# Red Leaves Turning Green



## Jim (Apr 4, 2005)

There are several plant varieties in my 85G tank that started out with red colors, but the leaves are slowly turning green (Ludwigia Red, Rotala Indica, Rotala Macronda and a few others). The plants are healthy, it's just an issue with the colors. Is it an Iron deficiency? I'm running 3 wpg of lighting and plenty of CO2.

I'm dosing 15mls of Plantex CSM+B+Fe three times a week. I'm also dosing an extra 10mls of Flourish Iron three times a week. Current Fe level in the tank is 0.2 ppm. I'm dosing Potassium, but no Nitrate or PO4 at all because of existing amounts in my water. 

I'm also still have a bad green algae problem and can't figure out why, but that's another issue  

Here are the water params:

GH: 11
KH: 7
Nitrate: 10 
PO4: 1.0 
pH: 6.7
CO2: 42 ppm
Fe: 0.2 ppm
Temp: 84
TDS: 245

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks,

Jim


----------



## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

What kind of algae is it exactly? It might help to know that. 

Also, are you sure those are really your parameters? How are you measuring each? Expired kits or anything like that? pH readings?

3wpg of what? Photoperiod?


----------



## Jim (Apr 4, 2005)

Cavan Allen said:


> What kind of algae is it exactly? It might help to know that.
> 
> Also, are you sure those are really your parameters? How are you measuring each? Expired kits or anything like that? pH readings?
> 
> 3wpg of what? Photoperiod?


Green and spot algae on tank surfaces. I also have BBA on plant leaves. Green algae on substrate. I'm pretty certain that these are my parameters -- test kits are relatively new and I have doubled checked the key readings. pH is maintained at 6.7 with a Milwaukee controller. I have a decent amount of plant pearling at the end of the photoperiod.

In terms of the lighting, it's a JBJ 260W CF system. It's on for 10 hours a day and I just started turning the lights off for two hours in the middle of the day in a effort to contain the algae.

The output from my Fluval 404 is the only surface agitation. No other real currents going on in the tank.


----------



## psidriven (Feb 21, 2004)

Try keeping you nitrates lower to get more red out of your plants. This was discussed before in another thread and I've noticed this myself in my hygro compacta. It was a nice reddish peach until i started dosing higher nitrates.


----------



## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Lower nitrates should bring out the red in your plants. I have had good luck in keeping green spot off of my glass by keeping my PO4 levels higher (2+ppm).

Here is a good post about having a light 'siesta' in the middle of the day:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=1851&highlight=light+siesta

It also discusses some types of algae, maybe a few that you are experiencing.

Since starting to use my Milwaukee controller, I have noticed that the controller does not kick the CO2 on until the pH rises by about 0.2. When I first set up my controller I used a pH of of 6.5 (43ppm CO2). When the pH rose to 6.7 (27ppm CO2) I began to get green water and stunting P. stellata. The pearling also decreased during the day.

My pH is now set at 6.4 (54 ppm of CO2) and the controller turns the solenoid on when the pH gets to 6.6 (34ppm of CO2). I use a Hanna 98129 meter to double check the controller so I'm pretty sure the swing is correct.

If this is the case in your tank, your CO2 readings when the controller kicks the CO2 on at a pH of 6.9, you only have 26ppm of CO2. This assumes that your KH readings are correct.

I prefer to err on the side of too much CO2 rather than not enough! I just keep an eye on my plants and fish. I have had no problems with high CO2 concentrations (50+ ppm) and fish stress. I think this points to inaccuracy in my KH test kit (AP brand). I have noticed that when I keep my CO2 higher, the plants pearl for most of the day and my P. stellata no longer stunts.

Your fert levels seem to be decent, assuming there are no test kit errors, so I would GUESS the algae is coming from a lack of CO2 during the photoperiod.


----------



## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

Increase P to 2ppm, that will help bring out the reds and also get rid of that spot algae. Increasing C02 will help get rid of the algae, keep it between 25-30ppm. NO3 should be between 5-10ppm. Keep us updated!


----------



## alexperez (Oct 8, 2004)

Have you tested your NO3 and PO4 kits against a known reference. I wouldn't trust the test kits much. I bet your NO3 and PO4 are less than what your kits are telling you. I would even question the PH controller I have the Milwaukee controller but I have to run it at 6.0-6.2 (90-58ppm CO2) with a KH of 3 in order to keep BBA under control. Even though I should be running it at 6.3- 6.5 (45-28 ppm CO2). The fish don't show any signs of stress at those levels

I'm trusting my kits and meter less and less and rely on the tank conditions and plant health as an indicator, those don't lie, while kits and meters could be wrong.


----------



## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I pretty much agree with you alex, but in one case, you are drawing the wrong conclusion
"would even question the PH controller I have the Milwaukee controller but I have to run it at 6.0-6.2 (90-58ppm CO2) with a KH of 3 in order to keep BBA under control. Even though I should be running it at 6.3- 6.5 (45-28 ppm CO2). The fish don't show any signs of stress at those levels"

THe pH-KH-CO2 relation ship is an ideal case that assumes ALL pertabations to pH are strictly from the equilibrium between carbonate and carbonic acid. Translation: If you have ANY sort of acids or bases in your tank such as organic acids from decomposing plant mater, peat, wood etc etc then the CO2 calculation isn't accurate. How far off depends on the identity and quantity of "other" chemicals.


----------



## Jim (Apr 4, 2005)

Thanks for the recommendations. Regarding nitrates -- I seem to have a difficult time getting the level down from 10ppm. I don't overfeed, the tank is not overcrowded and I'm doing weekly water changes of 50% (mix of RO and tap). Is this a common problem? 

I think I'll pick up another brand test kit (currently using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) to double check the reading and maybe take a sample into my LFS and see what they're getting.


----------

