# Cardamine lyrata



## MJoy (Feb 18, 2013)

Hi fellows,

I planted Cardamine lyrata in my new tank along with other plants, the details are below
Size: 140L/37G
Substrate: ADA Amazonia New + ADA substrate additives
Fert: ADA Green Brighty Step1 and Brighty K
Light: 0.6 watt per litre/ >2 watt per Gallon
and CO2

For first two weeks the growth of *Cardamine lyrata* was very impressive, in fact in the third week I did a little trimming also. But suddenly it started turning *yellowish*, specially *new leaves* and the new leaves are *smaller in size* also. So now I am very depressed to see this.

Can any one please let me know, what is the problem, and how can I fix it?   
And also, how important the *Lily pipe* is, for planted aquarium?

Eagerly waiting for your responses.

Joy


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Hate to hear about your plant-stress. Since it waited a couple weeks to show signs, and I am not a doser or fertz or CO2 I can't really offer help. You may consider that the earlier growth was stress response, but that doesn't seem to fit for two weeks' worth of good growth, and you would have noticed your other plants go south as well.

On the lily pipe, I will offer that the gentle incorporation of the surface film via the vortex created by the lily design also incorporates atmospheric air. This helps feed the system of bacteria in your tank and filter, and keeps the surface clean. Many folks are beginning to see a benefit by aeration in addition to, or some instead of, CO2 injection.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

One thing I can come up with is that Cardamine doesn't use the substrate much and relies on the water column for his(or her) ferts mainly. Your water column will be quite low in PO4 and NO3 by now I guess, so maybe it is lacking some of that. 

But this usually shows up on the bottom leaves, new growth being smaller might be due to a lack of boron and yellowing a lack of iron. I would increase you step 1 dosage (double it) or even better, switch to step 2 and increase. (step 1 is a diluted version of step 2).


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## MJoy (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks man, I will keep that in mind about lily pipe.


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## MJoy (Feb 18, 2013)

Yo-han said:


> One thing I can come up with is that Cardamine doesn't use the substrate much and relies on the water column for his(or her) ferts mainly. Your water column will be quite low in PO4 and NO3 by now I guess, so maybe it is lacking some of that.
> 
> But this usually shows up on the bottom leaves, new growth being smaller might be due to a lack of boron and yellowing a lack of iron. I would increase you step 1 dosage (double it) or even better, switch to step 2 and increase. (step 1 is a diluted version of step 2).


Thank you so much Yo-han, that's really helpful. If I start dosing with step 2, is it going to affect in other way, since my tank is not 3 months old, and they(ADA) say that it is for tank 3 months older. And what about the other macro nutrients? Because it has only trace elements and Iron, and Brighty /k has only Potassium. Please advice!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

IMO you should just have started with a moderate dose of step 2 instead of step 1. The only difference is that step 2 contains almost double the amount of traces. Same amount of potassium. Step 3 contains more or less the same amount of traces as step 2, but ten times the amount of potassium.
Your plants don't know when it is 3 months, so you can start at any moment with step 2. You can dose step 3 from the beginning as well if you like, and dose less brighty K.

About the macro's, if you feel it runs short of them (I would say test first) or if you have a lot of epiphytes you could add some of the special light/shade (shade has less PO4 and NH3 than light) ferts. The idea from ADA is that the substrate supplies the macro's to your plants so they never run out of them, but keeping macro's low in the water column so algae can't use them. With epiphytes or bright light, or low numbers of fish it might get too low and you add macro's in small amounts with special lights.


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## MJoy (Feb 18, 2013)

Yo-han said:


> IMO you should just have started with a moderate dose of step 2 instead of step 1. The only difference is that step 2 contains almost double the amount of traces. Same amount of potassium. Step 3 contains more or less the same amount of traces as step 2, but ten times the amount of potassium.
> Your plants don't know when it is 3 months, so you can start at any moment with step 2. You can dose step 3 from the beginning as well if you like, and dose less brighty K.
> 
> About the macro's, if you feel it runs short of them (I would say test first) or if you have a lot of epiphytes you could add some of the special light/shade (shade has less PO4 and NH3 than light) ferts. The idea from ADA is that the substrate supplies the macro's to your plants so they never run out of them, but keeping macro's low in the water column so algae can't use them. With epiphytes or bright light, or low numbers of fish it might get too low and you add macro's in small amounts with special lights.


Ok, thanks. i will start with step 2 then. I will again bother you if I have any other doubts. Thanks.


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