HummingBird Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Two of the plants in my aquarium (they're at opposite ends of the tank) have developed brown patches on most of their leaves. There are four other types of plants in the aquarium that are fine, it's just these two. Any suggestions as to what it might be and how to fix it? I'll try to get some pics tommorow. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Could you give more information, like: which plant is brown (name of plant)? lighting (how many wattage) CO2 (any?) Fertilizer (why type?) i suspect it is lacking fertiizer. not all plant take in nutrient at the same rate and some need more certain kind of nutrient more than the other. either dose liquid fertlizer or i read somewhere about using potassium Nitrate will help. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Could also be lack of light. Does your lighting cover the whole tank or just the middle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 The light covers the whole tank, I'm not sure of the specs of it though, I'll post them when I get home. No c02. One of the plants has a nutrient fertilizer stick in with it's roots and I dose the tank daily with Flourish Excel. I don't know the name of the plants, we should hopefully be buying a new digital camera tonight though and if we do I'll post some pics tommorow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 The light is an Aqua One Tri-Power 15000k 40W 4ft light. The brown patches have spread to three other plants and so now there's only one plant that doesn't have it (and that plant is red so it would be hard to see it if it did have it) somebody help me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 The light is an Aqua One Tri-Power 15000k 40W 4ft light. The brown patches have spread to three other plants and so now there's only one plant that doesn't have it (and that plant is red so it would be hard to see it if it did have it) somebody help me assuming you have two tube of Aqua One (15,000k), total will be 80W (bearly sufficient), change water, no algae problems, add your liquid fertilizer weeklyand acordingly; it should be ok. recently i have experince brown leaf too but i increase the CO2 input (more DIY canister), it starting to grow again. you may want to consider DIY CO2, if you have the above sorted out. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 I've only got one light. Perhaps that's the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 I've only got one light. Perhaps that's the problem. depending on the type of plant (hygrophilia may be sufficient) you have. some are more demanding (especially you have a red plant). if you are looking for a cheap tube, look out for Hydrophonic shops (they may sell tubes) or go to lighting shop and ask for daylight 10,000 kevin (most of then would say they do not have) and they will suggest that you check out their supplier who most likely will have. tube for aquarium. 36 to 40watt at 6500 kelvin(white spetrum light) to 10,000 kelvin (pink spetrum light) will be fine. some brand do not measure it by kelvin but by Lux. find out more information from the shop. they will sell around $20 compare to LFS selling at $30 to $50. if you do not have a lighting folder, you can buy arcadia lighting system. it comes with a switch on the ballast and two cap on both ends of the tube. hope that will help save some money. Cheers PS. if i were you, depending how many plants you have, i will go for three tubes. currently my 265 litre tank has 4 tubes (4 X 36 watt). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 Well I bought another light today, supposedly the exact same light. I open it up and the bulb is only 36 watt (not 40w like the other one) and I'm pretty sure it isn't 15000k like my other one (it's white not pink). I'm pretty ticked off at this, I'm going to take it back tommorow, I don't like paying the exact same price for an inferior bulb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 White would be about right for a 15,000 kelvin bulb. If you have a pink one it'll be something like a grow lux, I don't know what their kelvin rating is exactly, but after a bit of research it looks like gro lux are 3400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 The pink one says 15000k on it though : / and when you look at the white one you can visably see it flickering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 Hmmm, Wierd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 Well I installed a co2 system tonight, and I'm getting a new double light (with good bulbs) in replacement of the other light tommorow. Hopefully the plants should be alright now :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 The light is an Aqua One Tri-Power 15000k 40W 4ft light. The brown patches have spread to three other plants and so now there's only one plant that doesn't have it (and that plant is red so it would be hard to see it if it did have it) somebody help me You had two plants with brown patches + 3 more and now only one without, is this correct? That means you only have 6 plants in a four footer... The brown patches may be caused by a lack of fertiliser nutrients or maybe too much of certain types. If you have a high nitrate level it will either inhibit or slow down plant growth. In some cases it will make the leaves die. High phosphate levels also inhibit plant growth by attacking the roots, but you'd probably also have lots of algae too. Since you are using only Flourish Excel, you may well have a nutrient deficiency. You could get some Flourish (not excel - Flourish is an iron source) and some Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s Aquatic Plant Stimulant (trace elements). A couple of drops each daily would probably help. Just watch out for and algae outbreak. Next you may need extra Potassium and Magnesium. See if you can find a source for these as Potassium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate (not nitrate). You only add Potassium nitrate if your nitrate level is below 2-5ppm. Dissolve a couple of table spoons of each into a litre of water and add about 5 mls daily. You may also need to add more plants. If the plants can't use up the fish waste products as fast as they are made then the plants will always lose. The conditions for growing plants well means very good water quality. The two go hand in hand actually. Plants require good water quality but they also make it but using up the bad nutrients. You have to start with good water quality however as the plants can't turn bad water quality into good. They will only help keep good water quality good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Sorry when I meant 6 plants I meant 6 types of plants, I've got more than 6 plants in there right now, probably 10-15 and I'm planning on getting some more soon. I'll see if they have Flourish and Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s Aquatic Plant Stimulant at Jansens. The prices for Potassium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate at 'Scientific Supplies' are $48 for 500g, which is the minimum amount you can purchase! I'm going to check out the prices at a hydroponics store, see if they are any cheaper (or if I can buy less). Thanks for the advice Warren, you've been quite helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 That's a rediculous price! It will be lab grade, much more pure than you need. I get mine from a local chemical wholesaler and it costs about $16.00 for 4kg. If you get really stuck I can send you some to get you started. Jansens definately stocks the Aquatic Plant Stimulant - I've bought it there before. I don't know if they stock Seachem products however. If you can't find Flourish at Jansens, Hollywoods definately has it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Yeah, my mom got the prices for me and she works in a lab. I've bought Flourish Excel from Jansens so they do stock that. I'll try to track down a chemical wholesaler around Auckland somewhere. If the plants start really deteriorating and I can't find a wholesaler I may take you up on that offer, but I think it should be fairly easy to find one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2005 Got a digital camera yesterday so here are some pics of the affected plants. The worst affected one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Hi Hummingbird i can spare some if you wanted; Potassium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate. maybe to be mix into less than 500ml of water and you can add 5ml daily. let me know if you are coming my way. cheer PS. hope it is not too late to save the plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 i can spare some if you wanted; Potassium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate. maybe to be mix into less than 500ml of water and you can add 5ml daily. Go with the 1L stated. If you use 500ml's, you'll have to shake the bottle every time you want to use it. If 1L is used the salts stay dissolved so no shaking required... From the look of the plants they don't seem to be growing fast enough. Adding the extra trace elements and macronutrients will make them grow faster. Start adding only a small amount daily. If this picks the plants up and knocks the algae back stay at that level. If not, try adding a bit more. Try the same dose for a week at least. Things don't happen over night and a week is usually enough to show a difference. Don't over-dose or you could get lots of green algae. Once the plants are growing fast, they use up the food for the algae so they out-compete it... With Flourish, it's better to add 1/7th the weekly dose on a daily basis. Even though it's a chelated product they state it stays in a form the plants can use, I've always had much better results with daily dosage. Standard iron chelates don't stay chelated for much more than 24 hours before turning into insoluable iron. That’s why you need to dose daily. It also makes the fertiliser level fluctuate a lot less. A big dose once a week gives the algae a chance to get hold. Lots of regular small doses don't let it get a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantman Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Dissolve a couple of table spoons of each into a litre of water and add about 5 mls daily. Hi Warren could you tell me what is the measurement of "a couple of table spons". interm of liquid, it is about 10ml. how many table spoon? thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 1 Tablespoon is approx 13 grams of crystals. If you dissolve 2 tablesppons of each in 1L (1000ml) then you'll have approx 26g of each in 1000mls. So, in 10mls you'll have 0.26 grams of each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.