# Hygrophila is melting!



## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

My Hygrophila leaves seem to be melting, Its mainly the leaves at the top the plant, they go transparent then melt away.What could be the reasons for this to happen. I have been adding more phos and nitrate lately but i dnt see how that could be affecting a easly grown plant.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

can anyone see the pic? i think i link it wrong i can only see a red cross


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)




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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

The picture above is not the best but you can see the transparent leaves just next to the harliquin on the right.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

Looks like nutrient deficiency. How are you dosing?


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

TNguyen said:


> Looks like nutrient deficiency. How are you dosing?


Im using the ei method, i dose heavly on phos and nit (seachem)50 mls of each in 80 gallon tank after a 50 percent water change and 50 mls of each every second day.flousih comp is dose at 15mls every other day and iron is dose every day 15mls.
my tank is 4ft using pres co2 around30ppm ,gh6 kh6 and 3wpg of t5ho lights
other plants seem to be doing fine hes some picts of them.
Red lotus does melt leaves once in a while ,1 leaf every week or 2


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You didn't mention potassium. Are you also feeding potassium?


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> You didn't mention potassium. Are you also feeding potassium?


After i do a water change i add 14 grams of equilibrum plus with my 50ml phos and 50ml of nitrate brings my potasium level to over 12ppm


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## LAKA (Feb 11, 2007)

How are you adding K? Are you following dosing instructions as per Seachem? If so
how do you know this is EI? A heavily planted tank with high lights demands more nutrients.
Dosing according to Seachem instructions may not be sufficient.
Check with Fertilator to see waht your nutrient levels are.


What fish do you have in this tank?

LAKA


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

LAKA said:


> How are you adding K? Are you following dosing instructions as per Seachem? If so
> how do you know this is EI? A heavily planted tank with high lights demands more nutrients.
> Dosing according to Seachem instructions may not be sufficient.
> Check with Fertilator to see waht your nutrient levels are.
> ...


When dosing ferts after a water change my k would be 12ppm, that what get from the fertilator , the 12 ppm k is from the flousish phos flouish nitro and the equilibrium they all contain k , i dnt think i need to add more k? is 12ppm of k enough?
would a lack of k cause leaves to melt?


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

:bump:

Merry Christmas


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I dose IE and I dose extra K. My plants are doing great. I wonder if that is your problem.
I dose KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PH4. I dose 3 times per week.

Here is the link I used to decide how much to dose.
http://www.barrreport.com/estimative-index/2819-ei-light-those-less-techy-folks.html


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

I think your right tex girl ,my k is on the lean side and is most probably running out before the next dose, just wondering why i havnt seen more signs of k deficiency in older leaves? and hygrophila would be the last plant i would expect to see signs of deficiency.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

I've seen this same issue ten thousand times on the forums in 5 years.
The answer is still the same 

Hygro grows fast, you have an overabundance of light.
Dosing NPK along with TE 3x a week is enough, I would look more
at the C02, you are new and C02 is not easy to get dialed in right.

Many folks are just lucky with C02 for a bit, it all catches up after
awhile and the need for more experience will test you're endurance 

Look at you're C02 again.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Do i need more co2? im not getting much algae anymore and my dropper is yellow and my dupla co2 reactor is letting out waste co2 i dnt think it can handle anymore co2, is it possible to have too much co2 would that cause melt?


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Today i pump up the co2 and the fishes gills are moving a bit faster but none are gasping for air at the surface so they should be fine. Hopefully i see some pearline today as my tank hasnt pearl eversince i started ei dosing.
Just one more questions, what is the toxic level of nitarte to plants?


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## redcrane (Nov 22, 2006)

I have grown Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) in the past with no problems at all. As a matter of fact they grew rapidly and were very healthy. Until my most recent batch (30 bunches) which all died. I use Seachem ferts exclusively per their dosing chart. I am now growing Temple (Hygrophila corymbosa v. N. stricta), Hygro, Blue (Hygrophila salcifolia) and Giant Hygro (Hygrophila corymbosa 'narrow leaf') with no problems at all. I am on my second order of the Blue and Giant hygro. My most recent batch of the Wisteria was apparently cultivated emersed as the leaves were shaped differently than what I am use to. They were also purchased from a different nursery. New leaves that formed after being submersed for a while looked "normal". Root stems that had formed were healthy but were not real plentiful. My only conclusion was that they did not adjust well to being submersed. 
Any other thoughts on this are welcomed.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

I Belive too much c02 might be causeing it to melt , I have read that plants will take as much co2 as you give them but i dnt belive it, yesturday i crank up my c02 to high levels and it cause more melt than ever leaves falling off and stems going brown.

I will play around with the co2 today and keep the npk and micros at high levels and will let you know how it all goes.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

C02 is not causing you're plants to melt.

Keep reading and learning how to grow plants
under water young man 

It's actually a very primitive approach, we just use some
high tech (some higher than others ie. light) gadgets to aide
in the process.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Going by tom barr its a nitrogen deficiency.I gave a extra dose today and the melt seems to be on hold.
Tom is a true plant guru.


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

Severe nitrogen deficiency. If you want to have a chance at success, get macro powders (see TexGal's post). Seachem macros aren't going to cut it.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Seachems products will cut it,you just have to dose alot and its really expensive, I will be changing to dry ferts as soon as i run out of seachem products which wont be long... i already have a kg of kh2po4 (they wouldnt sell me anyless than 1 kg) and 1 kg of kno3 and i might use seachem for the micros.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi algaehater,

My guess would be either calcium, magnesium, or potassium deficiency. Here is a website I use to help me diagnose some of the plant problems I have had. Scroll to the middle and move to the far right of the huge line chart to find "Deficiency - Excess Symptoms" and look for your symptoms.
http://www.finostrom.com.gr/images/aqua/fertilizers/map.htm


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Thanks for the link this is what ive been looking for and it does seem like a mag, cal or k deficiency..however when i dose a heap of seachem nitrogen and lowered the co2 the hygrophila stop melting and seen some pearling that evening. I do belive there is a shortage of cal as my amazon sword leaves are a little twisted.

Last night i did a 70 percent water change and added the following
100mls of flourish nitrogen
80 mls of flourish phos.................(bottle ran out will be changing to kh2po4 next dose)
16 grams of seachem equilibrium
this equals to
21.79 no3
1.19 po4
16.37 k
4.26 cal
1.27 mag
I also add 15 mls of flouish iron every day and 15 mls of comprehensive 3 times a week.

My tap water comes out at around 3 gh and have no idear how much mag or cal it has.
will dosing flouish comprehensive add enough mag and cal? or should i be adding more seachem equilibrium.

When adding flouish on the fertilator it does not raise the mag or cal ? is this because flouish comprehensive has so little mag and cal.

There is some good news i have no algae in my tank.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi algaehater,

I add my MgSO4 (Epsom Salt) and CaCl (purchased at beer brewing shop) on an "as needed" basis. I dose at 1/2 the rate recommended by Rex Grigg at http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/dosing.html When the plant leaves start to show problems is when I dose, usually once a month. I went with the CaCl because it dissolves clear whereas the CaSO4 made my water "milky". I do a 15% water change weekly on my tanks and dose with the PPS-Pro method here on APC. I try to keep it simple and my plants are growing great!


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## redcrane (Nov 22, 2006)

I have been wanting to change to something less expensive than SeaChem for a while now. Sometimes I have up to 57 tanks/containers with plants in them so it gets expensive but it is simple.
I have a lot of SeaChem on hand right now so it will give me time to become more informed about using dry ferts. right now it seems complicated but then I ain't real smart.
:retard:


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

I seriously doubt it's Ca or Mg. I use RO and don't dose Ca or Mg (aside from what's in the TMG) with KH=0 & GH=0 . No problems here. Furthermore, my experiments have shown no difference between adding Ca/Mg or not. CO2, N, P, K, & traces are all you need.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

After 2 long months i finaly found out my hygro keept on melting along with some other plants. HIGH copper levels in my tap water(i have copper pipes).probable the reason why i had no algae growing aswell.

Good news is that water from my front yard tap has no copper in it


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## ching4ever (Apr 9, 2005)

I had the same problem like you. The hygro just kept melting and leaf are dropping off itself, it makes the stem look sucks because no more leaf on it except the new one that coming out from the top. 

I don't CO2 will cause anything to the plants but fauna might. What I suspect will be the nutrient that I'm dosing, so I increase the drops of PMDD from 10 to 30 drops per day, still observing whether it is getting better or not.


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