# My Anubias: Name that deficiency!



## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

My Anubias (nana?) has been growing by leaps and bounds since I introduced it 2 months ago to my brand new tank. It weathered the cycling like a champ, even at one point being completely covered with brown algae, which it strangely didn't seem to mind. Now it's about 5 times larger than when I first put it in, and has been putting on several flower buds in recent days.

However, now, when it seems my water quality is finally balancing out and all the other plants seem to be doing well, the Anubias is putting on small, downward curled leaves that don't appear to be getting any larger. I'm putting in lots of CO2, traces, potassium, and iron. What's the deficiency? I notice stock specimens at the LFS often look this way, so I'm assuming it's fairly common.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I don't really know for sure, but I'm going to blindly guess phosphorus defincieny. That can often lead to stunted growth.

I noticed you dose most nutrients, but do you dose phosphates and nitrates?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi huaidan,

I think Davemonkey is on the right track that you are missing macronutrients. Looking at the picture, it looks as if your lower (older) leaves are bending downwards which would indicate a possible potassium deficiency. The smaller leaf size is also a symptom of a potassium deficiency. I saw no mention of any macro nutrients. I would start dosing KNO3 and KH2PO4 per the Estimative Index method and see if things improve in a couple of weeks. Here is where I go to start diagnosing possible deficiency problems. Let us know how things go!


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## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

I'm dosing K2SO4 at about 10 ppm K+. K2SO4 is 45% K+ by weight, and I put in 1.8 to 2 g K2SO4 into my 100 gal / 350 L tank each 25% water change, which should by my reckoning sustain about 10 ppm K+. I put 10 grams K2SO4 in there a couple weeks ago which I believe almost killed my Cabomba (you can see in the background) with a potassium overdose. I also dose with anhydrous MgSO4, slightly less considering Mg is heavier and 1/2 the molarity of the potassium sulfate. I put in about 1 g each water change.

Now let's talk about nitrates. I have 100 neon tetras, 10 SAE's, 14 Zebra nerites, and about 60 shrimp. Huge bioload, right? That should take care of my nitrates,I figure. My cheapo nitrate test kit usually measures around 6 to 10 ppm. I have no idea as to the accuracy. I can't get KNO3 here, I guess it's a controlled substance  If I need more nitrogen, then I guess I'll just have to pee in there!!

Phosphates...the problem child. I had been trying to keep my phosphates as low as possible per recommendation. One site recommended 0.25 ppm, so that's what I've been keeping it at. I don't add phosphates, that seems to be the natural equilibrium level resulting from weekly water changes.


So do you think it's PO4? or do I need to up the K+? Is it possible to overdose the K+?

@Seattle Aquarist: It's the new leaves that are curling downward, not the older leaves. The older leaves look beautiful after having the BA cleaned off by the nerites!


P.S. I wish the EI guide figures were expressed in grams, not teaspoons!  Different manufacturing methods can really make a difference in the density.


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## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

I've also noticed on my ludwigia, the new leaves are curling under, but straighten out as they mature. I haven't been able to find much info on this phenomenon in aquatic plants.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

What about calcium and magnesium and their balance between each other and K? This is about where things get tricky for me, as too much of one will cause a deficiency in the other. Testing to see which one it is and how to fix it is the "fun" part.

I'm not saying that's you problem, but certainly worth looking into. Did you check out the link that Roy posted?


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## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

Dave, I'm really beginning to think you nailed it. Unfortunately, potassium is difficult, expensive, and unreliable to test for. The only idea I'd have towards how much K+ is in there is how much I dose, and that doesn't take into consideration the rate it's being consumed, which is a big unknown. I just bumped up my PO4 to 2 ppm, next item on the agenda is to get a Ca test kit. I was being a phosphate starvation freak for awhile because of a post-cycling green algae bloom, but now that's gone and my algae eaters (shrimp, nerites, SAE's) are getting frantic and the shrimp are starting to fight over the disappearing patches of brown algae. I'm trying to feed them the fish food, but the tetras are greedy and blowing up like balloons Anyway, different story...

I've long suspected Ca. Affected new growth means low mobility nutrients, correct? If it does turn out to be calcium, what's the recommended additive? CaSO4? CaCl2 is not recommended. What about throwing a box of chalk sticks in the filter? 
Eventually I'll get around to following the EI guide, but that's going to take a trip to the chemistry supply which is going to have to wait for the weekend.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi huaidan,

I don't know what the water is like where you live, but my water here is Seattle is extremely soft, about 0.5 dKH and 2.0 dGH. As a result when I started with planted aquariums I found myself constantly trying to "juggle" my nutrients and minerals. Sometimes I thought I had a macronutrient problem when it turned out to be a Mg/Ca problem and vice versa. 

I used to add CaCl2, CaSO4, and MgSO4 separately to increase my hardness and reduce deficiencies, but it was too easy for me to make a mistake and overdose one or the other. I believe in K.I.S.S. (keep it simple Roy). Now when I do water changes I just add Seachem Equilibrium to take care of Mg/Ca and other micros. It may not be as inexpensive but it is a lot easier and I don't have to worry as much about mistakes.

Quoting from James' Planted Tank:
"Estimative Index isn’t about aiming for parameters, but supplying everything to a slight excess of the plants requirements. These are general parameters that plants grow well in and as long as they are reached you shouldn’t have any problems.

Nitrate 20–30 ppm
Phosphate 1-3 ppm
Potassium 20-30ppm
CO2 30ppm"

If it was me, I would do a 50% water change to "reset" the tank, start dosing per the EI recommendations, and if you have softer water add Equilibrium to get your Mg/Ca/Micros up. If I may ask, where do you live that you are having trouble find KNO3?


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## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

I'm a US expat living in China. KNO3 can be used to make explosives, so I guess it's controlled here. I'm not sure of the official status of its legality here, but I can't find it anywhere. International mail order might be a bad choice 
I can get Chinese commercial preparations, but transparency and customer knowledge are unheard of marketing strategies here, so I have absolutely no idea what I'm actually putting into my tank unless I get the raw chemicals and measure them myself. Think "Contains everything your plants need. It will make your aquarium beautiful!" instead of % Fe, %B, %Mn, etc.
I'm getting close, though. I just upped the PO4, so I'll wait a few days to see what happens. My Cabomba and Ludwigia are putting on some really nice looking new growth, and since Anubias is slower growing it will take longer to be able to use it for diagnosis of the situation.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi huaidan,

Glad to hear you may be making progress, KNO3 is sometimes called "saltpeter" and maybe you can find it that way! Keep us posted on your progress!


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## huaidan (Mar 6, 2010)

I'm sure the Chinese staff at the chemistry supply knew exactly what I was looking for, they just wouldn't sell it to me. 

I'm really beginning to thing it's a Ca deficiency. My sword leaves are starting to come in crumpled, which from my research seems closest to a Ca deficiency then anything. This would make sense since I'm not dosing with Ca (to the best of my knowledge) but I am dosing with Mg to 4 or 5 ppm.
By my calculations, adding 17 grams CaSO4 would establish a 3/1 Ca/Mg ratio, around 15 ppm Ca, then make a 3:1 stock solution of Ca/Mg and dose with that susequently.

So, next question: Would there be any negative consequences to adding 17 grams of CaSO4 to a 100 gallon tank in one dose, in terms of fish/invert stress or pH change?


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## Elohim_Meth (Nov 4, 2007)

huaidan said:


> So, next question: Would there be any negative consequences to adding 17 grams of CaSO4 to a 100 gallon tank in one dose, in terms of fish/invert stress or pH change?


Not at all, pH shouldn't change because CaSO4 does not change kH but only GH.
BTW, you may use Ca(NO3)2 instead of KNO3.


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