Dwarf sag issue

[Super_Blueberry]

What could be causing my once thriving dwarf sag to be dying off in this one particular area? The rest if the tank has gone stagnant as far as growth, but the sag and ricca in this one spot are withering away....

As you can see its, for the most part, doing fine just to the right, but on the left it's just shriveling.

 

[Super_Blueberry]

I should add that I've been adding about 2.5 times the 'recipe' recommended dose of phosphates to kill off a GSA outbreak on my glass. Could I be overdosing to the point of damaging my plants?

 

[Old Scales]

If it was dosing damage it would be affecting all the sags not just one section. First suspicion to me would be substrate related. Is your spread of root tabs even? What is your ppm of PO4? I can't remember if Sags are Mg/Ca priority and I can't find the research write up again. Dang it. Try dosing about 1/8 tsp of just potassium also. And what is your gh/kh in degrees? OS.

 

[Super_Blueberry]

The tank is only 2 months old, so I assumed the garden soil under the cap has just barely begun to start losing it's nutrients, so I haven't added any root tabs to the substrate yet.

I honestly have never figured out how to read the GH/KH results, but I do know that it takes 6 drops for KH to change (so 6 degrees??) and 3 for GH to change....no idea what value that is. From what I hear that's a pretty standard result.

I've been running a heavy 5ppm of po4 trying to get rid of the gsa

 

[Old Scales]

If you are using the API GH/KH test then each drop is 1 degree. So you have 6 dKH and 3 dGH. The KH is great but the GH is pretty low. Do you use PPS Pro or EI dry ferts? Sags could use at least 10 GH. Adding magnesium raises GH. OS.

 

[DragonFish71]

I had trouble with dwarf sag in sand until I made up my own special mix. Garden soil didn't work for me so I did a 50/50 mix of plain (no scent, no additives) cat litter (bentonite clay) and Red Sea Flora Base under the sand. Worked great.

 

[Super_Blueberry]

Pps pro. Should I just add more cms+b daily? or is there a better way to add Mg?

 

[Super_Blueberry]

Not really looking forward into switching out the substrate anytime soon... open to other options though

 

[Old Scales]

NO CMS-b is your traces and doesn't have much Mg. Epsom salts is a safe alternative as its almost all Mg. But I have never used it so I don't know how much is needed for a set level. You can order Mg separate from Green Leaf but I seen several people in here say Epsom salts is just as effective. Maybe someone will chime in that knows about it.
HELPPPPP!!! With tank being only 2 months old as Dragon said, your substrate may not be charged up with enough nutrients yet. I'd double check the root tab status as a first attempt. Good luck, OS.
Dragon, do Sags need a higher KH for more calcium?

 

[DragonFish71]

Ok, being the bad plant mom that I am, I have no idea on the chemistry needed here.

All I can say is I had issues in sand capped organic soil. I used the Happy Frog brand. i dosed Flourish per instructions and had 2.5 wpg. The plants were dreadful.

So I took out everything and dumped it. Made my own 50/50 mix, put new PFS down over the top, replanted, no root tabs needed. Dosed Flourish per instructions during the cycle and the plants went insane.

I'm seriously the worst plant mom around. I know nothing about the ferts. I buy the Seachem line and hardly ever remember to dose.

 

[Old Scales]

I just went and read several info pieces on dwarf Sags. They say it is pretty undemanding and likes a fine sand like substrate. Not finicky about nutrients except iron. It needs iron or the leaves will turn yellow. Also it doesn't like being moved and sits and pouts awhile until the roots establish again. So I'd get an iron rich root tab under it and see if it improves. So Blueberry, I would up the traces a little as it has some iron. But not as effective as the root tabs would be. OS.