# Ludwigia repens melting



## Postal Penguin (Mar 30, 2009)

My ludwigia repens seems to have a problem. The older growth turns a spotted brown color, the edges turn brown and then the leaf falls off. And the older growth is just relative, the top 3 or 4 leaf groups are fine and then the 5th one down is where it starts, getting progressively worse as you go down. The tops look beautiful and healthy then without fail as they age the leaves look worse and worse. Even older leaves that are still recieving full light wither away. 

I have Eco-complete, pressurized CO2, 2.4wpg of T5HO lighting, dose with FlourinMulti, Flourish Trace and Excel. I also dose nitrates to keep them around 5ppm. Does this sound like a specific deficiency(maybe nitrates?) or is it just what this plant does? I have heard hints that ludwigia is sensitive to Excel but I haven't been able to find out for sure. 

My rotala and radican sword in the same tank are exploding and growing with great speed.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Postal Penguin said:


> My ludwigia repens seems to have a problem. The older growth turns a spotted brown color, the edges turn brown and then the leaf falls off. And the older growth is just relative, the top 3 or 4 leaf groups are fine and then the 5th one down is where it starts, getting progressively worse as you go down. The tops look beautiful and healthy then without fail as they age the leaves look worse and worse. Even older leaves that are still recieving full light wither away.
> 
> I have Eco-complete, pressurized CO2, 2.4wpg of T5HO lighting, dose with FlourinMulti, Flourish Trace and Excel. I also dose nitrates to keep them around 5ppm. Does this sound like a specific deficiency(maybe nitrates?) or is it just what this plant does? I have heard hints that ludwigia is sensitive to Excel but I haven't been able to find out for sure.
> 
> My rotala and radican sword in the same tank are exploding and growing with great speed.



I have double dosed with Fluorish Excel in my tanks with ludwiga repens for over a year and have not noticed the ludwiga melt, so I am not convinced that ludwiga repens is sensitive to the effects of Excel. In fact in my 40 gallon where I dose 2x dose of Excel, the stuff grows like a weed and I have to trim it every week to keep it from choking out the tank's surface. I have already given away tons of it free to some locals.

With respect to your melting? Do you have a drop checker to give you an idea of the approximate C02 levels? How are you diffusing c02? It sounds like insufficient c02 which in part could be due to poor diffusion. One thing that I noticed is when I changed the way I diffused c02 from using a powerhead to using a reactor, all the plant growth including the ludwiga literally exploded. Even if your other plants are doing well, c02 competition among plants is not uncommon and well documented by Tom Barr.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

try dosing potassium as well.

And don't bunch them too close to each other. The bottom leaves get deprived of light and die off.


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## Postal Penguin (Mar 30, 2009)

CO2 is diffused through a ceramic diffuser. I just started the pressurized CO2 about a week ago so perhaps time will show a change in the growth. Before that I had DIY CO2 through the same diffuser.

I dont have a drop checker yet, its on the list but I have a pH controller and am slowly dropping the pH. Tap water is 7.8 and I am at 7.4 with CO2 injection. Plants are pearling, including the ludwigia, even the dead looking leaves. 

I may just hack it down and see if the new growth comes in better now that I have a better CO2 system, fert schedule, etc.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

This one is CO2, dosing is relatively easy to rule out, add it and then watch.
The plant melts readily if you adjust the CO2, I have had this plenty over the years and am well known when it comes to adjusting and tweaking CO2.

It grows like mad, then if you change the CO2, it starts to melt all over.
Lower nutrients might induce it, but higher ranges/non limiting ranges certainly do not.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## danakin (Jun 8, 2007)

My problem with my L Repens was Mg of all things. Dose a little bit of epsom salt with each water change, and it popped back.


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## wtaylor85 (Aug 28, 2012)

Im having the same problem with my Lugwigia repens. It has slow growth and only the top leaves look heathy... the lower leaves developed holes and melt away. Im changing my co2 defuser. Ill post to share if it helps


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

plantbrain said:


> This one is CO2, dosing is relatively easy to rule out, add it and then watch.
> The plant melts readily if you adjust the CO2, I have had this plenty over the years and am well known when it comes to adjusting and tweaking CO2.
> 
> It grows like mad, then if you change the CO2, it starts to melt all over.
> ...


I've never had this plant melt with co2 changes in my tank. odd

its gone through many cycles of poor nutrient dosing, poor co2, and nuke lighting to pitiful lighting but changes in co2 do little cause melting issues

it does not like to be trmmed anywhere close to the light in my tank as the leaves closest to the trim will form small holes and melt over time but this has been my only occurance


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

The only time I've had problems with Ludwigia Repens is when I had a phosphate deficiency, and it was affected before other plants were. Slow growth and decomposing lower leaves, just as wtaylor85 described. There is zero phosphate in Postal Penguin's fert regimen.

Never had it melt in response to Excel or CO2 changes.


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