Rapidly Decaying Plants

[part-timer]

This has only really started being a problem over the last couple of weeks - plants are being badly affected by brown hair algae and showing signs of decay/rot. Have never had any problems with plant decay or algae in the past (apart from the usual light glass surface green algae). I've looked through some of the pinned topics but not overly sure what additional steps I can take to improve the situation. I've thinned out and replaced some of the worst affected plants but want to try and control things in a better way than just replacing affected plants.

Tank is a Rio 240 using 2x54w T5 tubes - lighting using 5-2-5
Water stats - Ammonia/Nitrite - 0. Nitrate trace (generally below 10) PH 6.4
Water changes 10-15% once a week

Have just added a Tetra pressurised CO2 cannister/defuser to see if this can improve the situation, liquid fertiliser used as per dosages recommended on bottle.

Any other suggestions?

 

[SuperColey1]

You are probably seeing algae grow on the plants AFTER they have started to weaken. Then they release ammonia when they start to fail. The algae then feeds on this ammonia.

Not enough for you to se on a normal test kit but enough for the algae and this is why you see 'localised' algae outbreaks around failing plants.

Remove leaves that are damaged or at worst case the whole plant. Follow this with a decent water change 50%+ and then you will reduce he ammonia leeching. The longer the dying leaves/plants stay in the tank the longer they continue to leech.

If you have never had a problem before then I would suggest that you sont really need the CO2.

Andy

 

[part-timer]

You are right about the algae growing on the weaker plants which I am trying to keep on top of.

This is a relatively new tank though I have kept planted tanks for years and never had such an issue with algae - my last tank was a trigon 190 which in all honestly was slightly overstocked but I had additional filtration to keep up with this but had higher nitrate levels as a result. I know plants benefit from some nitrate which obviously will account for my consistently low readings in this area but having a more realistic stocking at the moment, could I be lacking in nutrients in the water as I barely get a nitrate reading in this tank? In my trigon the nitrate reading was generally around 40 whereas I struggle to even get a trace reading now. Have to be honest, I only occasionally test for hardness as my water is consistently soft and I never check for CO2 levels or other nutrients that plants need - just assumed that as in the past CO2 and fertiliser is enough (it always was).

I do remove rotting leaves but over the last week or so has become so bad that I have to remove entire plants which is a new thing for me.

For reference, my fish stock is 6 young discus (3 to 4"), 6 corys, 10 black neon tetras and 2 raphael talking catfish. They were added to the tank pretty much from setup but I was using mature filter media and have never had ammonia or nitrite readings. Plant-wise - around 25- 30 plants including Echinodorus varieties, roseafolia (the red leaved plant) and a few tall slender grass types that weren't labelled at my LFS and some riccia. All plants are within suggested temp range (I checked the tags beforehand as I have higher temp for my discus). All plants are falling foul of the brown hair algae, it is even spreading to my mopani which I have cleaned and boiled again.

Thanks for quick reply - all assistance appreciated as whilst I consider myself experienced enough with the livestock, I've never had to deal with plant problems in the past!

Edit, substrate is small gravel.

 

[SuperColey1]

I dont know whats changed in your tank to give you these problems. I would think that with discus in the tank there should be more than enough nitrate and phosphate from their waste and left over food.

I would have to assume though that if you have been running the tank for ages with no algae problems and that they have all of a sudden arrived that there has been a change in the tank that is causing the change in algae growth.

Could it be that one or more of your fish has matured to a stage that ithas developed plant nibbling tendencies which are then weakening the plants?

Thinking mainly of discus here but others could be just as much aculprit I spupose.

Andy

 

[lisa_perry75]

What liquid fertiliser are you dosing?

How long has the tank been set up?