# Plant nutrient deficiency?



## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Hi all! I have a few problems with my lace java fern, needle java fern and water sprite. The LJF and NJF have holes in them and i was wondering could it be some sort of nutrient deficiency or what. Whereas the water sprite is browning along the leaf edge.

I dose seachem iron daily, potassium weekly and trace weekly. I dont keep any plecos but do have a couple of otocinclus and zebra nerites.

Lighting: 24w on a 17 gallon.
Filtration: Aquaclear 50
Currently facing brown algae, film algae and green spot algae.

Tank is cycled, thanks if anyone can help me :red_mouth


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

Often times this is a textbook example of potassium deficiency. Id up your dosage. A possible problem could also be if your dosing csm+b or iron at the same time as your kh2po4 (mono potassium phosphate). You need to dose these 15 minutes apart. I dose all my ferts except csm+b and iron chelate first and dose the remaining 15 minutes later. Has to do with the iron dissolving something in the kh2po4 before it reaches the plants causing a deficiency. Good luck!

Ps ottos and nerites won't touch your plants!


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

why do you dose iron daily which is a micro nutrient and potassium weekly which is a macro nutrient?


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

I do see that your profile photo is a bolivian ram. If they are in your tank just an fyi they love to eat delicate plants.

Also your only getting 1.4 wpg of light you need more lighting. Without adequate light those plants won't absorb excess fertilizers they will just burn. Up your wattages.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

If you aren't dosing nitrogen and phosphorus perhaps a bit is needed by the plants even though your tank isn't super bright. 

Green spot algae is much reduced in my tank when phosphate is just right. Diatoms ought to be munched up by the otos. I am not sure just what film algae is, green dust or blue green?


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Oo thanks all, I didn't know I should wait 15 min. I'm a bit confused here. I remembered a website saying that iron needs to be dosed daily to maintain the iron level in tha tank as it becomes something after 6hrs. So how often do i dose iron and potassium? My water sprites sends out a new shoot everyday but the older leaves get brown and drop off; quite a hassle trimming every week  Some sites said that water sprite is a low light plant but some said it was a high light plant. Wahhh..confused. 
Ps: The anubias and brazilian pennywort seems fine.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

It's beside the point, but 24 watts tells us nothing. Incandescent, CFL, PC, T12, VHO, MH, T8, T5NO, T5HO? Reflector type? Height above tank? As an example, 24 watts of naked incandescent bulb a foot above the tank is a *tiny* fraction of the light that a 24w T5HO bulb with good reflector directly over the tank puts out.

But, really, as long as you're getting growth, it doesn't matter in this case - it's enough. I'd suggest adding nitrates in the form of KNO3 to the mix, in case fish waste (which, in very low light tanks, is the primary source of nitrates) isn't cutting it, as well as KH2PO4 (phosphates). In addition, DIY CO2 may be helpful.

For more info on fertilizers, read the stickies in the fertilizers and water parameters forum on this site. Good luck!

By the way, I agree with Rock - the daily iron is unnecessary. Some iron might be useful (though probably not necessary), but daily? Waste of money.


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

oh, the thin film seems to be translucent white but it may have a thinge of brown (diatoms?). I do not know what came over the otocinclus. They use to be actively swimming around cleaning my tank but however they are now staying still at a spot on the glass (not sure if they are ill or stressed or wat).


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

Look up the rex grigg fert calculator on google. His website is very informative. I dose all my fertilizers every monday wednesday friday and after water changes. I change 50% of the water every week. Very important to do weekly water changes for plant and fish health. You need to dose kno3 kh2po4 CSM+B and sometimes k2so4. Co2 is quite helpful too. Even DIY yeast co2 can make a huge difference in the amount of nutrients your plants absorb. Ps diatoms can be a sign of bad feet dosing. Mollies sure love it though!


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Tanks! (no pun indeed) My lighting is T5 high output 12000k. My aquarium depth is 15 inches. The LFS recommended the 12000k tubes, saying that it is good for plants. Do most of you here use the 6500k tubes? And wat is CSM+B here (noob Qn)?


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

A micro nutrient mix of dry ferts. Aquariumfertilizer.com.


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

Ps I have 4.8 wpg of light and my plants are ridiculous! You can never have too much light(almost)!


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

12k is fine. Honestly plants won't care if it's 4k or 12k. You'll notice a big difference in how it looks, but that's only in how the bulb color makes things look.

CSM+B is just a trace mix.


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Do you recommend seachem trace or flourish/excel or basically any of their liquid fert products?


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

i recommend dry fertz because they are cheaper and just as easy to add to your tank


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Plantex CSM+boron is not usually found in Singapore, finding an alternative now


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## zoea (May 6, 2011)

I order it online from the website I posted. The 1lb you get there lasts forever. Ps I get most of my plants from Singapore!


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Thanks, learned a great deal here . Haha, those chemicals doesnt seem to be common in lfs in singapore.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

No, you won't find dry chems in a LFS. However, Seachem has a line of liquid nitrates, phosphates, and sulfates, as well as trace. And a well-stocked LFS may have them all. Possibly.


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

So, is the browning at the leaf edge melting? What is causing this (low light or).


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## m4s4mur4 (Apr 29, 2010)

i think its due to the low potassium. of the macro nutrients i think plants need that the most. i might be wrong but i still dose potassium x2 a week and i haven't seen a brown or yellow leaf in awhile.


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

I really think it's *NOT* potassium. Why does everyone say potassium on their first guess??? I think it's either CO2 or phosphorous which is really indicated by the leaves being reabsorbed from the tips and middles.


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

Wah, confused..can someone enlighten me pls? Which is used up faster? Nitrates or phospates or potassium? Is green spot algae a symptom of low phosphates levels?


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Sounds like you add lots of traces and not enough macros. ( N,P,K. ) Just find a plant food like TetraPond Lilygro and add a little. If you can’t find a similar product at the Aquarium shop try a Nursery or Pond place. Some thing like that should work. Start with just a small amount.


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Rockhoe14er said:


> i recommend dry fertz because they are cheaper and just as easy to add to your tank


Yes, but for a new person, it may be a little advanced for them. I'd suggest you try pfertz or rootmedic first, then when you know more about ferts, and see the effects of the ferts, than try dry ferts.


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

My current dosing did the plants well and they were flourishing the past 8 month but things took a downturn now


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