Lush ferts from eBay?

[Delapool]

For lighting I have got 2 x 30watts light they are called daylight deluxe and I run them from 1:30 to 11 so around 9 and half hours a day.
As for how deep it is it's around 45cm +/- 5 or 10cm depending on height of plants but it's a 200 litre tank

Yeah I don't add any co2 to the tank only what the fish give off and as for the holes they are more of cuts around the top of the leaves I don't get any brown spots only yellowing and the leaves dying away :/

I mean at the moment I am adding clay peat to the substrate under the roots of the plants but I don't think they are making much of a difference

You says it's a potassium issue but how can you tell the difference between and iron and potassium issue as don't you get yellowing with both?

I've found potassium the first element to be short on. Micro ferts like iron I'd suspect you already have in water and substrate tabs. Plus these are micro ferts so not much is needed.

Nitrates and phosphates would be nice to have readings but they will be coming from fish waste (unless you are doing very large water changes). Since potassium is a macro fert that would be my suspect. This will show on lower leaves first as potassium is mobile and the plant can pull it up to new growth. I always see it on lower leaves - curled, yellowing, holes, etc.

Iron isn't as mobile I've read and will show as deficiency on new leaves. Yet to see it.

http://aquarium-fertilizer.com/aquatic-plant-deficiency

I'd add liquid carbon (start at half dose to allow plants to adjust) as adding any extra carbon will help. You should be able to dose 2 x eventually with no issues (I dose 4 x).

Substrate ferts and clay tabs still to improve that and something like API leaf zone which has potassium (plus iron).

No algae at substrate says your light isn't very strong. I don't know if those are low or high light plants. I'd try the liquid carbon first up.

If the bulbs(?) are over a year old probably not getting much output now.

Edit - to sum all that up:

Substrate - anything to keep improving it will help. I've grown nice plants in potted soil.

Ferts / CO2 - any extra carbon will help eg liquid carbon. If getting growth but leaf issues I'd try dosing more potassium.

No growth / no algae - would suspect lights not strong enough for plants. See how old bulbs are.

Some thoughts from a brown thumb

 

[bhavik95]

I've found potassium the first element to be short on. Micro ferts like iron I'd suspect you already have in water and substrate tabs. Plus these are micro ferts so not much is needed.

Nitrates and phosphates would be nice to have readings but they will be coming from fish waste (unless you are doing very large water changes). Since potassium is a macro fert that would be my suspect. This will show on lower leaves first as potassium is mobile and the plant can pull it up to new growth. I always see it on lower leaves - curled, yellowing, holes, etc.

Iron isn't as mobile I've read and will show as deficiency on new leaves. Yet to see it.

http://aquarium-fertilizer.com/aquatic-plant-deficiency

I'd add liquid carbon (start at half dose to allow plants to adjust) as adding any extra carbon will help. You should be able to dose 2 x eventually with no issues (I dose 4 x).

Substrate ferts and clay tabs still to improve that and something like API leaf zone which has potassium (plus iron).

No algae at substrate says your light isn't very strong. I don't know if those are low or high light plants. I'd try the liquid carbon first up.

If the bulbs(?) are over a year old probably not getting much output now.

Edit - to sum all that up:

Substrate - anything to keep improving it will help. I've grown nice plants in potted soil.

Ferts / CO2 - any extra carbon will help eg liquid carbon. If getting growth but leaf issues I'd try dosing more potassium.

No growth / no algae - would suspect lights not strong enough for plants. See how old bulbs are.

Some thoughts from a brown thumb

Thank you very much for that! It has really helped! I think I will have a look at getting some liquid carbon and dosing that? I have an air stone running in my tank will that effect the liquid co2 that I will start to dose?

Also when you say potting soil do you mean the normal soil you use to pot plants in the garden or general out door plants?

As for the potassium can I buy dry salts from eBay? And would I just add this to a bottle of water and dose?

Well I don't think they are very strong I have 2 x 30 watts bulbs

 

[Delapool]

The bulbs didn't sound strong to me but under a low light tank, growth might be slow anyways.

I'll have to do another par reading on mine. I'd say bulbs need replacing every 6 to 9 months. If the bulbs are over a year old, you could replace one and see if it makes a difference.

The air stone is fine to use with liquid carbon. Liquid carbon will help but it's just a daily dose, plants won't get same growth as injected CO2 (still it will definitely be helpful).

I just used normal soil to potting mix. The best one I found was potting mix for seedlings. But this was growing plants in little pots in tank. On yours I'd just keep adding clay and ferts tabs to substrate.

 

[bhavik95]

It might be slow but before I had done a major trimming of the plants and 1-2 major water changes they have really slowed down as before they were kind of growing like weeds :/

Yeah I might go an buy some better bulbs

Yeah I understand but I don't really thing there is any point in me getting injected with the plants I have got plus it would be quite expensive

That's fine but I don't know I feel like the root tabs or the clay peat don't seem like making a difference :/
I was thinking of getting the api tabs as like you said it has potassium and iron would you think that would work? Have you tried them?

 

[Bert2oo1]

It might be slow but before I had done a major trimming of the plants and 1-2 major water changes they have really slowed down as before they were kind of growing like weeds :/

Yeah I might go an buy some better bulbs

Yeah I understand but I don't really thing there is any point in me getting injected with the plants I have got plus it would be quite expensive

That's fine but I don't know I feel like the root tabs or the clay peat don't seem like making a difference :/
I was thinking of getting the api tabs as like you said it has potassium and iron would you think that would work? Have you tried them?

Why not buy a set of dry ferts and dose low light PPS pro? Then you will have no issues at all. No need for pressurised with a low light tank. If you dose everything the plants need and they still look bad you know it's a light issue. If you ask me lighting should be the last thing you look at.

 

[bhavik95]

Hi I had a look at dry ferts but I don't know how I would go about putting them in my tank

At the moment I think I have a potassium deficiency and I thinking of get a dry salt for potassium but how would I add that to my tank and how much would I add?