Multiple Problems With Plants, Help Identify, Aponogeton Melting
- Thread starter snazy
- Start date
The December FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
I've increased the micro ferts that contain iron too, so I'll see how it goes. I read the book Ecology of the planted aquarium by Diana Walstad and the section where it said high iron content in the water column(not the substrate) causes all types of algae so I am kind of not willing to dose extra as I don't know how much I have already. Wish I could go and buy all tests possible.
Only going by the book, but personally I have no clue.
This thing is impossible to clean. Doesn't come off even with scruding. It's only on the anubias.
And just checked that the ammount of Easy Life profito I put in a 7 day period adds 0.28 ppm iron to the water. Is that enough alone?
TBF it's a bit difficult to find an answer here. I can only say what I think and maybe point out a few references and such.
Aparently I twist examples, so what I say can be taken as read or ignored
The 1st problem I have is ratio's. They come up every now and then and sink away. They're normally badly interpreted data from the "Redfield ratio" which in itself was flawed also.
IMO a much better way of looking at things is Liebig's law of the minimum, which basically says as long as you have enough of everything your weeds will be fine - simple - if we then hook that up to the fact that excess nutrients (Nitrate, Phosphate, Iron etc) don't cause algae everything will be peachy creamy.
The 2nd problem is stuff like walstad and books in general. The methods may work, and if they do it's important to stick to them. If you deviate from the plan you'll often find yourself in trouble as the "methods" don't work if you go off piste.
They also often contain regurgitated myths like Iron or phosphate causing algae etc.
Get your head round the above and things become clearer. Know that ammonia triggers algae and then try to work out where the ammonia comes from. Use resources like James' Algae guide to identify algae and understand that it's ammonia causing it...when it says "Low CO2" you know that the low CO2 is causing ammonia (the plant will be dying through lack of co2... ) - If it says fluctuating CO2 you'll be able to imagine a plant leaf trying to adapt to the different levels of CO2, literally changing the make-up of the leaf...frantically slewing off cells maybe - causing ammonia....
If you've got plants that are showing signs of deficiency we can probably guess now where the algae is coming from...maybe even decide that if you concentrate on fixing the plants the algae will be secondary...maybe still a problem, but secondary.
As for target values -
CO2 range 25-35ppm
NO3 range 5-30ppm
K+ range 10-30ppm
PO4 range 1.0-3.0 ppm
Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher (?)
GH range 3 degrees or higher
(Tomm Barr)
TL;DR - No i don't have an answer. I wish I could say add this much to that, but I'm not even sure you'd believe me if I did.
Aparently I twist examples, so what I say can be taken as read or ignored
The 1st problem I have is ratio's. They come up every now and then and sink away. They're normally badly interpreted data from the "Redfield ratio" which in itself was flawed also.
IMO a much better way of looking at things is Liebig's law of the minimum, which basically says as long as you have enough of everything your weeds will be fine - simple - if we then hook that up to the fact that excess nutrients (Nitrate, Phosphate, Iron etc) don't cause algae everything will be peachy creamy.
The 2nd problem is stuff like walstad and books in general. The methods may work, and if they do it's important to stick to them. If you deviate from the plan you'll often find yourself in trouble as the "methods" don't work if you go off piste.
They also often contain regurgitated myths like Iron or phosphate causing algae etc.
Get your head round the above and things become clearer. Know that ammonia triggers algae and then try to work out where the ammonia comes from. Use resources like James' Algae guide to identify algae and understand that it's ammonia causing it...when it says "Low CO2" you know that the low CO2 is causing ammonia (the plant will be dying through lack of co2...
) - If it says fluctuating CO2 you'll be able to imagine a plant leaf trying to adapt to the different levels of CO2, literally changing the make-up of the leaf...frantically slewing off cells maybe - causing ammonia....If you've got plants that are showing signs of deficiency we can probably guess now where the algae is coming from...maybe even decide that if you concentrate on fixing the plants the algae will be secondary...maybe still a problem, but secondary.
As for target values -
CO2 range 25-35ppm
NO3 range 5-30ppm
K+ range 10-30ppm
PO4 range 1.0-3.0 ppm
Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher (?)
GH range 3 degrees or higher
(Tomm Barr)
TL;DR - No i don't have an answer. I wish I could say add this much to that, but I'm not even sure you'd believe me if I did.
I just question everything but that helps me understand
Thanks for the detailed answer. I am going to need a whole set of new tests then so it will take a bit of time. The only thing with ammonia now would be to skip a few days of feeding maybe and see how it goes. The green spot is still affecting just the one plant in the middle of the tank under the most light in the tank. I've reduced to 6 hours too.
Also, I've been measuring the nitrAtes in the tank and they don't exceed 10ppm at any time although they are never 0. Maybe I need to dose up on that too? The only thing with higher nitrAtes would be my clown loaches not liking it.
When I talk of ammonia, test kits won't show it.
As for stuff like the Nitrate, I do believe if you want say 30ppm Nitrate you should add that amount, that way you know it's there - Don't trust a test kit to tell you there's 10ppm so you only add 20ppm.
As for your Clowns that has to be your call. I'm no livestock expert but I do know what people percieve to be high/uncomfortable/toxic levels of Nitrate are rarely a product of adding that amount in salts but a product of the Nitrogen cycle which is a different kettle of fish - so to speak.
As for stuff like the Nitrate, I do believe if you want say 30ppm Nitrate you should add that amount, that way you know it's there - Don't trust a test kit to tell you there's 10ppm so you only add 20ppm.
As for your Clowns that has to be your call. I'm no livestock expert but I do know what people percieve to be high/uncomfortable/toxic levels of Nitrate are rarely a product of adding that amount in salts but a product of the Nitrogen cycle which is a different kettle of fish - so to speak.
Just one more queston
But if I have excess amounts of ammonia, undetectable even but there I guess, shouldn't my filters shoot the nitrAtes through the roof then instead of the nitrAtes measuring so low on top of me already adding nitrAtes?
But if I have excess amounts of ammonia, undetectable even but there I guess, shouldn't my filters shoot the nitrAtes through the roof then instead of the nitrAtes measuring so low on top of me already adding nitrAtes?
OK, so more nitrAtes it is then.
The plants are not dying also, the two big anubias have got a new leaf each since I opened this thread. The Aponogeton has 2 new leaves and I bought Crinum calamistratum last weekend along with the easy life fosfo, nitro and potassium and it's growing too and it's not in even a week, although I read it's a slow grower.
I'll just leave it for a week or so first with the amount I am currently adding as I've only dosed the fosfo and extra potassium for the last few days. I'll see how it goes and then up the dosage.
The plants are not dying also, the two big anubias have got a new leaf each since I opened this thread. The Aponogeton has 2 new leaves and I bought Crinum calamistratum last weekend along with the easy life fosfo, nitro and potassium and it's growing too and it's not in even a week, although I read it's a slow grower.
I'll just leave it for a week or so first with the amount I am currently adding as I've only dosed the fosfo and extra potassium for the last few days. I'll see how it goes and then up the dosage.
Sounds like they're doing well then, thing is mate when your aquarium has a big change esp to the driving force of it, lighting, its bound to have an effect on something to start with, the plants will have to adjust.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
386 -
206 -
201 -
192 -
186 -
180 -
157 -
151 -
142 -
110 -
99 -
96 -
85 -
82 -
78