help me diagnose my plant problems?

[Masha]

Nitrates ate too low which will mean the same for phosphates.

Dose both of these. Low phos means green spot algae which you have on anubias.

Low nitrates can lead to bba. Which you have too.

If new growth is deformed it generally die to low micros.

Basically you need to get ferts and start dosing properly.

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I've just started using Seachem Excel and Seachem Flourish Comprehensive but unless I missed something, Flourish doesn't contain phosphates. Should I dose those separately as well?

I'm a little nervous of adding individual nutrients without really knowing what the nutrient makeup of the water is.

 

[aqua_chem]

Nitrates are too low which will mean the same for phosphates.

By no means is this a rule.

Dose both of these. Low phos means green spot algae which you have on anubias.

Not that much, and not enough to indicate a frank lack of phosphate. GSA tends to grow on anubias leaves regardless of phosphate levels. GSA on glass or fast growing plants is much more suggestive of phosphate problems.

Low nitrates can lead to bba. Which you have too.

Low nitrates cause BGA. BBA is unrelated to nitrates.

If new growth is deformed it generally die to low micros.

Agreed on this point.

 

[aqua_chem]

I've just started using Seachem Excel and Seachem Flourish Comprehensive but unless I missed something, Flourish doesn't contain phosphates. Should I dose those separately as well?

I would probably be prudent to dose macros based on what you've said, and with the emergent plants eating up nutrients. GreenLeafAquarium is a good place to find these for a reasonable price.

I'm a little nervous of adding individual nutrients without really knowing what the nutrient makeup of the water is.

I would feel a lot more comfortable about it. Relatively high levels of nutrients don't really cause much in the way of problems in a tank compared to low levels. If you're uncertain, you can start out low and slowly increase to make sure that the increased levels don't cause other shenanigan in the tank.

 

[Rivercats]

The OP is in South Africa so may or may not have problems finding dry ferts. She did say that the Seachem line is available.

 

[aqua_chem]

Dry ferts may be difficult to find, but there are alternatives. Phosphate, for instance, can be found in most drug stores (CVS or Walgreens in the states, no sure what the South African equivalent is) in the form of phosphate enemas such as Fleet enema. There's dosage directions floating somewhere out on the web, or we could work out something with the dosage on the back of the box if you can find that. Nitrates can usually be found stateside in the form of stump killers (usually granular potassium nitrate).

 

[Masha]

OK I'm going to read up a bit on the macros.
I might start with the Seachem version, and then move to dry ferts once I'm feeling a bit more sure of what I'm doing - I'm sure I can find something here.

 

[Masha]

Okay, I've had a quick read through the basics. Different sources list different things as macros! Anyway, from what I gather, the macros I should be focusing on are Potassium and Nitrogen. From the look of my plants, the fact that it is a low light tank, and my low nitrate levels, Potassium and Nitrogen are probably the things I should be increasing. Does that sound right?

I see that Seachem Flourish Comprehensive does include some Potassium: Soluble Potash 0.37% and total nitrogen is 0.07%

Since I've just started dosing with Flourish weekly, should I be adding anything else on top of that?

So far I've not seen the same brownish algae that I noticed before - I'm guessing this is because of the Excel I'm adding now. Not sure if that's because the plants are taking up the nutrients a bit better, or if the Excel is inhibiting algae growth in some other way.

 

[Rivercats]

Flourish Comp only has a tiny amount of potassium and nitrates. It contains mostly micro's.

Excel actually is a mild algaecide which is a bonus to using it.

 

[Masha]

Thanks Rivercats
I'll look into upping the Phosphates and Nitrogen in another way, then.

 

[Rivercats]

Thanks Rivercats
I'll look into upping the Phosphates and Nitrogen in another way, then.

Seachem makes both in liquids and you can monitor your levels with a nitrate and phosphate kit at the end of the week before a WC to see if you need to increase or decrease levels.

Here's a link you can look at see if anyone has anything to say about ferts when you have emersed plants in the tank.... Planted HOB thread.. The thread is really long but I found it to very interesting and I love how they look.

 

[Masha]

I'l have a look... That is one of my favourite threads on this forum. So inspiring!

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