Nutrient Deficiency?

[Patrick76]

I just started my tank less than 1 week. The leaves are turning transparent and rot away.





The parameters of my tank are as below:

1) Dose in CaNO3, K2SO4 and KHPO4 on alternate days. Per dose should be 7 ppm of NO3, 7 ppm of K and 0.3 ppm of PO4 but this is only an estimate

2) Temperature maintained by chiller around 25-26 Deg C

3) Lights on from 9 am to 1 pm
Lights off from 1 pm to 5 pm
Lights on from 5 pm to 9 pm

4) Dose in 2 ml of Excel daily

I am not sure if this is a running in phase for the plants or there is a nutrient deficiency

[David]

Why do you need such a long siesta of 4 hours?

[Patrick76]

I quote Diana Walstad in one of her articles as below...

"However, the Siesta totally changes things. At noon, plants get a 4 hr nap (TPt 5 to TPt 9). Overhead lights are off. Even though this tank is near a window, it looks like window light isn't enough to keep photosynthesis going. So you see a rapid rise in CO2 during "nap time".

[Urban Aquaria]

Since its only been a week, looks like your plants might just be going through a transition period to the new environment, could be the older leaves melting abit to make way for newer leaves.

Maybe you could trim off the melting leaves so the plants can redirect resources to growing new ones, helps reduce the amount of rotting leaves polluting the tank too.

[David]

I see where you are coming from bit the way I see it is somewhat different.

1. Is there enough plant mass and tank inhabitants to produce enough CO2 in between Siesta?

2. No doubt you have total amount of 8 hours of lights on period, it's broken into 4hrs each round. I don't think it's enough stretch of time.

Drawing to my own tank, I had that issue as well on 8 hours of light. My Echinodorus bleheri and Marble Queen leaves started to turn transparent as well. I increased my lights to 10 hours and recovered.

This is my own observation of my tank.

Besides this perhaps it's Iron you are missing.

[Patrick76]

Thanks David.

I will try to increase the light period to 10 hours.

As for iron, I am using Lushgro Micros. My tank is approximately 35 litres. May I know how much should I add for my tank?

[David]

That I don't know as I think you are doing the Daily Dosage thingy?...For me I am using Dennerle E15 (tablet form) that has a recommended dosage.

All being said, dosage is just but a general guideline. For me, my plants are mostly root feeders...I don't fert the water column with iron but stuff it into the substrate near the plant itself.

Even for my stemmed plants eons ago, like Luwegia SP, I stuff it into substrate as well.

I think Lushgro that you are using is a trace element with FE2?

[milk_vanilla]

+1 urban, very likely transition period. Did u inject co2 ? And what light model are u using? Your ferts is quite high for none co2 injection tank. More ferts more co2 demand, similarly with light.

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[Patrick76]

I did not inject any CO2. I am using Green Element lighting. I thought EI suggested that we have slight excess of N,P,K?

[David]

Milk...I think it's non CO2 injection that is why the need die siesta...I think.

[David]

For and not die...sorry sorry

[Patrick76]

That I don't know as I think you are doing the Daily Dosage thingy?...For me I am using Dennerle E15 (tablet form) that has a recommended dosage.

All being said, dosage is just but a general guideline. For me, my plants are mostly root feeders...I don't fert the water column with iron but stuff it into the substrate near the plant itself.

Even for my stemmed plants eons ago, like Luwegia SP, I stuff it into substrate as well.

I think Lushgro that you are using is a trace element with FE2?

I am using this..

http://www.ecocityhydroponics.com/lu...os-liquid.html

[David]

Follow the recommended dosage specified...from what I read its trace element, the parallel to Dennerle V30 which is only a month dosing product What I am using is specifically iron.

[flick]

Hi
Probably transitioning from emersed to submersed.

Is your tank 1.5 feet? Might be better if you could tell us the lights you are using as well.

I think for non-CO2 injected tanks, no need to dose alternate days. Might be too much for your tank. EI dosing technique is good for CO2-injected tanks.

In fact, I think you can just feed your fish more often to get your nitrates and phosphates for your tank. Just dose K, F and micros once or twice a week. Excel dose daily.

You could get a nitrate test kit to see if you're overdosing. Around 10-20ppm is good enough.

[felix_fx2]

Still too early to say it's nutrient deficiency, coupled the fact your dosing dry ferts. Without Co2 enrichment dosing fert towards EI is quite the waste with the method.
i noticed that your substrate is Aquasoil (ADA or GEX plant), they contain fert values as well.

You can try +1hour to all sessions for siesta, it may work wonders. Try and observe 1 week and tune the nap time.

P.S, my 1st siesta timings were 7am to 11am, 6-7pm to 12pm.

[David]

During transition of aquatic plants, I don't remember the emersed leaves turning transparent. It becomes yellow to brown then it starts to rot only then it becomes transparent. By then it's almost a gooey mushy muck.

Maybe I am wrong but the leaves I see is still green with spotting of transperancy?

[felix_fx2]

For reference, Credits to original author whom i can no longer recall.

Maybe patrick reuse old gex from shrimping adventures? That would explain lack of N

[David]

@Felix...again, drawing reference to my own tank, even with emersed leaves of my Echinodorus and Cryptos, it does not dies so fast (one week). All display the same pattern. First to yellow - brown - rot - transparent. All not in one week ...at least a month and the emersed leaves still function as any submersed leaf (bubbling from photosynthesis).

My take is lights and/or CO2...more incline to lights.

[blue33]

Both, lights and CO2 issue.

[Patrick76]

Thanks for all your kind advice.

I have adjusted my lights timing from 7 am to 12 noon and then from 4 pm to 9 pm. Meanwhile, I have trim away those transparent leaves and monitor to see if existing leaves turn transparent again.

I do not inject any CO2 and henceforth I am using the siesta method to counter that.