Holes in leaves

Mick85

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I'm starting to get holes in the leaves of my Hygrophilia Blue Stricta, does that indicate a deficiency of Potassium or something else?

The holes are appearing not on the new leaves but old ones.

I dose API Leafzone weekly and I've got Seachem root tabs in the sand.

No Co2 injection.

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Thanks. I'll get some Seachem Potassium and start dosing the tank. Is it best to cut back the plants that are affected and let them regrow?
 
See chart below, possibly manganese
 

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The holes are appearing not on the new leaves but old ones.
When the older leaves are affected but new growth is not it is likely a mobil nutrient deficiency. Plants can remove some nutrients from old growth to support new growth. Most nutrients in plants are not mobil.

Mobil nutrients are nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, chlorine, and molybdenum. Quick not Chlorine is needed in small amounts for plant goth. Plant typically get chlorine from safe chloride salts. Chlorine gas used to sterilize drinking water however will damage plant.

While potassium is often sighted. However any mobile nutrient can cause holes in leaves. I doubt you have a potassium deficiency. Leaf zone only has iron and potassium. The colorization of tap water often results in chloride salts in tap water so that is not liikel in my opinion. Molybdenum is one of the least used nutrients in plants probably unlikely unlesss you are using RO or distilled water. In my opinion magnesium is much more likely.

I would check your nitrate levels if you have measurable nitrate, nitrogen is unlikely. You could also get a phosphate test kit. Also monitor your Gh.the GH kit detects calcium and magnesium. How much water do you change out and how often. It might be possible to fix your problem by changing more water and doing it more frequently.
 
These are just old leaves finishing their life, if you don't like the look of them cut them off and enjoy the new growth. There is no way you can guess any deficiency in your tank. When you get long stems with no leaves just cut the stem back and replant the top of the plant, it will grow new roots.
 
When the older leaves are affected but new growth is not it is likely a mobil nutrient deficiency. Plants can remove some nutrients from old growth to support new growth. Most nutrients in plants are not mobil.

Mobil nutrients are nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, chlorine, and molybdenum. Quick not Chlorine is needed in small amounts for plant goth. Plant typically get chlorine from safe chloride salts. Chlorine gas used to sterilize drinking water however will damage plant.

While potassium is often sighted. However any mobile nutrient can cause holes in leaves. I doubt you have a potassium deficiency. Leaf zone only has iron and potassium. The colorization of tap water often results in chloride salts in tap water so that is not liikel in my opinion. Molybdenum is one of the least used nutrients in plants probably unlikely unlesss you are using RO or distilled water. In my opinion magnesium is much more likely.

I would check your nitrate levels if you have measurable nitrate, nitrogen is unlikely. You could also get a phosphate test kit. Also monitor your Gh.the GH kit detects calcium and magnesium. How much water do you change out and how often. It might be possible to fix your problem by changing more water and doing it more frequently.

I'm doing 40% water changes weekly. I've cut back the tops of the plants with the holes so i'll see how the new growth turns out.

These are just old leaves finishing their life, if you don't like the look of them cut them off and enjoy the new growth. There is no way you can guess any deficiency in your tank. When you get long stems with no leaves just cut the stem back and replant the top of the plant, it will grow new roots.

Yeh this crossed my mind. i've actually got some ambulia and milfoil that is bare down the bottom and i thought about hacking them back and replanting the tops. Might give it a go on the weekend. Is it worth leaving the old roots in so they can grow back?
 
I'm doing 40% water changes weekly. I've cut back the tops of the plants with the holes so i'll see how the new growth turns out.



Yeh this crossed my mind. i've actually got some ambulia and milfoil that is bare down the bottom and i thought about hacking them back and replanting the tops. Might give it a go on the weekend. Is it worth leaving the old roots in so they can grow back?
Not really unless you have space in another tank or the back of this one
 
They are famous for needing potassium. I would go with the most common reason. Potassium glutamate works well. I bought a big bottle at Walgreens,and use a tablet per 50 gallons and my Java ferns have never looked better or larger for it.
 
Oop,should also add that my Hygrophila angustifolia is growing better than I thought it would also. No setback from the day I stuck the cutting in a mix of pool filter sands and aquarium gravels.
I've come to the conclusion that if you can get a common additive in glutamate form? THATS what you want. Like an I.V. for plants..no waiting around.
 

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