Deficiency in Rotala

[scientist0724]

So I have had Rotala mexicana "Green" for a couple of months now, but now it appears to be deficient in something. All of my other plants are doing very well in my tank, except for this plant.

Rotala mexicana "Green"

0710150953a.jpg (913.41 KiB) Viewed 6531 times

The tips appear to be stunted and there are some holes in the leaves. I have been dosing liquid ferts every day, mostly with the AquaVitro line (Envy, Propel, Activate, Synthesis) and Seachem (Potassium, Flourish) and have pressurized CO2, but this plant seems to still be struggling. What am I missing?

Arlene

[Jim Miller]

Phosphorus?

jim

[scientist0724]

I dose with phosphorus every other day. I use the AquaVitro Activate for phosphorus.

Arlene

[Cavan]

About how much of this stuff are you adding? Sometimes the problem is too much of something and not a deficiency.

[krisw]

Arlene, what size tank, in addition to Cavan's question of how much of each fert?

[scientist0724]

Hmmmm...that's a thought Cavan.

The tank is a 20L and I've been going with the recommendations on the bottles of AquaVitro and Seachem.
Synthesis (N) 0.25mg/L, three times a week
Propel (Fe) 0.10 mg/L, three times a week
Envy (C), six times a week
Activate (P+K), 0.15 mg/L+0.06 mg/L, three times a week
Flourish K, 2mg/L, three times a week
Flourish 2ml, three times a week

Pressurized CO2, ~1bpm, 24 hours

What am I doing wrong?

Arlene

[Cavan]

What lighting?

Most likely, co2 is way low. One bubble per minute? I probably have mine to two per second on my 40. That would probably be too much for you with a smaller tank and especially if your light isn't as strong, but ramping it up slowly is a good idea. That's a plant that loves, loves, loves co2...

But there is no need to have it on 24 hours a day. Better to have it on a timer so it comes on a few hours before the lights come on and off when they go off.

If you aren't already, add an Eheim Skim350 of some surface skimming device. This will improve gas exchange and allow to you up the co2 safely (and you will have to even more to compensate for a clean scum free surface but it will be worth it). I also aerate at night.

Keep in mind that the recommended levels for Seachem products are quite low. But higher levels have to be balanced with everything else of course.

Lower on the list of likelihood is bad tap water, but check on the rest of that first.

[scientist0724]

The lighting is three T5HO bulbs and a Current Satellite Plus LED light fixture.

The CO2 is on 24 hours because it on a paintball CO2 and the regulator does not have a solenoid. So far I haven't noticed any surface scum on the water surface. There are two medium sized HOB filters on the tank and I know that they agitate the surface on both sides of the tank.

I'l try bumping up the CO2 a little as best as I can gradually so I don't gas the livestock.

Arlene

[Cavan]

Yeah, that's some pretty good light. It's possible too that because they aren't getting the co2 they need, nutrients are building up because they can't be utilized. A water change would help with a fresh start.

Surface scum does not have to build up to oil slick levels to interfere with proper gas exchange and cause a problem. If the surface isn't skimmed, it's there to some degree, even if you can't see it. I would skim anyway or at least aerate at night.

[scientist0724]

Okay, I will try that Cavan and let you know how it goes. Thanks for the advice! Just when I thought I finally got it right with pressurized CO2, dosing ferts, and decent lighting. Who know that I could over fertilize my tanks?!?

Oh, by the way, I saw that I mentioned that I was doing a bubble per minute. It's more like a bubble per 1 to 2 seconds. Don't know why I said per minute. But in any case, I'll try to bump up the CO2 and add the surface skimmer that I have lying around.

Arlene