Plants turning brown

[roydooms]

I just got home from a 2-day work.

My anubias are turning brown on the sides and my ludwigia ovalis are losing their leaves. Is it a deficiency? I just dosed the phosphorus now. I have root tabs, flourish, fe, NPK. Help!
I tested the water:
Nitrite:0ppm
Ammo: 0ppm
Nitrate:10ppm
pH: 7.6

 

[Tim Wheatley]

If it isn't a deficiency it could be diatoms. I've had that type of brown algae only grow on plants before, weirdly...

 

[roydooms]

If it isn't a deficiency it could be diatoms. I've had that type of brown algae only grow on plants before, weirdly...

Are you sure? Is that a type of algae? Why are the leaves falling off then? I tried to rub it off with my fingers and its not coming out.

 

[Coleallensmom]

I was wondering the same thing as Tim, but if it's algae- it should rub off.

Maybe this will help? Identifying Aquarium Plant Deficiencies | AquaticMagic Blog

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I wasn't able to rub it off the plants either. When it settled on them I think it killed the leaf by blocking the light to it. The only reason I knew it was diatoms was because it came and went at the same time on the surrounding glass, too.

Anyway, that's just one possibility... Have you checked whether any of the plants require an alternate type of food?

 

[roydooms]

I wasn't able to rub it off the plants either. When it settled on them I think it killed the leaf by blocking the light to it. The only reason I knew it was diatoms was because it came and went at the same time on the surrounding glass, too.

Anyway, that's just one possibility... Have you checked whether any of the plants require an alternate type of food?

The ones that I'm dosing now are the ones that they need. I just added the P. Maybe I bottomed out on that. Is too much light(hours) bad? I was thinking that the people that was home this weekend left the light for too long.

 

[BigJim]

I would bet that it's an algae on the anubias.

As for the ludwigia, losing leaves is usually a sign of insufficient light, expecially if it's the lowest leaves dropping first. Ludwigia ovalis is a medium to med-high light plant.

 

[hdultra]

Roy
Newly cycled tanks often have diatoms, a form of algae. I'll link you some info I wrote on this subject.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/the-diatoms-have-returned-need-solutions-140198.html

Read my post.

Hope this helps I went through the same thing. Here is some things you can do.

 

[roydooms]

I was wondering the same thing as Tim, but if it's algae- it should rub off.

Maybe this will help? Identifying Aquarium Plant Deficiencies | AquaticMagic Blog

I'm checking the link that you gave me. Thanks!

 

[roydooms]

I would bet that it's an algae on the anubias.

As for the ludwigia, losing leaves is usually a sign of insufficient light, expecially if it's the lowest leaves dropping first. Ludwigia ovalis is a medium to med-high light plant.

I should teach the people here the schedule of the lighting. It's usually just 2-65w 6700K. Then I turn on the other 2-65w 10,000K for 4 hours then turn it off leaving the 2-6700k on. Is that not enough?

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I would invest in some cheap timers. My lights go on and off all by themselves these days. I think they were $3 from Wal-mart.

 

[roydooms]

Roy
Newly cycled tanks often have diatoms, a form of algae. I'll link you some info I wrote on this subject.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/the-diatoms-have-returned-need-solutions-140198.html

Read my post.

Hope this helps I went through the same thing. Here is some things you can do.

Thanks. I'll check it out.

 

[roydooms]

I would invest in some cheap timers. My lights go on and off all by themselves these days. I think they were $3 from Wal-mart.

I've been planning to do that. I don't know, it just slips out of my mind. I'll do that right now before I forget(getting car keys).

 

[hdultra]

I was wondering the same thing as Tim, but if it's algae- it should rub off.

Maybe this will help? Identifying Aquarium Plant Deficiencies | AquaticMagic Blog

Good article, thanks for the read.

 

[fort384]

It looks like maybe you are leaving 2 of the bulbs on for 24 hrs a day? Is this the case?

I think if you run 2 bulbs for 8-10 hrs at a time, you should have enough light for your plants. I wouldn't switch on the other 2 bulbs much at all right now, until you look into upgrading to a pressurized cO2 system.

The java fern is normal... as leaves get older they will get black and brown spots on them... then they will start to grow little plantlets on them, and after the plantlets mature, the leaf will die completely.

As for the anubias... I think it might be algae as well. Very common in newly set up tanks.

I would be very cautious/careful about dosing P at this point. You aren't growing extremely demanding plants, and if you reduce the lighting to what I described, I don't think there will be a need.

Do keep an eye on the nitrates, and keep dosing K and the flourish trace mix.

 

[roydooms]

It looks like maybe you are leaving 2 of the bulbs on for 24 hrs a day? Is this the case?

I think if you run 2 bulbs for 8-10 hrs at a time, you should have enough light for your plants. I wouldn't switch on the other 2 bulbs much at all right now, until you look into upgrading to a pressurized cO2 system.

The java fern is normal... as leaves get older they will get black and brown spots on them... then they will start to grow little plantlets on them, and after the plantlets mature, the leaf will die completely.

As for the anubias... I think it might be algae as well. Very common in newly set up tanks.

I would be very cautious/careful about dosing P at this point. You aren't growing extremely demanding plants, and if you reduce the lighting to what I described, I don't think there will be a need.

Do keep an eye on the nitrates, and keep dosing K and the flourish trace mix.

I am not leaving the lights on for 24hrs. 12hours the most. With the 2-6700k ON the whole time. In between the 12hrs I will turn on the 2-10,000K for 4 hours.

There are some white string-fuzz on the substrate and on some plants. Too much light?

I won't turn on the 10,000Ks until I use a CO2 system.

 

[fort384]

yeah... I think that is the best bet. Get a timer too, and keep the lights to 8-10 hrs a day. With the plants you are growing, that should be sufficient. I wouldn't dose anymore P for now... that could cause more problems than it solves. Based on how quickly all of this has happened, I think it is a lighting issue, and not a nutrient issue.

 

[roydooms]

yeah... I think that is the best bet. Get a timer too, and keep the lights to 8-10 hrs a day. With the plants you are growing, that should be sufficient. I wouldn't dose anymore P for now... that could cause more problems than it solves. Based on how quickly all of this has happened, I think it is a lighting issue, and not a nutrient issue.

I just turned off the 2-10,000Ks. How about the ludwigia ovalis? Its mid to mid-high lighting.

 

[fort384]

trim the dead leaves, and watch it for a few days. Remember with a tank as big as yours, WPG really doesn't apply. Even with just 130W running, that is still a good amount of light.

 

[daileene]

I would invest in some cheap timers. My lights go on and off all by themselves these days. I think they were $3 from Wal-mart.

yep, that's right. I just got mine and it was a blessing.