Rotala rotundifolia help

[fishenthusiast]

Hello everyone! My Rotala rotundifolia seems to be in some trouble...I think. I don't know if it is adjusting to new tank conditions. I got the stems on July 7, so I don't think they should still be adjusting...right? I don't know what could be wrong with them. There seems to be new growth on them, but I've never seen that on pictures of this plant online or on this forum. I have good medium light, dose PPS-Pro, and dose Excel. Here are a couple pictures:


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Lighting?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[fishenthusiast]

Lighting?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

T5 HO duel lamp with 1 39W 650nm Pink Roseate bulb and 1 39W 6,000°K bulb. It is made by AquaticLife.



Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Seems odd?? Plenty of light, not all that demanding of a plant ime..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fishperson]

Do you dose straight PPS pro? Any modifications? It sounds to me like the majority of people dose extra micro, phosphate, and potassium sulfate. Could be phosphate or co2 deficient but i doubt it.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Do you dose straight PPS pro? Any modifications? It sounds to me like the majority of people dose extra micro, phosphate, and potassium sulfate. Could be phosphate or co2 deficient but i doubt it.

Yeah, I followed GLA's directions directly to make my ferts. I also dose according to GLA's directions. In my last water parameter test, the nitrate level was at 10 ppm and the phosphate level was at 2 ppm.

This does seem odd. I received the plants in great condition from jetajockey. I might also note that I dose 12 mL of Flourish Excel daily for this 30 gallon tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[bcarl_10gal]

I occasionally will have similar problems with my rotala indica. I think its either a CO2 or nitrate deficiency but im not sure either...


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Could be nitrates actually?? Not sure but I'd guess it to be a nitrate hog based on how fast it grows..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[fishenthusiast]

Could be nitrates actually?? Not sure but I'd guess it to be a nitrate hog based on how fast it grows..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

So maybe I should shoot for 15 ppm or 20 ppm on the nitrate levels?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brookster123]

Depending on your stock? May help? ? Could just need a little more time to settle in too..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[fishenthusiast]

Depending on your stock? May help? ? Could just need a little more time to settle in too..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Signs of new growth are good, so I'll increase the nitrates a little big, but nothing drastic. I can't wait to switch to pressurized CO2 later this year, or at the beginning of next year. I heard that it will instantly help your plants! I feel like Excel doesn't do anything.

The new leaf growth surprised me though. I've never seen this on Rotala rotundifolia anywhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I honestly think it's a carbon issue. You'll see the difference like night and day if you can get that dialed in correctly. I've never grown rotala on strictly liquid carbon, but judging from the results on this forum by some, it's possible. But they're dosing glut, which I believe is about 2x stronger than excel and dosing it more than your 1/2 as strong excel. My Rotala that was grown in my CO2 injected tank looked really great and grew like no tomorrow. Out of curiosity, I put clippings in my low tech medium light tank and it started looking like your picture. If you can't go pressurized until later, I'd consider at least rigging up a DIY CO2 generator and supplementing it with glut dosing. Just my 2 centavos!

 

[Brookster123]

You're probably right brian.. i was just throwing a dart with the nitrate guess?? I've always been able to grow it well with med light and a crap ton of metricide.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[fishenthusiast]

I honestly think it's a carbon issue. You'll see the difference like night and day if you can get that dialed in correctly. I've never grown rotala on strictly liquid carbon, but judging from the results on this forum by some, it's possible. But they're dosing glut, which I believe is about 2x stronger than excel and dosing it more than your 1/2 as strong excel. My Rotala that was grown in my CO2 injected tank looked really great and grew like no tomorrow. Out of curiosity, I put clippings in my low tech medium light tank and it started looking like your picture. If you can't go pressurized until later, I'd consider at least rigging up a DIY CO2 generator and supplementing it with glut dosing. Just my 2 centavos!

Could I possibly use up my Excel prior to setting up the DIY CO2 and/or converting to glut? How much would you dose of it?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Fishperson]

Yes you can up your excel dosing. I don't know how much exactly because I recently started using it so I'm upping it slowly but I'm pretty sure you can get it higher than that. And you can run DIY co2 and dose excel. I'd do that.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

You're probably right brian.. i was just throwing a dart with the nitrate guess?? I've always been able to grow it well with med light and a crap ton of metricide.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Could be this. I'm just taking a stab at it myself. Low nitrates can do this, I think.

Could I possibly use up my Excel prior to setting up the DIY CO2 and/or converting to glut? How much would you dose of it?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

It's still alive with new leaves, so you can give it more time with the excel if you'd like. As far as the glut dose, Brookster or someone here should answer that.

 

[Brookster123]

With excel you can work up to a ml/gal.. i dose .5+ml/gal of metricide and get good growth out of it..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[philipraposo198]

I would say that its nice not nitrates almost certainly. At the earlier stages of my tank I had rotala growing like a weed with no co2 or excel. Nitrates were only max 5 ppm. Lighting was med.

I suspect its due to shock as the new growth suggest healthy conditions.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[fishenthusiast]

I would say that its nice not nitrates almost certainly. At the earlier stages of my tank I had rotala growing like a weed with no co2 or excel. Nitrates were only max 5 ppm. Lighting was med.

I suspect its due to shock as the new growth suggest healthy conditions.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Probably so. I saw some root growth from various points of a stem on one of the floating stems. I do think pressurized CO2 will help, but that is a couple months away. In the meantime, I'll keep the Excel dosing at the max.

With excel you can work up to a ml/gal.. i dose .5+ml/gal of metricide and get good growth out of it..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Okay. I upped the Excel dosing to 30 mL.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Fishperson]

You should up it gradually. Maybe an extra ml per day.