Help with stem plants holy & disintigrating

[Larry Grenier]

I have a few species of leafy stem plants which have holy and deteriorating leaves. I have high light, yeast-generated C02, and I lightly dose Flourish Comprehensive, and very lightly dose Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Nitrogen. I havn't figured-out how much of these I should dose yet. The upper leaves show good growth and color and are pearling oxygen.

Should I add Potassium to the mix?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Aaron]

Do you ever test for nitrates and phophates? Nitrates should be at least 5-20ppm and phosphates should be 1-2ppm for healthy plant growth. I like to dose about 1ml/10 gallons of tank of flourish trace a day and 1ml/10 gallons of tank of flourish iron per day. You definitely are starving your plants of nutrients.

Oh, and I hate to inform you that your plants are most likely not holy , but holey...

[SCMurphy]

Should I add Potassium to the mix?

Yes, you should add some Potassium.

[Aaron]

Yes, you should add some Potassium.

Do the Flourish line of macros not have Potassium like the dry ferts do? I always thought that they had enough K in them to not have to worry about it much.

[krisw]

I had always thought that K was in Flourish Comprehensive, but they don't list it under the guaranteed analysis on their website. They do have a Flourish Potasium product, however. I came across a suggested dosing chart if you're using all of their products, which is seems that you are, Larry.

http://www.seachem.com/support/PlantDosingChart.html

Since you're using DIY CO2, you can probably leave out their Flourish Excel product, as well as any of the GH/KH/PH buffer products.

-Kris

[Larry Grenier]

Thanks folks, I thought about adding Potassium and dosing more than once-a-week. Hopefully my plants will become less holey and more holy

[krisw]

Also... We've just been focusing on dosing, but of course it goes without saying that if your plants are looking great on top, but not so much on the bottom, it's entirely possible that the top portions of the plants are blocking light to the bottom. Especially true if you have floating plants in there. Just an afterthought.

-Kris

[fredyk]

you haave to have a control against which you can measure the variables and results. That's why the doctor takes your blood pressure; he wants to know the parameters of your biorythms; not just the general public profile.
I don't really know all the parameters of the tank to explain your results. (and I'm not expert in these matters anyway.) but I do play the part of a MD for fun & giggles LOL

my own situation not reflecting on your case.
I have two nearly identical 30 gals. Light, substrate, filtration, all the same. Fish load slightly different. been using ppmd with good results. Plant growth ok; algae is less.. nitrates are in 5ppm range. Had been adding 2 mls of PPMD twice week.
I had gotten hair algae away-gone. It returned to one of them.

One of the 30 gallons had a return of hair algae. CO2 had been on the low end.
A Ram had been harassing the various algae eaters in there. Intimidated Amano shrimp; harassed the snails.

Sold the Ram at PVAS auction. Reintroducing snails. Reintroducing the MTS snail. Stabilized CO2. The shrimp have come out of hiding and are attacking the various algaes with obvious enjoyment. didn't really know I had four shrimp in there….

OTH, the fish in there resent me for selling the Ram. Seriously!
Of course I'm ascribing human emotions to the animal kingdom, but who knew?!

Now the NO4 is on the low end.
It's kind of gotten away from me.
did not change water last week. And/but Last week added 1 ml daily of PPMD
for whatever reason, [maybe stress], my NO4 are very low

So I'm augmenting with Seachem Nitrogen but nitrates still low. It's analagous to a diabetic trying to maintain blood sugar.
I'll fix it all with a water change in a few days or a week and monitor more closely.
and maybe more KNO3

If you use KNO3 for nitrogen, it may be that you don't need K. KNO3 is Green Light Stump Remover.

Question: I have a lot of iron supplements, but I'm afraid of the dreaded hair/thread algae, and don't use it anymore.

Incidentally, if you come to the next GWAPA meeting, I can give you Seachem Potasium that I don't use anymore.

Mark