Svante

Hey guys, a while ago I posted a thread in here about what I thought might be Ca-defficiency. No many agreed with me, telling me to make tests on the water etcetera, now I have ruled out NO3 an PO4 defficiency, since I've been dosing 1 ppm phosphates and 10ppm nitrates in an aquarium with quite a heavy fishload and well, the nutrients aren't being used up, so I guess that's good. However, I only have any real oxygen production from the plants when I change the water, and then perhaps 2 or 3 days after that, after that period, oxygen bubbles counted on the plants equals 0. I allso dose some micros, which doesn't really seem to be the problem either.


The growth of my H. polysperma is strangely distorted, the leaves tend to grow in curves out of the stem, rather then straight out, often having "bends" on them, allso, the look "curly". You must forgive my english vocabulary when it comes to describing things ....

Anyways, seing as the plants produce a lot of oxygen, not only a day after water change, but two or three days, I don't think it's a CO2 defficiency, allthough, I have no means to prove it. My thesis is that it's something in the tapwater that runs out after 2-3 days, that I'm not supplying with chemicals after that.

Tor ule out a Ca-defficiency, the easiest way for me seems to be to dose some Ca, and see what happens, what would you guys recommend as a source?

My GH levels are low to start with from the tap, at around 3 if I remember correctly.

Oh, I allso noticed today that I have some nitrites in the water, not much though, can't give any numbers since I have misplaced the key to the test ... Slightly pink when it should have been clear, I remember it's not much, but not how much ... Could that possibly have anything to do with the problem? I know I didn't have this problem before, but the deficiency, or whatever it is, was there anyways.

Thanks, hoping to be helped This is a great forum, and I often come to read, even though I don't post often. But today I've had enough with those distorted polyspermas ......

MatPat

This leads me to believe CO2 is your main problem. You should have similar pearling in your tank all the time, not just the day of wter change and 2-3 days after. It may be a bit more intense the day of a water change but should still be there by the time you are due your nest water change. If pearling falls off a day or two after a water change, bump the CO2 up a bit more. With good CO2 the NO3 and PO4 will be used.

You can still try adding some Calcium Chloride if you really think that is the problem but I think given the info you provided, you are low on CO2.

Svante

Well, I beg to differ Because I turned the CO2 off a while ago, because I don't have time to monitor as much in the summer, and kept it off for 2 months, and during that period, pearling didn't really happen much at all, not even at waterchanges, and the defficiency was not expressed either, furthermore, only plants in the light get this symptom, and only on my fast growing polysperma. Crypts are doing nicely. Perhaps it can still be CO2 that is too low? Anyways, I didn't get an answer of what chemical to use to rule out Ca-defficiency. Which I much would appreciate

MatPat

I did suggest in my first post you try some calcium chloride to rule out the Ca deficiency

BryceM

I'd suggest trying a little CaCl2 and some MgSO4. If you are adding enough micros, the most likely nutrients that you'd be lacking with GH 3 water would be these. A good source of both would be Seachem's Equilibrium. Can you get this where you are? If not, find some CaCl2 and some MgSO4 - it amounts to the same thing. I'd add enough to get the GH up to 5 or 6 degrees.

Svante

Oh, sorry MatPat ... :P I'll try boosting my GH value then. I don't think I've ever seen a seachem product in my life, must be something typically american :P

Could someone please give me a link to, or explain to me, in which amounts to add CaCl and MgSO4, to raise GH in a good way? I'm not sure how to calculate really, since I don't have the denisty of either substance, or any clear Idea on how much to add for each GH degree. If I remember correctly 18 ppm of either substance is 1 degree ... am I right?

MatPat

Approximately 18ppm (17.86ppm) makes up one degree of hardness.

You can use the Fertilator on this site (located in the orangish colored navigation bar at the top of the page) to figure out how many ppm of CaCl and MgSO4 to add to your tank to raise your GH levels. You can also look at the Perpetual Preservation System specifically the information on Water Hardness: Magnesium and Calcium, to give you ore information on dosing Ca and Mg.

BSS

Based on my experience with distorted, twisted new growth on A. reineckii, I'm betting on a micro/trace deficiency. I believe that deformed new growth is most frequently attributable to lack of Ca uptake, and that Ca uptake can be blocked when there is no B (Boron) in the tank.

So, I suggest adding/upping your trace (CSM+B, TMG, Flourish) dosing.

Anyone else with another theory he can pursue ?

Please do tell when you find the answer !
Brian.

Svante

Ok, so, first thin I will do now is:

Try to build up the micros sufficiently, seeing as some of the Lemna minor leaves that are floating are yellow, which I hadn't noticed before, micros might very well be the source of trouble, as L. minor goes white very fast if there isn't enough Fe in the water column .... Might be something else, but worth a shot anyways.

If that doesn't work, I'll boost GH.

If that doesn't work, I'll try boosting my system with more CO2.

I'll report later when/if I fix the problem.

BryceM

Sounds like a reasonable plan. Keep at it and you'll figure it out eventually. Yes, sorry, Seachem is an American company, although a rather large one by aquarium standards. I'm not sure if they export much or not.