# curling leaves ?



## wantabe23 (Apr 6, 2005)

On my stem plants in my tank the new growth is stunted and curling. One group of stems is red and they seem to be affected the most. 

40g w/ pressurized co2 getting proper levels as I am using a drop counter (I think about 2 1/2 bubbles per second going into a inline diffuser which by the way I freaking love) and dosing Greg Wat. dry ferts 2-3 x week. Lighting is 96w coral life compact on legs raising it about 4" off the open top tank (good light distribution) for 8hrs per day.

KH2PO4 @ 1/16 TPS 3 x week
KNO3 @ 1/4 TPS 3x week
Plantex CSM+B 1/16 3 X week
also add recommended dosing of excel to keep algae at bay. 

I believe this is low recommended dosing for ferts for a 40g.

I have recently went to a lfs and they recommended getting potassium and Iron. So I did I buy the flourish stuff in both and will be adding probably a 1/2 dose of these along with my normal dosing to see if I am deficient in on of these. 

Any experience or suggestions hear would help.
Ill try to post pic's hear soon


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## wantabe23 (Apr 6, 2005)

hear are a few picks the first of my tank in general
and the other specific to the curling leafs.



















how do you resize the pick again I did a quick search and didn't find anything?


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## Peteman (May 28, 2007)

Yep, you can try some more K. I know a while ago it was mentioned that all the K you need you'll get in your Potassium Nitrate and Phosphate. For me it wasn't even close and became one of my biggest doses. To solve my plant distortion issues I went with bigger doses and large water changes over the weekend (to remove any built up excess) mostly calculated with the fertilator tool found on the site. Everything grows nicely, all green, all nice leaves.

Just for reference this is my dosing for my 87 Gal (high light, co2 etc.). I might very well get away with less, but haven't had any issues once I upped my K and followed this so if it aint broke, don't fix it for me . Just give it a couple of weeks at least between dosing changes as it takes a while to get an effect.

All ferts are dry hydroponic ferts.

Weekly 50% water change. Day of change I add.
1 tsp Chelated Iron mix (iron, boron etc.)
1 1/2 tsp Potassium sulfate.
1/2 tsp Magnesium sulfate.
2 rice grain size bit of Potassium Phosphate
1 1/2 tsp Calcium Nitrate.

In between water changes. 2 doses (tues, thurs)
1/2 tsp Chelated Iron mix (iron, boron etc.)
1 tsp Potassium sulfate.
1/2 tsp Magnesium sulfate.
1 rice grain size bit of Potassium Phosphate
1 tsp Calcium Nitrate.

BTW this is what I would get before the K.



Luck
Pete.


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## wantabe23 (Apr 6, 2005)

I have been adding Potassium and Iron for a week along with my normal dosing. I have other problems now though, I have an outbreak of algae, an array of it actually. Some spot algae, some filament algae and some other as well. I am currently dosing excel twice the amount and the black beard algae is going away I have had for a while on my wood in the tank. 

Back on the point though I cant blame the new dosing on the algae outbreak though, I just bought a new light  I am supper happy with, a t5 54w x4 , this is an awesome light to say the least! So I am sure that this is the key factor since this changes really every thing with the tank. The plants have been growing like no other and pearling the best I have seen, this is a ray of hope for my plant keeping in my tank.

But the plant that had the curling leaves seem to be doing better, but I don't really know if it is from the extra dosing of potassium or Iron. The different lighting and K rating on them could have a profound effect.
So as you can see I have my hands full.
This hobby is hard! I just cant be equated, and there are so many rabbit trails, and then one week you are gone and you do nothing to the tank and you come back and it's looking great! What the duce?


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