• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Emersed plant brought in an intruder?

JoshP12

Member
Joined
8 Dec 2019
Messages
1,056
Location
Canada
Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago I introduced some Tropica cup HC and it did really well for a bit, then suddenly I noticed a little bit turn brown and begin to spawn this stringy/whitey/greyey thing from the abyss.

Totally possible that HC used stores, conditions weren’t optimal algae spawned - no issues ... intervention ... move on.

1610829095033.jpeg




BUT this stringy thing spread ... and it’s tendrils touched one of my repens and it began to melt in this weird pattern:

1610829042797.jpeg

1610829194501.jpeg


1610829230079.jpeg


I’ve never seen a “melt” in this way —- any insights would be helpful and appreciated!

I recently trimmed a bunch of it away.

Josh

EDIT: found a shot of the culprits waving away
1610830120360.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 1610829157098.jpeg
    1610829157098.jpeg
    1.4 MB · Views: 124
Last edited:
Hi all,

I was wondering about <"something "fungal" as well">. "Fungal" is in quote marks because their DNA <"suggests closer relationships with other organisms">.

cheers Darrel
The leaf melt is very similar to when fungus from wood at startup manages to settle on the leaves.

I also thought fungal, but then I thought that a fungus would probably only eat decaying plant matter ... and then that means my plant is dying directly as a result of my system.

At that point, I started trying to make the environment more favourable.

But then it spread to the repens and I wondered if it was killing my plants - can it do that?

Thanks for the input everyone.

Josh
 
So, it must have been an intruder.

Time has proved to be the winner here.

I got angry and "neglected" the tank for a few days (ok, I still peaked on the CO2 and the lights and the tech) -- then I forgot to check for a day or two and came back ... it was slightly gone.

Massive water change later and time ... .

From this:
1612204678899.png


To this:
1612204708229.png


To this:
1612204731662.png


And growing with runners all under the substrate.


Let's see ... time.


Josh


Oh you are still reading!

Here is my speculation:
1) Bacterias won and they just took more time to grow
Bizarre substrate coloring:
1612204863244.png

2) The fungus spread to healthier plants and they were like GET OUTTA MY TANK and let off allelopathic chemicals to destroy the intruders giving the HC an upper hand

You can see the "pearls" that had got caught by the fungus on the limno:
1612204995360.png
 
Wasn't an intruder. It was likely an algae.

My thoughts:

The issue: too much CO2. Why? CO2 isn't about CO2. CO2 is about pH and enzymatic/microbiological function.

HC has a higher metabolic demand than an "easier" counterpart ... say Monte Carlo. As a result, it requires more sugar to be made to satisfy ATP demand. RuBisCo - which makes sugar - has a decrease in enzymatic function as you get well into the 5's. My KH is <1. Plummeting the pH too low during the photoperiod means less sugar production. HC can't keep up - for that LCP (which should really be called Food-compensation-point).

Ease off the CO2 and fix the temperature (nice and toasty at 26 celcius):
1618154339926.png

1618154364654.png


Some other details:
1) EI levels of nutrients (including GH) * edit
2) 14 hours of light
3) AI Prime x3 on at maximum the whole time
4) CO2 comes on with the lights - no ramp up.

1618154512941.png


:) -- just my experience and my thoughts.

Josh

*Edit: actually it is an EI approach and methodology to nutrients. The actual values are roughly 8-10ppm phosphate and 30-40 ppm nitrate a week. TDS stays relatively constant through the week. My next endeavour is to EI methodology with less water changes.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top