How the hell did that happen!

[Themuleous]

Hi All,

I was looking at my 20g tank last night and noticed the R.rotundifolia was doing this...

I've not changed the light from my 2x18w Arcadia freshwater (tank is 24USg = 1.5WPG), but I have added CO2 and Im dose some ferts and trace more often now. I have resigned myself to doing EI with this tank anyway just to be sure the ferts levels are kept right, not that I really want to but Ive come to the conclusion its probably the only way.

How is it possible to have pearling like this (albeit at the very end of the light period) at only 1.5WPG!! I can only assume that there is so much plant mass that the O2 produced saturates the tank by the end of the photoperiod which causes the pearling. It was the last thing I expected in this tank!! The other plants pearl as well but not nearly as much.

Sam

 

[Matt Holbrook-Bull]

sudden introduction of co2 will now allow the plants to uptake nutrients.. if theyve been starved then theyll gorge themselves.. that could be happening.

alternatively, tall stems like that, are much closer to the light source, so now they have what they need, theyll revel in the higher light levels at the top of the water column.

its a good thing!

 

[Themuleous]

Thanks flora it was you that pointed out the N deficiency in the tank so I tested and both the N and P levels were low (5 and 0.5 respectively). Having run a few tests over the past week I know the plants is using a fair bit of both, probably between 20-30 NO3 and 1-2 PO4 each week, hence Im going to start EI at the wkd. Even though its 'low light'

FYI the tip of the plants are still around 6-8" from the water surface, but you're right the tips certainly pearl more than the lower leave, probably due to the increased light levels near the surface.

Thanks again

Sam