Cryptocoryne wendtii

[sisko]

Hi!

I’m having some trouble with my crypts. Leafs start growing well but once they reach a good length the colour turns darker green and in a few weeks almost brown. I was suspicious about the CO2 but it seems fine (lime green drop checker). Upped my PO4 to around 9ppm but still no results. The edges of the leafs sometimes a bit “wavey”.
I’m adding
KNO3 30.7 ppm
PO4 9.3 ppm
SO4 30.2 ppm
MGSO4 13.2 ppm
5ml Excel/day
And double of the recommended dose of micros.

I just realized now I’m adding extra SO4 with the magnesium!!! Is it too much?
I have the same problem with Eleocharis parvula, they turn dark after a few days.
There is a nice big bunch of Hygrophila difformis in the tank, is it possible it eats up all the nutrients?
My last guess is the lighting. I have a rio 180 with T5’s but no reflectors. Glued cling film on the top of the hood from inside, not so sure if it does the job!
Or maybe I received wendtii brown instead if green?
All ideas welcome!!

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
I'm always suspicious when someone reports a nutrient concentration value like "30.7ppm". You would need a £400 measurement device to get that kind of accuracy. It's much better to report your dosing in terms of teaspoons/grams of xyz for a given tank size or if using a solution then so many grams teaspoon added to so much water. If you are just chucking in nutrients and then measuring the value with a £10 test kit then really no one has any idea what levels you actually have.

In any case C. wendetii has both green and brown variants and sometimes the green turns rust or brown and then turns green again. Any chance of getting some photos?

Cheers,

 

[sisko]

Well I gave it a good trim on the weekend so maybe in a few weeks time!
Used the calculator on James site to make my E.I. this is how I got the 30.7, not using test kits, realized it's wasted money!
I mix this in separate bottles:
Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) 30g/250ml
Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) 8g/250ml
Potassium Sulphate (K2SO4) 10g/250ml

With each dose I add 25ml of each, this gives me the “accurate value”
Will get some photos soon. Any advice till then? Should I change anything on the dosing?

 

[GreenNeedle]

Crypt Wendtii 'brown' should really be labelled 'violet/burgundy'!!!!

When you buy it and the leaves are young it will be dark green with some brown in them. As it matures it will go from this green to an even deeper pine green through to a brown and eventually it will have lovely brown shiny leaves with a hint of violet on them. lol

AC

 

[ceg4048]

Well I gave it a good trim on the weekend so maybe in a few weeks time!
Used the calculator on James site to make my E.I. this is how I got the 30.7, not using test kits, realized it's wasted money!
I mix this in separate bottles:
Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) 30g/250ml
Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) 8g/250ml
Potassium Sulphate (K2SO4) 10g/250ml

With each dose I add 25ml of each, this gives me the “accurate value”
Will get some photos soon. Any advice till then? Should I change anything on the dosing?

Thanks

Well, it's up to you but to simplify things you can mix the KNO3 and the KH2PO4 to the same bottle. Additionally, you can delete the K2SO4. SO4 concentrations are not a priority and if you are adding KNO3 already you are automatically adding enough K. So that's one less thing to buy and it reduces your number of bottles from four to two - one for macros and one for micros.

The K2SO4 is only useful if you elected to not add KNO3. Some people delete or lower the KNO3 addition if they have a high fish load. The NO3 then is produce in the tank itself.

It should also be noted that as a general rule, CO2 should never be assumed to be fine. Poor CO2 accounts for over 90% of our problems. I also would not rush to increase lighting in the tank. More light generally means more problems.

Cheers,