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Holes in leaves

swackett

Member
Joined
29 May 2008
Messages
449
Location
Surrey
Hi, noticed the alternanthera cardinalis in my tank has started to develop holes around the edges.

Tank is 125l, external Eheim 350t filter, Fluval 10watt led, dosing 1.25ml Tropica specialised ferts each day, with injected co2.

Any help much appreciated, thanks. 20170516_203852.jpg
 
Generally 3 things cause holes in leaves, suspects are mechanical damage from fish trying to eat them, low pottasium or low co2.

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It only seems to be effecting these leaves at the moment. We only have lemon tetras, amano shrimp and Harlequins in the tank. So that leaves co2 or potassium I guess
 
Reading up a bit on why this happens, its seems as the leaves are not turning yellow, this could be a sign of potassium deficiency, is that a fair assumption?
 
Reading up a bit on why this happens, its seems as the leaves are not turning yellow, this could be a sign of potassium deficiency, is that a fair assumption?

Or old leaves that come with the plants when you got them. If that is the case, the plants are relocating useable (mobile) nutrients from them to help feed newer leaves that are more suitable to the new environment of your tank.
 
Noticed some yellowing around a hole in an annual leaf, and some yellowing around the edges of another annubias leaf.
 
Going off your concerns about your lighting and using Commercial ferts maybe you need to consider the addition of those salts you have stashed or turning the light down. How long as the tank been set up for now?

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Just over 2 weeks now. Lighting is at 6 hours right now. Just checking the co2 now add for some new bromo blue solution and drop checker. Put it in at 7 tonight and it's still very blue, co2 has now gone off.
 
Maybe too early to tell mate. The DC shouldn't be blue if the co2 has knocked off plus the plants maybe still settling in.

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Well I installed an jbl inline diffuser at the weekend so that's a change. Will check colours tomorrow and try and get it to go green.

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Just tested water with a PH meter and the reading was 7.04, gas was just about to start, both drop checkers were green. The bromo blue solution from AE is very dark marking it hard to read in the glass diffuser though, but looking at the edges I can see that is green as well.
 
Buy yourself a cheap white plastic ruler and dip it in the water behind the DC so you can get a better look at the colour or maybe buy one of the white plastic dc's. Not as nice to look at in the tank but you get a better reading. The fluval one is quite good.

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Buy yourself a cheap white plastic ruler and dip it in the water behind the DC so you can get a better look at the colour or maybe buy one of the white plastic dc's. Not as nice to look at in the tank but you get a better reading. The fluval one is quite good.

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I may just go back to the 4kdh water and reagent as that way you can put as many drops in as you like to get the required colour density.
 
I've had this discussion before where I think the pre-mixed stuff is difficult to see in the tank. The problem is the more drops you add it waters down the 4dkh solution making it no longer 4dkh. However, it's not exact science and was never meant to be. Just a way of getting a quick visual check as you're passing. A bit of an early warning system that things are a miss.

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Well as it seems like the co2 is sufficient, I guess it must be a lack of nutrients. Potassium or Magnesium or something else??
 
Or it could be the plants settling in as discussed earlier. Two weeks is nothing in plant terms. You need to run your set up for a month or two for any issues to rear their heads I would say.

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Or it could be the plants settling in as discussed earlier. Two weeks is nothing in plant terms. You need to run your set up for a month or two for any issues to rear their heads I would say.

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Well a number of anubias hastifolia leaves have either a hole or two with brown edges, or the leaf edges have started to erode with yellow/brown edging.

Not really seen this before with aquarium plants that are grown submerged, yes with swords as they are grown immersed and so these leaves will be shed over time and replaced with submerged leaves.

Of course I guess those anubias leaves may be old.... Patience, patience....
 
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