Cyanobacteria Questions & White Spores

[mark4785]

Well my tank isn't infested with cyanobacteria anymore but one of my small slow-growers has bits of it growing on it. I've pointed the powerhead towards this plant and I've upped the macro dosing as a part of the EI dosing regime I'm sticking to.

An annoying thing that is arising on the front glass pane is green dust algae which, according to one resource, is caused by low phosphate levels. Would it be useful for me to put some phosphate solution into a container of it's own so that I can resolve phosphate deficiences without having to put a combined solution of nitrate and phosphate in at the same time? This combined solution has 33g of nitrate and 7-8g of phosphate dissolved in 250ml of water as part of the EI dosing schedule stated on the James' planted tank website.

Lastly, I have planted 5 small Hemianthus callitrichoides at the front of the tank and 1 out of the 5 is starting to get white leaves. Any suggestions as to what I need to do to ensure the whole plant doesn't turn white and are there any special measures I should take for keeping this plant seeing as it's the only one to start losing it's good health?

 

[mark4785]

Bump.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Well my tank isn't infested with cyanobacteria anymore but one of my small slow-growers has bits of it growing on it. I've pointed the powerhead towards this plant and I've upped the macro dosing as a part of the EI dosing regime I'm sticking to.

An annoying thing that is arising on the front glass pane is green dust algae which, according to one resource, is caused by low phosphate levels. Would it be useful for me to put some phosphate solution into a container of it's own so that I can resolve phosphate deficiences without having to put a combined solution of nitrate and phosphate in at the same time? This combined solution has 33g of nitrate and 7-8g of phosphate dissolved in 250ml of water as part of the EI dosing schedule stated on the James' planted tank website.

Lastly, I have planted 5 small Hemianthus callitrichoides at the front of the tank and 1 out of the 5 is starting to get white leaves. Any suggestions as to what I need to do to ensure the whole plant doesn't turn white and are there any special measures I should take for keeping this plant seeing as it's the only one to start losing it's good health?

Possibly iron deficiency.

Do you have a CO2 setup on this tank?

 

[SuperColey1]

An annoying thing that is arising on the front glass pane is green dust algae which, according to one resource, is caused by low phosphate levels. Would it be useful for me to put some phosphate solution into a container of it's own so that I can resolve phosphate deficiences without having to put a combined solution of nitrate and phosphate in at the same time? This combined solution has 33g of nitrate and 7-8g of phosphate dissolved in 250ml of water as part of the EI dosing schedule stated on the James' planted tank website.

If you're following EI to the letter then you shouldn't be running defficient in anything with the plantmass you have. Are you running to the letter? By that I mean using the tank volume when empty and not trying to work out water displacements etc?

I always thought it was 7.2g of P in the EI mix but its not a written law. I tend to put 10 in mine. If you are following the EI to the actual total volume of your tank then theres no problem adding more P to the existing bottle.

Just empty it into a jug. Work out the percentage of 250ml left and then add the same percentage of 2.2g (difference between 7.8 and 10) and you'll then have increased P in the whole mix. i.e. if you have 125ml left you would add 1.1g of P to get the 'ratio'.

If it were a P defficiency I would expect Anubias to have green spots before the glass. If they are fine then just leave it to cycle for 4 weeks. Will look ugly. When it goes crispy and yellow scrape it off with a razor blade and siphon it up. It never normally returns after the first full cycle. Alternatively live with it and just clean the glass every couple of weeks.

Lastly, I have planted 5 small Hemianthus callitrichoides at the front of the tank and 1 out of the 5 is starting to get white leaves. Any suggestions as to what I need to do to ensure the whole plant doesn't turn white and are there any special measures I should take for keeping this plant seeing as it's the only one to start losing it's good health?

This happens to Pogostemon Helferi sometimes. Normally it is new growth that comes through white. Normally put down to micro defficiency (not necessarily iron.)

If as above you are already dosing per the total tank volume then up the trace a little. If going by a water displacement volume then changing to total volume will already increase it.

A couple of tips I have on these 2 are:

1 - It is said (never had the chance to test this) that if white begins at the tips it is micro deficiency and if it is the whole plant then it is macro defficiency. You have the chance to test this while you have a 'white' plant.

2 - When you mic the solutions you can nearly always see salts at the bottom of the bottle undissolved. I leave a new mix on the radiator overnight and shake it every time I go past. That dissolves all the salts.

One last thing r.e. the white plant. Is it definately not just a calcium covering? I mean is it on top of the leaf or the leaf itself that is white.

AC

AC

 

[mbsqw1d]

mark, are you supplying co2 to your tank? i wouldnt have thought all the dosing of ferts would be necessary if not..?

 

[mark4785]

One last thing r.e. the white plant. Is it definately not just a calcium covering? I mean is it on top of the leaf or the leaf itself that is white.

I personally think that my GBR just got to fierce with the plant (he pecking at it and munching some of the leaves) and it's disrupted it's growth. Theres no evidence on any other plants to suggest micro-deficiency.

I only have a potential macro deficit implied by the green-dust and greens-spot algae growing on the glass unless a lack of flow is the culprit. I can't seem to distinguish what the cause is.

mark, are you supplying co2 to your tank? i wouldnt have thought all the dosing of ferts would be necessary if not..?

Yes. I'm using a pressurised c02 system by Dennerle.