Problem with New Leaves Growing Smaller

[LindaC]

When I first added Bacope Colorata to my 29 gallon tank, it grew very nicely for about 2 weeks, then the leaves started to grow smaller and smaller and it now goes to a point, with bottom leaves being nicely shaped and the leaves at the top being tiny and smaller. It looks horrible.

My lights are 2x65 watts with one bulb being 6700K/10,000K and the other bulb being 50/50, half actinic and half sunpaq daylight 10,000K. I run 65 watts for 10 hours a day and when I get home from work, I turn on the 50/50 light for 2 hours to go along with the 65 watts, giving me 97.5 watts.

I dose KNO3, Fleet and K2SO4, I also add my micros, Flourish Comprehensive on the same day. I inject pressurized CO2 and have Flourite for my subtrate.

Any thoughts on why this is happening and suggestions as to what I might do to fix the problem?

[juggler]

Hi LindaC - a warm welcome to AQ!

Regarding your problem:
Are all other existing plants doing well without the same symptoms?
Are you having anything new in the filter that removes ammonia etc?

[Plantbrain]

Sounds like a description right out of low CO2 deficiecy book.

Smaller leaves in the newer growth suggest low CO2.
If you do EI and add the KNO3, PO4, Traces, GH, and do weekly water changes etc, then you are left with only CO2 and the plants often have such responses, others simply stunt.

I tell folks this, some don't believe and try everything else and then realize sometimes year's later, I was right.

They often think I'm nuts since when you limit NO3 or K+, you also slow the demand down for CO2.

That leads them to conclude that it's high K or high NO3 taht was their issue, but that's just correlation, not causation.

Most never figure that part out.

Try adding a tad more CO2 and watch the plants.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[LindaC]

Thanks Tom, I will try to bring my CO2 a little higher. I'm running it pretty high now, around 37 ppms (ph 6.5-6.6 and kh 70 ppms) via Hagen Ladder, which probably isn't the best way of dispersing it, but some nights I have great pearling on my plants. I will turn it up more, as I've heard some people run their CO2 as high as 50 ppms.