# Pogostemon erectum melting



## apistaeasy (Jul 16, 2004)

My Pogostemon erectum has been melting on me recently, and I can't figure out what's going on. I've had P. erectum for quite some time now with plenty of success, but only recently it's been melting. I also notice that some stems are growing very well, but yet some others are stunting...

Some tank background:
60-P
150 W MH 8800K 12" off the water surface, on for 6.5 hrs daily (any longer photo period and I get filamentous algae)
Amazonia II soil
RO water re-constituted with RO right to be pretty soft
Dosing: ADA Bright Special Lights, Seachem Flourish, my own mix for potassium, and ADA ECA for iron. I usually dose pretty lean, but have been trying to increase ferts to combat the melting. I haven't tested levels in years and haven't needed to.
Temperature around 76 deg F
Filtration with Eheim Ecco III
CO2: turned up high enough so the fish don't gasp, I'm guessing well over 30 ppm
Other plants that are doing excellent: Pogostemon stellata, Myriophyllum tuburculata, Myriophyllum mattagrossense, and Bacopa australlis (as well as plenty of other slow growers that may or may not be showing any symptoms).
I have noticed that the red leaves of Polygonom sp. "kawagoeanum" have been pretty green, and the leaves of Rotala sp. "Butterfly" and Didiplis diandra have been coming in stunted.

I hope this is enough information for you fellow plant geeks. Help me!


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Add lots fert no just stress the plants. CO2, one bubble per sec in a 60P are enough for most of the plants so turn down that. 

ECA have amino acid that can safe your plants by helping them absorb better, it is not just Iron. But how much you have it in now? Do not over kill with ECA it would cause algae bloom and ECA is the only thing you should use now.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

6.5 hrs? that is like the peak of growing for plants and you turn it off. You need to do it longer to 8hrs..


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi apistaeasy,

I am having a melt problem with my Blyxa japonica for the last couple of weeks. I think it is because I have been trying to deal with a deficiency problem on my Rotala and maybe change the water parameters too much or too quickly. Have you changed anything recently, water changes, ferts, etc.?


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Pogostemon's also sensitive to temperture shock which it is easily done by too much water change at once.


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## apistaeasy (Jul 16, 2004)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Have you changed anything recently, water changes, ferts, etc.?


Actually the tank specs I mentioned above have been that same way for the last 5 months. I usually do WC every two weeks or so, 5 gal at a time. 
I did turn my water heater down by ~2-4 deg a couple of months ago since the water was staying warmer than I wanted to since it's been summer. Heater has been turned back on to control temp, but I have not noticed any correlation between temperature and melting.

Anyone else have ideas???


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I wonder if you don't have enough macros. Do you have any floating plants? How are they doing?


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

you're adding green brighty special lights?
thats supposed to have N P and traces right? you could add more of that. 
I think its a macros problem also. make sure flow is decent around the stems. 
Bad flow around stems can speed or cause melting.

under metal halide I think this one really shows its potential. 
leaves can get quite thick and also a fair amount of color in the crown. 
but it needs good nutrient levels in the water. or root fertilization maybe? 
I notice this one makes an extensive root system after a while.


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## apistaeasy (Jul 16, 2004)

Tex Gal:
I'll try upping my macros. I did use my own mix for a while, but I became suspicious of the mix and went back to using Brighty Special Lights which has N and P (with a little K maybe???)

No floating plants - why do you ask?

Flow is great, and I've gotten the growth you show, ashappard, this has just been happening the last couple of weeks.

Does anyone know if P. erectum is a more seasonal plant? Could the plant think it's becoming winter???


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

not seasonal in my experience. 
you should be able to keep it submerged indefinitely without issue.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi apistaeasy,

Sometimes I forget to increase my dosing as the plant load increases in my aquariums or to decrease it after a trim. Tex Gal may have a good suggestion, especially if the quantity and/or size of the plants in the aquarium has increased over the last several months and nothing else major has changed.


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## mrkookm (Oct 25, 2006)

> my own mix for potassium


I would try adding 25~30ppm K minimum at WC to the changed water or spread it out daily a little Mg will not hurt either.

Its possible that the nutrients AS was providing to the plants for the past 5 months are now depleting/depleted and you now have to adjust dosing routines to compensate.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

apistaeasy said:


> Tex Gal:
> No floating plants - why do you ask?


I asked because they are a good way to tell if you have enough macros. If they stop their rapid growth you know it's not CO2 or light, it's usually macros.


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