Unknown Plant Deficiency

[DC634]

Hey All,

I have been having issues trying to figure out what is wrong in my planted tank. I am hoping that someone here can help me out. My tank info is:

29 gallon tank with eco complete substrate (4" thick)
I run a Beamswork DA Full spec for about 7 hours a day
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 30
Phos: 1.5
pH: 7.4
GH: 5
KH: 13
Ca: 5dCa : 25ppm
50% water change every weekend

I dose:
NilocG - 2 Bottle formula with Macro and Micro (I can provide link or values it adds if desired)
2 pumps each bottle a week (seems low but it gets me to the Nitrate Values I wanted)
Florish Potassium: 10-12 ml a week
Excel: 6ml a day
DIY O+ root tabs under root feeding plants
I just started a week and half ago using seachem equilibrium at 1 Table spoon after water change(1x week)

The plants that are having issues are mostly the Hygrophila and cryps.
The Hygrophila's old leaves have a major downward curl to them, it looks like a major calcium deficiency but my Ca value is at 25ppm. From what I read you want from 20-30ppm so I should be fine there. And my java fern just is not getting big and bushy like it should. The leaves keep turning black and dieing off. Seems to be doing better past couple weeks. I see decent new growth. Also, my crypts leaves just look all kinds of deformed (new and old). They also have a reddish hue to them (not sure if that's normal or not). I started using seachem equilibrium to see if it is just an imbalance of Ca:Mg but not seeing much different. I also have some algae growing on the glass. It grows in spots and real hard to get off. I have to scrape it with a razor or credit card to get it to come off. I have included pictures of the plants for reference.

I know its a waiting game but I figured I would ask some of yall for your ideas or tips.

 

[ZxC]

That all looks normal to me on a tank with no CO2.

Running that much light, and giving plants that much access to nutrients, you'll be bottoming out on CO2 for sure stalling growth, and allowing algae to creep in.

You plants aren't deficient in one nutrient, it's a combination of higher lighting, no CO2, and a non-refined fertilizer regime.

I would start by dosing Flourish excel at the after water change rate once per day (You've got vals, so start low and slowly work up to these levels over a few weeks). I would also stop doing the extra Flourish potassium, no need for it if you're dosing Thrive.

I would also strongly consider all these steps:

Reduce light intensity if possible.
Reduce photoperiod to 5 hours per day max (until algae has subsided, then slowly increase back up to 8 hours per day over a few weeks).
Ensure you are providing adequate nutrients for the plants (unhealthy plants promote algae).
Dose Flourish Excel or equivalent Met14 at the “after water change” rate on the Excel bottle once per day.
Manually remove all algae you can.
Manually remove excess organics in the tank by gravel vacuuming and cleaning filter media in old tank water every water change.
Manually remove any decaying or dead plant matter.
Increase water change frequency, and the amount of water changed.
Consider spot treating badly affected areas or dipping plants / hardscape in a Flourish Excel, Met14 or H2O2 + water solution. Google search which method you think would work well, and for general ratios to mix a safe solution. Certain plants can’t tolerate these chemicals, so ensure you do a little research prior to dipping / spot treating plants.


Also:

Seachem Excel is not a carbon source, it is not CO2 and it is not a CO2 replacement. Aquarium product manufactures are masters at marketing, and mislead the buyer with many products.
Excel is a mild algaecide that allows users to run slightly higher light with a reduced risk of an algae outbreak. It may or may not help break down protein films growing on plant tissue, allowing plants better access to atmospheric CO2 naturally occurring in the water.

Excel can be used to spot treat, and create plant dips to help control algae.
Excel should be used as an algaecide, not a carbon or CO2 source / supplement.

 

[DC634]

So for the most part you are saying its a CO2 deficiency?

What would you consider that Beamswork light to be? Low/med/high light? I always thought it to be low light. If med/high light I should get a dimer or a pressurized CO2 system? Eventually I want to get a CO2 system for this tank. I have a paintball system on my 10 gal but I want to use a 5lb tank on anything bigger so thats why I do not have one yet.

As for the potassium goes, If I do not dose the extra K then I am only dosing about 3.51ppm K. From my understanding we should be dosing around 7-8 ppm for low tech. With the additional K it puts me at around 8-9 ppm. Would you still recommend only dosing whats in the NilocG? If I dose what the bottle says then my nitrates will go to 50-60ppm and throw everything out of wack.

 

[ZxC]

What are your NPK dosing levels per week?

I'd say you're in the medium light range, even with low light plants will use up all available CO2.

 

[DC634]

I am not 100% sure If I am calculating this correct. Heres a link to the bottles I am using that you can double check on:

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-NPK-A...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3TGSX5VWE10Z98A96C1Q

The bottle shows this:
1 pump per 10 Gallons 1-2X per week for low/med light
K: 5.27 ppm/degree
N: 1.69 ppm/degree
NO3: 7.5 ppm/degree
P: 0.42 ppm/degree
PO4: 1.30 ppm/degree

I do 2 pumps 1x a week. Since my tank is 30 gallons then I should take 2/3rds of those values per dose right? So my weekly dosing is:
K: 5.27*0.6666667 = 3.51 ppm
N: 1.69*0.6666667 = 1.13 ppm
NO3: 7.5*0.66666667 = 5 ppm
P: 0.42*0.66666667 = 0.28 ppm
PO4: 1.3*0.6666667 = 0.87 ppm

Plus 4.37ppm from Florish Potassium

N = 1.13ppm P = 0.28ppm K:3.51+4.37 = 7.41ppm

 

[ZxC]

I would bump up dosing 2x that to start.

 

[DC634]

So bump the NilocG up to 2x and take out the florish potassium? Or keep the extra Potassium too?

Should I also lower my light to 5-6 hours too or wait to see the effects of the extra ferts?

 

[ZxC]

No need for the extra K