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Holes in AR leaves

T

Tom Michael

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16 Nov 2014
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Hi all

As the title suggests- all other plants are fine and doing well. EI, good CO2 and flow. My guess is it's either the liquid CO2 I dose or a nutrient deficiency i.e. Potassium? Also possible my 3 Amano are have a nibble but haven't seen this.

Thoughts most appreciated
 
Hi,
Check first to see if the the cause is predation by snails or other vermin. Holes in leaves or any structural fault which is not due to predation is caused by a CO2 deficiency.

Cheers,
 
Thanks Ceg (and indirectly for the various advice you provide on this forum which I have certainly benefited from)

I have observed the aquarium and I don't think it's critters. Its maybe a flow issue- I have a spraybar and powerhead pointing back to front, however there are less bubbles on the opposite end of the tank where the AR are planted, therefore I will angle this slightly diagonal and see if this helps. Hardscape blocking flow to the rear counts also be an issue however that's more of a hassle.
 
What sort of flow?

This recent tank from Tropica Interzoo (aquascaped by George Farmer & Jurijs mit JS, maintained by Tropica staff)
250 litre aquarium 100 x 50 x 50cm with built in filter (Eheim 600l/h pump) & 20mg/l CO2 seems to have adequate flow & CO2 :)
 
That is your amanos eating the leaves. I had the same thing happening to my AR, the amanos kept nibbling at it until the plant was left bare bones. All my other plants were doing fine too.
 
Hi Alto

Eheim external 600 via spay bar method plus powerhead, all plants gently swaying

Guiller, thanks for feeding back from your experience- I will feed them more, hope they haven't got the taste for it!
 
Looks like mechanical damage to me. Something is wrong for the leaf to be in that condition (i.e tasty to critters)... that and BBA on the java moss in the centre(?) can only be CO2, although, the rest around the edges of the tank looks fine so flow would be where I start as that area might not be getting enough, then I'd dial in CO2, then nutes if needed - your light looks very bright... can it be adjusted?
 
HI Hintz

Thanks for your views. The tank size isn't ideal for planted IMO as its tall and narrow. I have directed the powerhead diagonal to see if this helps. Well spotted I do have a slight BBA issue on that moss, my CO2 is pretty much at limit for livestock so I suppose I could reduce the lighting a little (its the helialux juwel unit, which builds upto 85% power and see how this goes).
 
Tom Michael said:
Thanks for your views. The tank size isn't ideal for planted IMO as its tall and narrow. I have directed the powerhead diagonal to see if this helps.
Click to expand...
Any auxiliary pumps should be placed at the center just below or above the spraybar in order to augment the flow/distribution patterns from the spraybar.
Tall tanks are always problematic because the energy required to evenly carry the water down to the bottom is high. If you place the pump at odd angles which are not parallel to the flow from the spraybar then there is a likelihood of interfering the flow from the spraybar.

Also ensure that your filter is not chock full of media, which reduces the flow rate.

Cheers,
 
alto said:
:confused:
I'm slow ...

What's the voodoo part o_O
(Tropica on ley/lei line convergence???)
Click to expand...

I looked at the tank, looks perfect... then I scroll to see 100ml of special this, and 100ml of professional that where it might as well say "100ml of abracadabra, and 100ml of magic".

The voodoo is the "specialist" ferts - I just can't accept the way they're pushed with limited information and ambiguity.

Tom Michael said:
HI Hintz

Thanks for your views. The tank size isn't ideal for planted IMO as its tall and narrow. I have directed the powerhead diagonal to see if this helps. Well spotted I do have a slight BBA issue on that moss, my CO2 is pretty much at limit for livestock so I suppose I could reduce the lighting a little (its the helialux juwel unit, which builds upto 85% power and see how this goes).
Click to expand...

I understand the struggle. Like I said, your CO2 may well be good overall - just not in that specific area.

Personally I would put an auxiliary spray bar in down the back pane about 4 inches from the substrate pointing toward the front pane where the flow will pass through the foliage. Do this with a reduction in light for a few weeks, see how it improves and if it does, ramp the light up gradually and monitor the situation.

Good luck!
 
HiNtZ said:
The voodoo is the "specialist" ferts - I just can't accept the way they're pushed with limited information and ambiguity.
Click to expand...
Tropica will supply an active ingredient list for both their fertilizers - if it's no longer on the website (has been in the past, has also been posted on ukaps); ADA is much more secretive
BUT that is the perogative of any commercial company: a major part of this is obviously geared towards protection from other commercial interests
This tank was set up first week in February for Interzoo 2018 May 8-11
Obviously fast growth was an integral part of tank care

My point is that high flowrates & high CO2 levels are not a necessity of thriving plant, minimal algae growth

In a recent thread, some one mentioned using 2 kilograms!!!! of CO2 per month - I use less than 150 grams CO2 per month on a 215 litre tank
 
alto said:
My point is that high flowrates & high CO2 levels are not a necessity of thriving plant, minimal algae growth

In a recent thread, some one mentioned using 2 kilograms!!!! of CO2 per month - I use less than 150 grams CO2 per month on a 215 litre tank
Click to expand...

I use 6.5Kg a month on 500l which I was a little concerned about till

ceg4048 said:
500L tank will eat a LOT of CO2. I recall when I was living in Berkshire and I had my tank in the conservatory I was consuming a 22Kg cylinder every 5-6 weeks in my 700L tank.
Click to expand...

Using less is great OFC but sometimes due to plant choices and carpets even the best of use use lots of CO2, plus high flow goes gets it there faster to the fast growing plants to prevent holes/melting.


alto said:
My point is that high flowrates & high CO2 levels are not a necessity of thriving plant, minimal algae growth
Click to expand...

Yes and no, depends on tank and plants, if I drop the CO2 injection my trident melts, if I decreasse the lights my carpet struggles, same if flow decreases.

I am planning on a big flow increase when the new Maxspect comes out, which I think will enable me to decrease the pH drop needed to keep algea at bay and plants hole/melting free
 
alto said:
What plant mass are you removing each week - if you're not removing a corresponding amount, plants are not uptaking much of that applied CO2
Click to expand...

Not much plant mass at all, carpet is struggling not trimmed it in over 6 months 99.9% CO2 to the atmosphere IMO but its the high [CO2] thats keeping some plants from melting and the 50cm deep carpet going IMO, bad choices in plants really, but is first planted tank, but haven't give up on it yet ;)
 
I have an MC carpet, 53cm tall tank, A160 Kessil (feel light is my lack at substrate rather than CO2 ... I can easily annihilate livestock with a single Tropica kit diffuser :oops: :oops: :oops: ), growth is slow but steady with minimal algae

I actually just ripped it all out & rescaped, using a small portion of the overgrown carpet to replant
 
I go through 5kg in 6-8 months depending on how much I go abroad in that time (I throttle the tank right back). That's on a 155 with 130W LEDs.

I remove around 1/4 - 1/3 of plant mass per week. My Limnophila can do 3-4" in a 24 hour period (it actually grows overnight too 10-15mm), rotala r. does an inch a day, pogostemon stellatus 1/2-1" per day, sunset 1" per day. This is at full whack everything and an extended photoperiod.

My flow isn't amazing, but it's consistent with a mix of dissolved and free floating CO2.
 
Zeus. said:
Using A160 x4 myself and four 24w T5, Kessils at 20% intensity ATM any more and trident melts, micro sword and minigrass carpet.
Click to expand...
Bizarre
I run my A160s at 100% - it doesn't seem like "high" light at all
After struggling with massive Microsorum pteropus invasions, I've just added some 'Trident' for the first time in years (unfortunately it didn't arrive in the best condition so may be a slow starter)
 
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