Holes in crypt leaves

[TXaggie]

When doing my WC tonight, I realized that some of my crypts have started to develop holes in the leaves or ragged edges. Not sure what's causing it, I haven't changed anything about the tank except starting to try to bring up the amount of Excel that I'm dosing slowly.

29g tank
Finnex Fugeray
Eco-complete
Root tabs (aquariumplants.com) - just redosed these today
Flourish 2.5 mL semiweekly
Excel 2.7 mL - 3.0 mL daily although I forget a day at least once a week...
bi-weekly water changes (nitrates usually get to about 20 ppm)

pics of the crypts:

Any ideas about what might be causing this? Is it even something I should be worried about? One thing I've learned in the last year and a half of aquarium keeping is to try to head off problems at the pass....

 

[dwayne.aycock]

Holes in the plant are a sign of nutrient deficiency. Crypts need a combination of micro and macro ferts. Adding a root tab should take care of the problem.
D

 

[TXaggie]

Holes in the plant are a sign of nutrient deficiency. Crypts need a combination of micro and macro ferts. Adding a root tab should take care of the problem.
D

Gotcha! That makes sense then, they were due for root tabs this week. I'll keep an eye out for that in the future.

 

[aqua_chem]

It looks almost definitely like a potassium deficiency to me.

 

[TXaggie]

It looks almost definitely like a potassium deficiency to me.

Hmmmm...so I'm using these tabs:

• TOTAL SUBSTRATE PELLETS

Total Pellets provide all essential macro and micronutrients for luxuriant Aquarium Plant Growth. Iron and other essential micronutrients are chelated to assure effective uptake by plants. (Total Pellets do not contribute to Phosphate levels.)
Directions: Inject one pellet under a single plant or group of plants within an area of 3in by 3in square. Inject no more than 1 pellet per each 3in by 3in area of aquarium bottom per month. Plants should be growing in at least 2in of substrate. With the injector angled at least 30 degrees off vertical, inject pellets into the substrate to about 1/2in under the plant root area.

Chemically Active Ingredients: Hydrated Magnesium sulfate, Potassium nitrate, Potassium sulfate, also trace amounts of; Cobalt EDTA, Copper EDTA, Iron EDTA, Magnesium EDTA, Zinc EDTA, Manganese sulfate, Sodium Borate, Sodium Molybdate, (Chelating Agent: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)

Physically Active Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3) Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CaCO3) Calcium Sulfate (CaSO42H2O)


Which look like K is one of the major nutrients provided. Do I just need to add more per plant? The instructions seem to imply bad things will happen if I put them too close together. Or just dose more often?


Ha, I keep wanting to have an easy answer to all my plant/aquarium issues but there seems to be no set answer that covers every situation....But I really love having a planted tank!


Thanks for helping with this.

 

[aqua_chem]

Those should fix the problem. When was the last time you added them before the most recent time?

 

[TXaggie]

4 - 6 weeks. I try to dose monthly, but I'm a little scatterbrained right now. So I may have just been a little late dosing. But if I continue I have the issue if I'm dosing monthly, how often can I repeat it?

 

[aqua_chem]

That seems like a good schedule actually. Is this in all your plants or just a few?

 

[TXaggie]

Seems to only be affecting my large crypt wendetii up in the front of my tank. Maybe they need more than one root tab each?

 

[aqua_chem]

Or he didn't get one/get enough on the last pass. Either way, put on right under him and he'll probably do fine.

 

[TXaggie]

Thanks, I'll just be sure I'm dosing all of them then.