# Need help with determining deficient



## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

Hi I'm new to this site, but I'm having some troubles with my monte Carlo, the plant leaves keep turning transparent, even on new growth, after a day, I have a 50 gallon tank, 2 kessile lights, co2, dose dry ferts, use ro water, 
Nitrate 10 
Phosphate 4
Ph 6.5 
Does potassium and iron mostly everyday 
Just need some help with this 
Co2 is also at 30 ppm 
Lights on 10hrs a day


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

are you dosing micros?


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

BruceF said:


> are you dosing micros?


Yes I am, I dose then while I does iron.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Freshwaterplantlover said:


> Hi I'm new to this site, but I'm having some troubles with my monte Carlo, the plant leaves keep turning transparent, even on new growth, after a day, I have a 50 gallon tank, 2 kessile lights, co2, dose dry ferts, use ro water,
> Nitrate 10
> Phosphate 4
> Ph 6.5
> ...


Hi Freshwaterplantlover,

Welcome to APC!

When nutrient issues occur on new leaves that usually indicates a non-mobile plant nutrient problem. Common non-mobile plant nutrients are: calcium, sulfur, iron, boron, and manganese.

On new leaves:

Clear leaves (typically mis-shapen) is usually a calcium related issue.

White leaves, usually with green leaf veins, is usually an iron related issue

If you could provide a picture (or several) we may be able to identify the issue more accurately and provide a suggested resolution.


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

Here are some photos


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Welcome to APC!
I see you are using RO water, but it doesn't look like you are building the hardness back with something like Seachem Equilibrium. You do need both calcium and magnesium in the water for the plants and the animal life.
How are you measuring your CO2 concentration? If it is by using the pH/KH tables, that won't work for aquarium water, only for distilled water having nothing in the water that affects the pH and KH except a carbonate compound and CO2. Try taking a cup of water from the tank, letting it sit in the open for a couple of days, then measuring the pH of that water. The tank water pH should be lower, lower by 1.0, if you have 30 ppm of CO2.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Freshwaterplantlover,

I think hoppycalif is correct. Looking at your pictures is doesn't appear the newer leaves are 'clear' but the older leaves on the stems. If you are not adding sufficient Seachem Equilibrium to bring the RO water up to about 4.0 dGH water hardness that is the likely issue.


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

Yes i have been adding the seachem equalibrum, but i do belive it to be a calcium or magnessium defficency, i do have a gh test, every time i test it takes 9 drops to change the water from blue to green, and i have a dropchecker to meassure co2.


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Freshwaterplantlover,
> 
> I think hoppycalif is correct. Looking at your pictures is doesn't appear the newer leaves are 'clear' but the older leaves on the stems. If you are not adding sufficient Seachem Equilibrium to bring the RO water up to about 4.0 dGH water hardness that is the likely issue.


Just replied


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

Freshwaterplantlover said:


> Yes i have been adding the seachem equalibrum, but i do belive it to be a calcium or magnessium defficency, i do have a gh test, every time i test it takes 9 drops to change the water from blue to green, and i have a dropchecker to meassure co2.


 wow ive been adding the equalibrum directly to the tank after water changes with the ro water, i should probbaly add it directly to the ro water before, than meassure to see if i have the correct gh, which should be at 4?


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## Freshwaterplantlover (Mar 18, 2018)

hoppycalif said:


> Welcome to APC!
> I see you are using RO water, but it doesn't look like you are building the hardness back with something like Seachem Equilibrium. You do need both calcium and magnesium in the water for the plants and the animal life.
> How are you measuring your CO2 concentration? If it is by using the pH/KH tables, that won't work for aquarium water, only for distilled water having nothing in the water
> 
> that affects the pH and KH except a carbonate compound and CO2. Try taking a cup of water from the tank, letting it sit in the open for a couple of days, then measuring the pH of that water. The tank water pH should be lower, lower by 1.0, if you have 30 ppm of CO2.


I use a drop checker to meassure the co2 
And than i use the kh to ph chart to meassure, seems correct most of the time


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It is easy to do that pH test - removing a cup of water, letting it stand, etc. And, it is probably the most accurate test that is easy and cheap to do. I really recommend trying it.

I swear by drop checkers! But, they can be misused, and it is easy to make big mistakes with them. I use 1 dKH water in mine, because I have DIY CO2, almost impossible to get too much CO2. The lower KH water lets me use yellow as the color I try to keep it at. See http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/general-aquarium-plants-discussions/133058-diy-co2.html


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

Looks more like Phosphate or potassium since the issue is happening at the leaf tip of the old(er) growth and work inward. 

I am leaning toward phosphate because you have discus in your tank.

What are you feeding the fish?

You said you add dry ferts to the tank. Roughly how much are you adding, how often, and what type?


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