# Elatine Hydropiper (mini glosso) is melting, why?



## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

I recently started a new 5g nano tank (no fish). I added new ADA aquasoil powder in the tank, flooded the tank, and planted the mini glosso at the same time. 

The mini glosso I got was submerged, co2, and fertz tank. So there were no DSM leaf melting.

I dose my 5g nano pps-pro at recommended dosing. For the first week I had this tank up I did a water change of 70-80% daily. Now I'm doing a 70-80% WC every other or 3 days. This tank has been up for about 1 month already.

I do inject co2 drop checker light green. Light on for 6 hrs with 2x39watt bulb but shared with other tanks in the roll. 

My mini glosso are growing but melting at the same time. For example, new leaf grows out and the older ones melt. So eventually the new leaf will melt off and there will be new leaf. 

What could this be?

Could it be that I have too much light?


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

If this is new aquasoil, its likely still leaching and burning the plant.


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

acitydweller said:


> If this is new aquasoil, its likely still leaching and burning the plant.


That is why I did a EC 70-80% daily until the ammonia stop leaching. Plus don't the ammonia convert to nitrate which the plant use.

BTW, for got to mentioned. I also have tonina fluviatilis, and rotala mini butterfly and they both are doing fine and growing with no melting.


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## Jalopy (Aug 11, 2013)

Is your photoperiod only 2 hours total?


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

Jalopy said:


> Is your photoperiod only 2 hours total?


oops, I made a type-o. Photoperiod total of 6hrs.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

I'd stop doing those crazy water changes. I've never had aquasoil "burn" plants, and I don't do WCs on a new aquasoil tank until I start EI when the cycle is complete.


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

This happens to everyone. How many tanks do you see with EH? I know of two that had a nice patch going, but that's it. Good luck.


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## Jalopy (Aug 11, 2013)

My glossos were melting until i upped my EI to show 30ppm of nitrate. Previously I had kept it at 10 to 15. Maybe EH just can't compete as efficiently for nutrients. What's your target for dosing EI?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

Jalopy said:


> My glossos were melting until i upped my EI to show 30ppm of nitrate. Previously I had kept it at 10 to 15. Maybe EH just can't compete as efficiently for nutrients. What's your target for dosing EI?
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


I don't know the ppm because I do not have a nitrate tester. I just double my dosing according to pps-pro chart. Do you think that I should put double the amount of K in my solution mix. The pps-pro recommend 6 grams of KH2PO4 in 500 ml solution with 0.5ml per 5gallon.


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## Jalopy (Aug 11, 2013)

Sorry, I missed the part about PPS-Pro in your first post. Ok, so using an online calculator plugging in the following:
6g Potassium Phosphate
500ml of water
5 gallon tank
0.5ml of the solution

You get 0.22ppm of phosphate and 0.09ppm of potassium. I'm not familiar with PPS-Pro. But it seems similar to EI except EI overdoses the fertilizer and you need to do a water change. 

Just as a comparison though here's what I dose every other day with EI: 0.52 ppm of potassium from potassium phosphate and 1.27ppm of phosphate. So that's Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (I have an all in one solution of micro and macro). I do a 20% water change on Sunday but that's just to suck up all the crap in the tank. By Sunday, I find that my plants have used up almost all the fertilizer so I don't need to do a water change if I don't want to. I have CO2 and 65 PARs on 6 hours a day. My target is 30ppm of nitrate which translate into 7.63ppm of phosphate and and 3.14ppm of potassium from just the potassium phosphate. I haven't calculated what my total ppm of potassium target is.

By the way, I have a 50 gallon planted tank so interpret the values I gave appropriately. When I was under dosing though, all my stem plants grew well but my glossos were melting and didn't grow. It just seemed like they are not as efficient as the other plants at sucking up fertilizer. 

Do you have any hair algae or green dust algae? If you do they might indicate low nutrient level or if you have a new tank possible ammonia spike.


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

Jalopy said:


> Sorry, I missed the part about PPS-Pro in your first post. Ok, so using an online calculator plugging in the following:
> 6g Potassium Phosphate
> 500ml of water
> 5 gallon tank
> ...


Right now my solution is does not contain 6g of potassium phosphate. It is at 3g as of now. I was saying if I double it then I would need to add 3g more in my solution to get 6g total.

So it looks like 6g of potassium phosphate is what I need to get 0.22ppm of potassium phosphate. I'm gonna go home to add 3g of potassium phosphate in my solution.

Lets see how my mini glosso do on that.

Thanks for you help!!


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## snowmonkey (Oct 3, 2013)

Im having some trouble with my dwarf glosso as well. the tops are growing at about an inch a week yet the bottom inch is brown and lifeless. im afraid to trim it since i would be trimming most of the living plant. using Fluval stratum substrate and Aquavitro supplements. nitrates around 10-20 ppm, pH at 6.4-6.6, kh of about 4. photoperiod of 14 hours with 3 two hour breaks spaced throughout to combat an algae problem.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

and how old is this tank setup?


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

acitydweller said:


> and how old is this tank setup?


1 month old


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

You need a stable tank for this plant.... it does not like change.... plenty of light and very good co2 circulation is a must...


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

KenRC51 said:


> I don't know the ppm because I do not have a nitrate tester. I just double my dosing according to pps-pro chart. Do you think that I should put double the amount of K in my solution mix. The pps-pro recommend 6 grams of KH2PO4 in 500 ml solution with 0.5ml per 5gallon.


I have a couple of nice rugs of it in my 180, high light, water column ferts, does not need ANYTHING from the soil. Antbug has seen mine and can back up this claim.

Tempo is also about 83F.

New AS will burn some plants. Standard EI or even higher is fine for this plant.
I do not think it's from the new soil though. More like, a new tank without the CO2 tweaked well.


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

plantbrain said:


> I have a couple of nice rugs of it in my 180, high light, water column ferts, does not need ANYTHING from the soil. Antbug has seen mine and can back up this claim.
> 
> Tempo is also about 83F.
> 
> ...


Thanks Tom! You think it's the temp problem? Right now it's in the low 70's
I just have my co2 on for 5 hours and it turn my drop checker to light green. You think that;s enough?


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

I wouldn't think so, considering this plant is found in the NE.


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## bigstick120 (May 23, 2005)

I havent found it difficult to grow. I trimmed mine and didnt do a great job getting all the tiny pieces and had it growing all over the wood that sticks out the top of my tank. Stability probably doesnt hurt.


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