Nutrient deficiencies? Help for two plants needed!

[newfound77951]

Thanks to a diatom filter, I can now SEE my plants again....some of them look pretty good, and some look a little sad. I've been dosing essentially blind for the past month as I couldn't see the plants to catch any deficiencies as they sprang up. This is a 55 gal, 2x96 watt PC, Eco-complete, 2xDIY CO2 + Excel, dosing all K, N, P and trace (CSM+B from Greg Watson). Moderate fish load (~20 fish all <2") There are two plants in question here...

First, is a big sword plant (red rubin, I think?) It was very happy before the GW. Now, many of the outer leaves have died off (will trim those tonight) and the other leaves are brown around the edges. I'm thinking potassium deficiency but it might just have been the lack of light.

Second is an ozelot sword, it had this "problem" before the GW...all the leaves that it had when I got it are a light green with dark red spots. All the new leaves remain dark red and some are slightly crinkled while the old leaves are very flat.

 

[malkore]

we need tank specs. if you are blindly dosing nutrients without knowing levels in the tank, stop. you must test NO3 and PO4 from time to time, or things get outta whack.

It looks like you may have potassium and/or iron deficiencies. dose 10ppm of potassium twice a week (once after your weekly 50% water change, and again 3 days later). for iron, just dose some on the days you don't dose plantex solution.

 

[newfound77951]

Oops...sorry, should have been more descriptive....my brain is fried this week from 4 days of PhD comprehensive exams....

When I said that I was dosing "blind", what I meant was that I couldn't see my plants to determine if they were starting to show any deficiencies. I can see how that could have been slightly misinterpreted! Yes, I do test all pertinent parameters. N is normally between 10-15 ppm and P around 1.5 ppm. My trace mix (CSM+B) has iron, currently I dose 0.1 ppm equivalent iron every day, and have been dosing 15 ppm potassium roughly twice a week, although not consistently, which might be the problem.

Hopefully this helps!

 

[newfound77951]

OK, the additional info is there now....please help! I don't want to lose these plants.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

How much do you dose of each and how often?

I agree with the Potassium deficiency, but we need more info as well to more accurately get the problem solved.

 

[newfound77951]

OK, here goes.

I add 0.1 ppm Fe (in CSM+B trace mix) every other day
I add 10-15 ppm K twice a week.
I bump N to 15 ppm as needed (usually 1x a week)
same for P to 1.5 ppm (also usually 1x a week)
I also add 5 ml Excel every day to supplement the CO2

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Sounds like your dosing is pretty good. And Potassium should be fine. I'd say with the greenwater you had before the diatom filter, you were lacking light. Keep the current schedule for a week or 2 and see where your plants go from there, now that they can get some good light. Also might add a root tab under the swords.

 

[newfound77951]

OK, I thought the light might have been the problem with the rubin sword. Would I still need to add root tabs even with Eco-Complete?? Those must be some darn hungry plants! I just got some root tabs for another tank, fortunately, so I have some handy.

 

[Hoovercat]

You definately need the tabs along with the eco. My amazon sword would get paper thin leaves as they got older until I added some and was using most of the same water column ferts you are. The problem with eco-complete is it's good at holding nutrients but isn't especially rich in nutrients as it somes out of the bag.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

OK, I thought the light might have been the problem with the rubin sword. Would I still need to add root tabs even with Eco-Complete?? Those must be some darn hungry plants! I just got some root tabs for another tank, fortunately, so I have some handy.

I put new tabs under my swords every 2 months or so.