can frogbits be indicators of nutrient level?

**madnugget** · 22nd Mar 2010, 22:31

if i'm not wrong, frogbits are well known nutrient suckers right? can it be an indication of nutrient level in the tank? if they are growing well = a lot nutrients? if they are yellowing/holes in the leaves = nutrient shortage and i should dose accordingly?

just some thoughts that came into my mind..

**barmby** · 24th Mar 2010, 15:16

you are spot on. yellowing/holes in the leaves especially older leaves = nutrient shortage. if you hold the frogbits in one place, they will grow very long roots up to 2 feet !! with good nutrients.

**madnugget** · 24th Mar 2010, 17:27

icic, but im curious. I have a ceramic pot, with nothing inside, just 1-2 shrimp and a guppy. no ferts only top up tap water and direct sunlight yet it is growing like crazy?

**blue33** · 24th Mar 2010, 17:31

Lighting is another main source of food for plant.

**barmby** · 24th Mar 2010, 17:57

tap water has 5 ppm of NO3. tap water itself can grow algae with light powering over it

you will notice plants bubble like "siao" after a water change

**madnugget** · 24th Mar 2010, 18:33

thanks! afraid of algae so did a tight control on ferts and now i notice my frogbits suffers from nutrient deficiency. time to up more!

**Shadow** · 24th Mar 2010, 20:41

fert does not cause algae. limiting nutrient only benefit algae.

put it this way you take some algae from tank, put it on paper tower, weight it and take note how many gram. Next, put it into oven and turn on the oven until it dry. Now take it out and weight it again. Basically you remove the water content, what left now is basically carbon, N, P, K and trace. You will fine the weight is next to nothing. In other word it does not take much of nutrient for algae to grow.

**barmby** · 25th Mar 2010, 09:10

madnugget - you'll need more than that. we have all discussed many times. Lights, NPK, CO2, TE and even O2 all come into play when growing frogbits, eh, no, i mean plants.

**madnugget** · 25th Mar 2010, 13:13

thanks thanks.. yup, i believe my lights (4x24w) and co2 (like firecrackers and using na reactor, no undissolved co2 outflow) are sufficient, just that ferts wise, i didnt dose much..