and as such, it's mostly just to make sure nothing extreme is happening. For my co2 tanks, I check pH only to calculate ppm CO². In my low tech tanks, pH is irrelevant if KH is stable.

I also measure TDS in the high tech tanks. I would only check ammonia and nitrites if something seemed off. That "sense" comes with time. 

Potassium has been tested to be a non issue when overdosed. That said, don't go out of your way to overdose it!

Micros are still a grey area for me. I can point you to good information, so I won't advice you any more than, follow the directions on the product you choose.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[triguy]

Thanks a bunch. Do you have test kits you like better than others? I have the API master kit and was thinking of getting their KH/GH kit as well but I heard the SERA one is better because it's easier to read. Do you find some work better or are easier to read than others? Appreciate your feedback!

[Mmiller2001]

3 hours ago, triguy said:

Thanks a bunch. Do you have test kits you like better than others? I have the API master kit and was thinking of getting their KH/GH kit as well but I heard the SERA one is better because it's easier to read. Do you find some work better or are easier to read than others? Appreciate your feedback!

I've heard the same in regards to color change. But I use the API and haven't tried the others yet.

[BenA]

In my case the recommendation is for 45ml, id it daily or weekly? Please see below.

I feel like an idiot.

Thanks

 

CURRENT LANGUAGE:

 Czech Deutsch English Español Italiano 日本語 Lietuvių kalba Magyar Nederlands Polski Português do Brasil Română 

MY AQUARIUM IS:

 

Ltr  360

MY FERTILIZERS ARE:  PREMIXED

I AM DOSING WITH:   TNC Lite 

I AM CALCULATING FOR: EI daily 

ROUND TO DIGITS PAST DECIMAL:

 

To reach your target of 0.1ppm Fe you will need to add 45 milliliter (equivalent to 3 tbsp + 0 tsp + 1/8 tsp ) TNC Lite to your 360L aquarium to yield:

Element	ppm/degree
K	1.25
Mg	0.5
Fe	0.1
Mn	0.023
Cu	0.003
B	0.013
Zn	0.013
Mo	0.001

This is traditional EI reduced to daily dosing levels.

Edited April 7, 2021 by BenA

[Mmiller2001]

5 hours ago, BenA said:

In my case the recommendation is for 45ml, id it daily or weekly? Please see below.

I feel like an idiot.

Thanks

 

CURRENT LANGUAGE:

 Czech Deutsch English Español Italiano 日本語 Lietuvių kalba Magyar Nederlands Polski Português do Brasil Română 

MY AQUARIUM IS:

 

Ltr  360

MY FERTILIZERS ARE:  PREMIXED

I AM DOSING WITH:   TNC Lite 

I AM CALCULATING FOR: EI daily 

ROUND TO DIGITS PAST DECIMAL:

 

To reach your target of 0.1ppm Fe you will need to add 45 milliliter (equivalent to 3 tbsp + 0 tsp + 1/8 tsp ) TNC Lite to your 360L aquarium to yield:

Element	ppm/degree
K	1.25
Mg	0.5
Fe	0.1
Mn	0.023
Cu	0.003
B	0.013
Zn	0.013
Mo	0.001

This is traditional EI reduced to daily dosing levels.

That's per dose. If you want to dose, to that amount, 3 times a week, then divide your dose by 3. 

[anewbie]

The brown holes are typically potassium deficiency. Also for many of the micro nutrients a bit too much won't cause any harm (obviously an extreme overdose is bad for the fishes but they won't harm the plants or cause algae growth). 

[BenA]

Thank you.

I dose daily but it seems that I am 11ml. short which might explain why the Java Ferns are not doing very well. On the other hand I have started to see small amount of Green Spot Algae on the Anubias and glass.