# Anubias showing P deficiency?



## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

I suspect that out of all my plants, my Anubias may be the most sensitive to low P levels - I have amazon swords, an ozelot sword, H difformis, an unidentified crypt, Crypt spiralis (new), java fern (slightly less new), cardinal plant, red lotus, and H pinnatifida (fairly new). The Anubias nana has been growing well for me, putting out new leaves quite consistently, but the older ones have yellowed.

Whole plant:









Closeup of the older leaves:









I don't dose N or P, but I do have a heavy bioload from fish. I was feeding them more lightly recently because I was dosing the tank for parasites, and I started getting GSA blooming on the glass. The only liquid ferts I dose is a Brightwell K+traces mix, and I've just started using Excel to supplement my yeast CO2.

Advice/suggestions/comments?


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Increasing P will help with the GSA too.

I suggest getting some dry ferts. It is cheaper in the long run.
KH2PO4
KNO3
K2SO4 (optional)
GH Booster
CSM+B
Chelated Fe (optional)

If you can find Seachem's Flourish Phosphorus, it will work but it is weak.


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

You need alot of co2 consistently. You got alot of hair algae sign of low co2. Better used hydrogen peroxide to spot treat it. Make sure ur filter is off when u do it. Try to invest on a co2 setup.


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks for the list, Left C. I have to admit, all those chemical names still make my eyes go ! I may have to put in an order to Bob's Tropical Plants in the next week or so. 

wwh2694, I did suspect that CO2 could be a problem, but spending the $$$ to get a pressurized setup is not possible for me right now. I'm hoping that using Excel will tide me through - I've just started using it, so I don't expect to see much change quite yet. I can afford $40/year a lot easier than $200 at once! Especially since my tanks generally have an average lifespan of about 3 years before I break them down - Excel over that time period will be cheaper than specialized equipment I may not need anymore. 

Subsequent anubias question: when I start dosing phosphates, will the yellowed leaves "recover" or should I prune them off to encourage new growth?


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