frogbits dying

[shyta]

Hi there, I have a 2ft tank with ada soil. but I just never managed to keep my frogbits alive in this tank. I'm really curious as to what kind of deficiency I'm having. could someone enlighten me. the frogbits are noticed to melt, turning yellowish green. I do not think it's lack of nitrates as it's a well stocked tank.

another tank I have with gex soil has the frogbits growing very well.

[Urban Aquaria]

It could be due to multiple factors... without more detailed descriptions of your tank conditions, i can only think of a few probable causes (from my own experiences with them):

- Trace nutrient deficiency, maybe iron, magnesium, potassium etc, could even be due to insufficient macros like phosphate (those deficiencies usually result in yellowing and melting). Try dosing trace and maybe some macros to see if it helps.

- Light source too close to the frogbits and somehow the higher light intensity or heat affected them. Maybe move them abit further away from the lights.

- Too much current so they keep getting tossed around and can't grow as well (frogbits prefer calm waters, they mainly grow in pond conditions). Perhaps cordon them aside to a calmer section of the tank.

Frogbits tend to react quickly to adverse water conditions, so if they are not doing well, means it's usually due to fluctuating parameters or nutrients imbalance (since Co2 isn't a limitation for them as they can get all they need from the air).

[Zeonic]

I have frogbits in both my tanks with ada amazonia and they have been growing well. Both are small tanks, a gex 450 glassteria slim and a 1 ft cube.

I notice they can stand strong lights with the 3watt LED (greenevo) barely 3-4 cm above them directly and they developed a tiger like pattern on those leaves but no burn. I used to have them dying in those tanks before when the substrates are new. Now the substrates coming to slightly above 1 year. Just leave them as it is and they may grow new runners.

Yes they react pretty quickly to water parameters changes.

My observations:
-up to 30 degree celcius no problem
-High flow no problem
-their roots continue to grow downwards till they touches something, and can curl themself to objects. I have roots growing to about 25cm long.
-It is a matter of adaptations, give it some time.
-No fertilization is ok too. I normally just dose seachem potassium, iron, comprehensive.

[thebaldingaquarist]

what kind of fauna do you have?
What kind of fertilization do you do?

[mukyo]

interesting. i have a hell of time getting rid of fbits.
and yours keep on dying.
i dont even know how it pops in my tank. i suspect some fish food.
got to be fish. this bits are practically pests.

any fish known nipping them?

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[Aventador]

I always thought that frogbits adapt quickly to any tank environment. I'm fortunate to get some mature ones free from a bro here. Initially, its melted a little but now beginning to bear few new buds. I dose Seachem Comprehensive weekly and Excel on alternate days. Hope that helps. Using ADA soil as well.

[bennyc]

Melting of frogbits is a way of it adjusting to the tank parameters. They might start to shed their roots if the change is too sudden. Tiger patterns means the lights are too strong on them, but i kinda of like the tiger "prints" haha. They will still survive thou.

I have them in my breeding tabk with no fertiliser regime but they still grow like wild fire.

I am only curious of the TS lights on period. The only time i have problems with them are when the lights are not on during the weekend.

@mukyo, frogbits are a bit big to be in fish food or fishes, are you talking about duck weed instead?

[rikoman]

- Too much current so they keep getting tossed around and can't grow as well (frogbits prefer calm waters, they mainly grow in pond conditions). Perhaps cordon them aside to a calmer section of the tank.

My situation was due to the above. Water agitation abit too much for the frogbits and mini water lettuce. With a fan blowing across the tank and the Eheim 2215 in my 2ft tank, all my previous floaters were tossed around, basically turn yellow, dried up or melted.

Transferred my last batch of the floaters to a 30x15cm plastic container (previously used to store durians in the fridge), dose with a bit of Lushgro, and put the container near the windows.

Now the yellowed floaters recovered and seems to multiply quite rapidly. Think got to get those porcelain Chinese fish bowl to keep the floaters for long term

[snowc]

I used to spend my weekend clearing frogbits as they multiply so quickly. That is until one day when I observed that they seem to be dying. The leaves turn yellow with holes. Even adding liquid fertilizer doesn't help. The weird thing is that there is no changes in my routine maintenance nor is there any changes in tank parameters.

[shyta]

ah, i have practically no other flora except for a few mini nana. and as for fauna, i am stocking corydoras in this tank so i doubt it would be them nipping on the frogbits.

and to be honest, initially i had my water flow away from the surface but my frogbits were still dying off, and there was this layer of oil(?) so i thought it could be because of this layer that caused the frogbits to not adapt well. this was the reason i tried to direct my water flow towards the surface. but apparently from the input from you guys, they can grow in/prefer calm water.

as for adaptation, i have tried growing frogbits in this tank for at least 6 months, renewing the frogbits from my other tank time to time but to no avail.

i will try redirecting my current away this time and dose seachem trace to see how things go.

thank you all for your kind replies.

[tureblue82]

on the subject of frogbits,..do you guys know if frogbits will be stunted in growth?...i have a few frogbits that have been in my tank for 4-5mnths but they are still small in size(2-3cm).

They are in my shrimp tank with no dosing of ferts except excel on alternate days and lights 7hrs daily.

I have another batch of 'adult' size frogbits given by my friend that keep sending out newer buds, growing well. ...just wonder y the contrast?...lol

[Urban Aquaria]

Frogbits grow according to nutrients and light avaliability (not just photoperiod but also intensity), hence very good indicators of tank conditions.

In aquarium environments, even if they grow fast, their leaves usually tend to be small... i've seen those that grow in outdoor concrete pond at plant farms, and they have leaves the size of my palms! Most likely due to direct sunlight and lots of accumulated nutrients in the ponds.

They store reserves so if taken from a high light/high nutrient environment, they will still grow quickly for a period of time, before slowing down once their reserves are used up.

[bennyc]

@tureblue82, Are the frog bits in the same tank?

Anyway, I have the two type of frogbits you mentioned. One in the tank with no fauna (basically nothing and no fertilizing regime) and high light, the end product is small tiger pattern frogbits. Which is similar to the "stunted growth" frogbits you mentioned.

Another in a livestock tank, which the frogbits spread like wildfire.

My guess is the stunted growth frogbits have use up all stored nutrients and are unable to get any nutrients from your shrimp tank (which is low in bioload, and no excess in shrimp food, therefore no nitrate). In the long run, your adult size frogbits, due to lack of nutrients will produce stunted growth frogbits.

Anyway, excel is liquid carbon. Frogbits have direct access to carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Therefore, excel has no effect for frogbits.

[mukyo]

i think i blame sae for nipping sone leaves and lots of roots last time.
but corries definitely fine

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[stressed]

Frogbits are hardy as described above. I have a little outdoor mini pond which only has live bearer and moss inside and receives no sunlight yet they replenish every few weeks to cover entire surface till I had to use them as fertizer for my land plants.

[juggler]

Hi there, I have a 2ft tank with ada soil. but I just never managed to keep my frogbits alive in this tank. I'm really curious as to what kind of deficiency I'm having. could someone enlighten me. the frogbits are noticed to melt, turning yellowish green. I do not think it's lack of nitrates as it's a well stocked tank.

another tank I have with gex soil has the frogbits growing very well.

Maybe you are having some media in the filter that is sucking away nutrients? Check...
Feed your fish more would help to provide more nutrients.

[shyta]

media sucking away nutrients? like what do you mean? i only have ceramic rings and sponges which are both inert.

and i'm always over feeding my cories as they are greedy eaters so i really don't know what's the problem. i kinda gave up though, tried duckweed too but failed. i guess i could take a picture of my duckweed/frogbits to see what kind of deficiency the tank is suffering from.

[Urban Aquaria]

What lights are you using?

[shyta]

aquazonic T5 2x24w

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[Urban Aquaria]

Hmmm... that should be more than enough light, and since you are feeding the fishes there should be more than enough nitrates and phosphates too.

I guess it could just be some shortage of trace/micro nutrients.