Crinium Callismistratum Problem

[hellohefalump]

I wish I could take a photo but I can't because my cable is at my partner's work and he forgot to take it home with him for the weekend!

My Crinium Callimistratum had a few red patches, at the base of the younger leaves. Now, the red patches are going a bit rotten, to the extent that one of the leaves is only just hanging on.

What's going on and what can I do?

My tank is 100gals, I have 216watts of T5 lighting, approx 30ppm CO2, sand, but I use root tabs, fertilizing EI method. the filters are very mature, I've had the tank running for years. However, I only planted the plants/added proper lighting/CO2 2 weeks ago.

 

[aaronnorth]

how is CO2 diffused in the water? at a tank that size it might well be that the CO2 isnt get pushed around enough throughout the whole tank.

Also, 216w of T5 lighting is a lot. What amounts of powders are you dosing?

 

[hellohefalump]

My CO2 is diffused with diffuser, it's a plastic thing with spirals in it and the CO2 bubbles go round and round until they get to the top. I think MOST is diffused, but I do get the odd 'burp' from the top every now and then. I have two of these - running off two bottles, one at each end and it's pressurised. I turn it off at night via solenoid, when the lights go off. Both of the diffusers are situated next to the filter outlets (I have two filters, one at each end). One is a big external filter, and the other is the internal filter supplied with the Juwel tank (it's a rio 400).

This week I've been dosing EI method:

+/- 1 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- ½ tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- ½ tsp (30ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change

Now that my scale has arrived in the post I'm going to start PPS method after my water change this afternoon:

In 1 liter bottle:
59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)
65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)
41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

Micro Solution

In 1 liter bottle:
80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent trace element mix
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.



Dose 1 ml of each solution per ten gallons of tank size. Dose prior to lights turning on.

 

[aaronnorth]

ok, are the bubbles from the diffuser getting blown about either from your filters or a powerhead? so they are not just rising to the srface.

I was going to suggest that you dose 2x EI incase of lack of nutrients or go to the nxt size bracket up the scale. becuase you have a lot of light.

tissue damage is usually a factor of poor CO2 distributoin.

 

[hellohefalump]

I've thought about what you said, and I think my circulation is ok - I have two filters, one at each end. The reason I think it's ok, is that the water always appears to be moving. There are little particles in the water floating about and they move around the water quite freely, not just staying in one area. Also on top, if there is a floating leaf, it floats round the whole tank. Also, the crinium callimistratum with the problem, is right next to one of the diffusers. However, who's to say the CO2 is getting right to the bottom of the tank, where the plant is?

I ordered my 4dkh solution from aqua essentials and I also ordered a couple of extension kits for my diffuser which are reccomended for deeper tanks (mine is 2 foot deep), which will go further down. Worth a try. I figure it'll give the bubbles longer exposed to the water, which should increase the diffusion rate? So in theory I'll see less 'burps' coming out of the top of the diffuser.

Is it wise to dose double EI? Because isn't EI an overdose already, hence the need for water changes? I don't want to kill my fish...

 

[aaronnorth]

The only thing that is dangerous is nitrate, we know that when 40g to 500ml of water and adding 10ml per 100L of water would give you a value of 5ppm, so times this by 2 and you will still be only adding 10ppm.

I know someone on another forum who doses 3x EI.

Water changes also remove any ammonia & nitrate build up and to put a cap on nutriets.

 

[hellohefalump]

My 4dkh solution came and my CO2 looks to be 30ppm. The fluid has turned a leafy green colour. I have also added my extensions to the diffusers and the CO2 'burp' problem is solved.

Actually, quite by mistake, it turns out I've been overdosing anyway! I started dosing PPS method at the beginning of the week and due to my rubbish maths ability, I was dosing 4 times too much for two days. Fish and plants don't seem to be too affected though.