Hygro with WHITE veins?

[7Enigma]

Hi all,

I have some hygro (not sure what type, I believe it came from czcz), and the veins are white. Some near the surface are pinkish, but the majority of them are white.

Is the hygro telling me I have a trace (iron) deficiency? ALL of my other ferts are in proper levels that I can measure, and those I can't (K, and Ca/Mg) are dosed higher than normal (I add small amounts of CaCl and MgSO4 even though my GH is 10 because I have yet to get a water report, and my MTS have some shell degradation at their tips).

I'm currently dosing 10ml of CSM+B mix every other day (1/2 teaspoon into 4oz), which by previous help in calculating is about 0.2ppm.

I've heard that iron is possibly the one nutrient you can induce algae with if dosed to high, and would prefer to not dose more CSM+B if its not needed.

Basically what I'm asking is is there a type of Hygro that naturally has a white vein look to it?

This is clearly the fastest grower in my tank (stargrass is a pretty close second), so I would assume if this is a nutrient deficiency it would show first....

Here's the pics:

Thanks in advance.

justin

EDIT: plantgeek said this in the red hygro (i don't know if this is the type I have:

"to bring out the strong pink color, intense light and low nitrAtes are needed. White veins in the plant are believed to be caused by a virus, but will not infect other plants. Propagation by lateral shoots. "

I know I don't have near low nitrAtes I try to keep them over 20ppm at all times.

 

[Zezmo]

Hygrophila polysperma "Tropica" aka Rosanverug

A real weed

white veins are normal

:edit: to fix spelling, I am travelling (in Boston) atm, and typing on a laptop suxor

 

[bman]

The white veins are normal, and was something I sought after. The pink is hard to achieve, some believe it is low nitrates, others believe it is light intensity. I personally believe it is similiar to a flower, that after a time of the plant growing green, it buds and blooms the reds. Call me crazy but that is just my observation.

 

[An t-iasg]

I have read the same thing - that the white veins are caused by a virus, but this virus has no effect on other plants. Some of my hygro veins are white and some are not.

How much K are you dosing? Too much K may cause a "limp" or wilted look. I don't use CSM +B so I can't address that.

Don't be afraid to try a little more iron - iron dosing was trial and error for me. I didn't induce algae by trying just a bit more - say a dose plus 1/4 dose, or 1/2 dose, until I got the end result - in my case, bright magenta Rotala rotundifolia "colorata".

 

[fish_4_all]

Well my best looking ones have white that is so bright and prevelant they are georgeous! To get the reds/pinks/oranges, low nitrates and higher light are needed. I have high light but my nitrates are over 25ppm almost all the time so I rarely see a lot of the other colors I do have some in the tank all the time.

 

[7Enigma]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I came home yesterday and after posting this thread I was looking for one of my oto's and noticed that a single hygro stem had shot up about 2 inches in less than a day (didn't notice it when I left for work). It was less than an inch from the surface and sure enough the veins were pink/red, and the leaf tissue of those leaves where getting red splotches of color. I forgot to look this morning before I left for work, but I can safely conclude now that I have the hygro that was suggested earlier in the thread. And I also see some of the lower leaves (maybe 2-3 inches from the substrate) that you cannot even distinguish the veins because the whole plant is a bright green.

Glad I found this out now or I could have really REALLY overdone the traces!

An t-iasg, I have never heard of this happening with too much potassium. It's my favorite fert since I dose it without fear of causing problems. Generally about 20-30ppm with my weekly 50% PWC, and then 10-15ppm every other day. Are you referring to the way the plant is in my pictures? That particular part of the plant where I took the picture is directly under the HOB and in the path of my PH (for CO2).

 

[An t-iasg]

I know I have read that before about too much potassium. I have done a number of seaches and can't find anything to back me up. Maybe someone else can. What I remember is that the excess potassium won't cause algae, but it may inhibit the plant's uptake of calcium, causing a wilted look. You add some extra calcium, which may help to balance out the extra K, but from what I remember reading, the problem isn't that there is a lack of enough Ca, but that the plant can't utilize it in the presence of too much K. I did add too much K once. (I knew I did; I was experimenting.) The next morning, my lace java fern was definitely "wilted", but it did bounce back.

 

[7Enigma]

I think its possible in very soft water with little calcium to induce this K lockup, but I theoretically have high levels of both calcium and magnesium due to my GH being ~10 degrees. Frankly I'd be more worried of bottoming out calcium in a very soft water situation than causing a lockup by too much K.