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Help with Plant Deficiency ID

Not dosing NO3 will cause issues, why aren't you dosing something so essential ? Hope you didn't use you test kit to erroneously measure your tap water NO3 levels....no wonder you are having issues.

Shrimp don't care about NO3 levels.
 
Hi all,
zle said:
the only dry fert i am not including is NO3. do u think i should not trust API test kit suggesting my NO3 constantly at 10-20ppm?
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Like the others have said, unfortunately <"no, you can't trust the kit">, monovalent anions (like NO3-) are difficult to measure accurately, even with lab. grade analytical kit. The problem is mainly interference from other anions.

The problem really is that you need to draw a distinction between NO3 as the end product of the nitrification of NH3, and NO3 added via the disassociation of a salt like KNO3.

In the first case high NO3 levels (~30ppm NO3) indicate that there have been high levels of NH3 and NO2, both of which are toxic to fish. Nitrate (NO3) is the "smoking gun", but it isn't the bullet.

If you add via a salt it isn't toxic until it builds up to high levels, there are values from aquaculture industry where we are looking at long term exposure to <"200ppm NO3">, via the addition of NaNO3.

If you have a floating or emergent plant? it has access to aerial CO2 at ~400ppm, which means that any yellowing or lack of growth relates to PAR and nutrients, rather than CO2 availability.

I used the <"aerial advantage"> for the low tech. <"Duckweed Index">, but you can use plant growth and leaf colour in high tech situations.

cheers Darrel
 
NO3 is needed, don't worry about your CRS...have you ever seem Tom Barr's tanks, they are filled with shrimp, also CRS and he uses a lot NO3.....don't trust test kits to much (they give falls readings more often then correct once) the only things I test are KH, pH and temp.

I just see Darrel's comment, I forgot about that duckweed...that's a very good way to see if you have enough nutrients in your tank (I do this way still too)
 
thank you guys for the enormous feedback.

ok i will start dosing NO3 tomorrow. will keep this post updated of a new pic in about 3 days to see the progress.

by the way just a note, I actually did say am not doaing any NO3 in my long post dated 4 days ago :p but some may have missed that point.

also I always have the impression ADA Amazonia Powder Soil is able to provide enough NO3 for light planted tank. Would love to receive some feedback on this matter.

Once again thank you for your time.
 
as for duckweed index question, what kind of deficiency can u estimate besides general nutrients deficiency? cause I have an outdoor small pond with duckweed blossoming while lettuce melting. been confusing about this as well.
 
Hi all,
zle said:
what kind of deficiency can u estimate besides general nutrients deficiency?
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Have a look a this thread <"http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/low-maintainence-long-term-sustrate.14400/#post-149253">.
zle said:
duckweed blossoming while lettuce melting
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Depending a little bit where you are situated? but it may be a light/temperature issue with the Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). It has a high light requirement, and it doesn't do well as soon as the temperature drops below about 10oC.

Duckweed (Lemna minor) is a UK native, and frost tolerant.

Out of the floaters I have, I've found that Limnobium laevigatum (Amazon Frogbit) is by far the most cold tolerant, and will survive down to 1 - 2 oC. It shows a change in leaf morphology in cooler conditions with a much thicker, waxier leaf (which may be darker green than normal).

I'll scan a few leaves later.

cheers Darrel
 
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Hi Darrel, I have read your thread regarding duckweed index and understand that you are fixing it by stages nutrients dosing method. In a way duckweed will respond quicker/turning green upon having all the necessary nutrients. Did I understand this method correctly?

Anyway I dun think I want to introduce duckweed in my aquarium as once they grow, its a mess. haha. i actually thinking to dry my small pond due to duckweed infestation. do u hv any idea on what to make use of excess duckweed in a household? perhaps turning them into fert or food?

as for the lettuce, tomorrow i will make sure it gets its direct sunlight.

fyi i live in a tropical weather :)
 
also i have a surface skimmer so duckweed as deficiency ID not so suitable for me. and i would like to keep my tank top cleaner look by not having some sort of floater control fencing :)
 
Darrel, one more question. By not using duckweed to id deficiency, is it tough by analyzing other plants? condition is that we know the CO2 is adequate and light is just nice not causing algae. Thats my primary objective in this thread. The very first pic. Please ignore 2nd pic, its no longer relevant cause the further damage is caused by blackout.

I assume the CO2 is there by using drop checker in the correct way and light intensity by looking at my coral moss & xmas moss nearest to the water surface. I have tweak my light intensity till hair algae is at its minimum growth on the moss.
 
Hi all,
zle said:
By not using duckweed to id deficiency, is it tough by analyzing other plants? condition is that we know the CO2 is adequate and light is just nice not causing algae.
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Potentially you could use any emergent plant. The plant just has to have access to aerial CO2.

Once CO2 is take out of the equation, you are only left with the other nutrients and light. Because plants require ~x10 as much nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) as the other mineral nutrients, (even than the other macro-nutrient phosphorus (P)), N & K are the most likely elements to limit plant growth.

I started with Duckweed, because it was used in <"phytoremediation">, but all tanks can have a floater, whereas covers etc limit the use of emergents. It was because not everybody is very keen on Duckweed (Lemna) that I started using Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) as my "Duckweed".

I tried a range of floaters, but Limnobium has the advantages of having a nice green leaf and growing over a large range of nutrient, temperature and pH values. It is also quite saleable.

cheers Darrel
 
yes Ender its rooted to substrate. it was doing alright before the nightmare begun. I would like to try keepeing them in substrate.
 
Hi Ender, its ok for fern to grow from substrate. I started this poor neglected fern plant from my friend with just 2 small leaves. The problem is that it had stopped growing one day and melting. I have yet to wait the outcome of NO3 dosing. I will post a new photo this coming Friday. So far the Monte is responding positively fast and berried CRS still active. I hope the rest of the plants will pick up the repairing phase and grow.
 
Updates: the plants not recovering well. thread algae is growing between plants. I decided to clean my canister filter to allow smoother water flow. Will see how it goes.
 
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