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Trying to fix a problem early: S Repens, Java Fern & H Quadricostatus

Jack B

Member
Joined
3 Jan 2020
Messages
176
Location
London
Hi everyone,

On the plus side my first tank is proving to be great fun: lots of my plants are doing very well.

20200819_151643.jpg


That said, I'd appreciated advice re what action (if any) I should take to the following turn of events:

- Over lockdown, I grew some S. Repens and H Quadricostatus emmersed,

20200625_222242.jpg


and added some of each to the tank about six weeks ago.


- I also bought the Java fern shown in the centre of the tank around the same time. It had been growing submerged at my branch of Maidenhad Aquatics.


Matters of concern:

- The Java Fern is slowly developing brown lines/patches:

20200819_152806.jpg
20200819_152758.jpg


The outer leaves of the H Quadricostatus are melting:

20200819_153617.jpg


And most concerningly, the S Repens is slowly - I think - turning yellowish brown. And my hungry amano shrimp are eating what I assume are dying bits of the leaves:

20200819_151635.jpg



- The tank is 90cm x 45 x 45 (180litres)
- I'm running a sump
- No CO2
- Flow is high (return pump has theoretical output of 3000l/hr and it only has to lift the water three feet)
- Fluval 3.0 Plant light set to 8hrs per day on 50%
- Dosing 3x recommended dose of TNC complete, daily (10ml)
- API test kits say pH is 8.2, nitrates 80+ppm, ammonia & nitrites zero.
- London tap water: 15dH
- Doing a 50% water change every five days or so, and cleaning the sump sponges every other change.

My Amazon Frogbit isn't showing much yellowing and @dw1305 thinks it looks fine...but am I right that this looks like a ferts issue, despite my enthusiastic dosing of TNC complete? I'm gearing up to try EI, particularly since I'm a chemistry teacher with access to the stock room (ahem, shh), but it's going to take me a while to work out what I'm doing - by which time it may be too late?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks
 
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pH and nitrates super high. I think your fertiliser has nitrate so stop dosing it and get one without nitrate. Definitely don't do full EI as that also adds nitrates. Test your tap water and see what the levels are.

These are general comments and not specific to your plants symptoms but I doubt those levels are helping.

I have had the same Java Fern issue in a pH 6.5 (during day), nitrate 0 and 3 dH tank with CO2. I think I will just rip it out tbh as everything else is doing ok. In my tanks S. repens sometimes melts but does not turn yellow - it can be a tricky plant.

If you are triple doing a "complete" fertiliser without CO2 then maybe that is probably your problem... high nutrients, low co2 and probably low light, so bring the nutrients down to match.
 
I think as regards the Java Fern its it's in the adapting stage and should be fine I would cut out any bad poor leafs to encourage new growth new growth might be slow and reduce the lighting period more for now You have healthy floaters add some fast growing stems
 
pH and nitrates super high. I think your fertiliser has nitrate so stop dosing it and get one without nitrate. Definitely don't do full EI as that also adds nitrates. Test your tap water and see what the levels are.

These are general comments and not specific to your plants symptoms but I doubt those levels are helping.

I have had the same Java Fern issue in a pH 6.5 (during day), nitrate 0 and 3 dH tank with CO2. I think I will just rip it out tbh as everything else is doing ok. In my tanks S. repens sometimes melts but does not turn yellow - it can be a tricky plant.

If you are triple doing a "complete" fertiliser without CO2 then maybe that is probably your problem... high nutrients, low co2 and probably low light, so bring the nutrients down to match.

Thanks for this Luketendo, much appreciated.

Just did a tap water test for nitrate and it comes up as 40ppm, which fits the local water quality report now I look at it.

Will indeed look up a nitrate-free fertiliser and give that a try.
 
I think as regards the Java Fern its it's in the adapting stage and should be fine I would cut out any bad poor leafs to encourage new growth new growth might be slow and reduce the lighting period more for now You have healthy floaters add some fast growing stems
Thanks Paraguay - will get trimming. I've got quite a lot of H 53b and bacopa growing well, and pretty high plant coverage overall so hopefully that's enough growth... 🤞
 
Thanks for this Luketendo, much appreciated.

Just did a tap water test for nitrate and it comes up as 40ppm, which fits the local water quality report now I look at it.

Will indeed look up a nitrate-free fertiliser and give that a try.

Yeah, I highly doubt you want to be using a fertiliser containing nitrate. If anything you want to use RO water to reduce nitrate.
 
Thanks for this Luketendo, much appreciated.

Just did a tap water test for nitrate and it comes up as 40ppm, which fits the local water quality report now I look at it.

Will indeed look up a nitrate-free fertiliser and give that a try.
How did the Java fern do after using fertilisers without nitrate? I have very similar water to you.
 
No improvement sadly: I pulled it out, but saved some of the offshoots.

Had other plants showing up deficiencies so now trying full EI will lots of everything. Will see how the young plants get on in areas with more / less light.
 
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