# BGA on growing tips of Rotala indica



## Per (Nov 24, 2004)

Has anybody else observed this? I can't find BGA anywhere else in the 45 liter tank, but only on some (not all) tips of _R. indica_. Does the plant leak nutrients (ammonium?) from the apical meristem?

I've had this plant since 1999 and only observed this the last few days. I did some major changes right before this happened, though! After a long period of more or less neglecting this tank I finally got ingredients for making more PMDD. I tuned the PMDD to give about 20 ppm NO3, 30 ppm K, 1.3 ppm PO4 and 1.2 ppm Fe (most of it chelated; HEDTA, DTPA and EDTA). Also some micros and Mg. About 30 ppm CO2 (off during night). 2 x 18 watts NO fluorescent tubes with reflectors.

Earlier when I have PMDD-ed, I used less nitrate (5-10 ppm) and didn't add phosphate.

It's not a big annoyance, actually, so I don't think I'm going to do any big changes - at least not before things have stabilized a bit more (maybe it will disappear by itself?). Just wanted to hear if somebody else have experienced this, or have a clue why it occurs ...


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Seems to pop up every now and then.
Try trimming, fluffing it off good, cleaning your filter more often.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Per (Nov 24, 2004)

Thanks!

I'll try to remove it manually if it doesn't show to be temporary ...


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## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

I get this. Like Tom showed me, I just flap the plant tips till the BGA falls off. Mine form little balls of BGA at the growing tips. I figured it was some deficiency (death of the growing tip). Eventually the nutrient finds its way into the substrate and you get healthy growth, from trimming established stems(maybe topping of the stems doesn't allow rotala to pull enough nutrients from the substrate, roots are under developed).


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## Per (Nov 24, 2004)

IUnknown said:


> I get this. Like Tom showed me, I just flap the plant tips till the BGA falls off. Mine form little balls of BGA at the growing tips. I figured it was some deficiency (death of the growing tip). Eventually the nutrient finds its way into the substrate and you get healthy growth, from trimming established stems(maybe topping of the stems doesn't allow rotala to pull enough nutrients from the substrate, roots are under developed).


The strange thing is that my Rotala seem to be perfectly healthy  It's growing about an inch a day, and I don't see any signs of deficiencies - neither in this plant nor in any of the others ...

I've had the plant for five years, and it has gone through a lot :? I have almost exterminated it quite a few times, but never had BGA on it :shock: Since my water now has a higher concentration of nitrate compared to earlier, I suspect the plant to be so loaded with ammonium (converted from nitrate) that some of it is diffusing from the meristem :roll:

Anyway, there seems to be less of the cyano today


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Clean it, then add more KNO3.
Clean filter also.
Prune the plant, so that it is not near the surface.

I only got this in tanks with little NO3 and dirty filters/plants that were growing up near the surface.
M matogrossense also would get this.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Per (Nov 24, 2004)

Thanks again, Tom!

I change 2/3 of the water every week and squeeze the sponge at the same time as well. Then I add nitrate (20 ppm, from PMDD) and also dose twice during the week (2 x 10 ppm).

But I come to think of it, my substrate may act as a dirty filter! When I re-did the tank a little over a year ago, I put a thick layer (about an inch) of rich potting soil under the gravel :shock: It was meant just as an experiment, but it is still there  It can make a mess when I remove heavily rooted plants, like the C. wendtii 'Tropica' I removed a bunch of a week and a half ago ... But I still wonder why the BGA only grows on the tips of R. indica.

I pruned the plants yesterday, and there's only very little left of the BGA today.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Well the potting soil likely helped the BGA.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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