# Plants turning brown.....



## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

You know as soon as I got excited that I had finally tackled the damn planted tank, things start going disarray. HELP!!!

Here's the deal, my glosso is starting to turn brown. The stems and older leaves are not truly brown yet but the green is not as vibrant as it was before. I'm noticing the same thing on some of the other plants. For example, my anubia has black specks all over the leaves same with my green ludwigia. It's not diatoms and it's not any other type of algae. Its in the plant itself. If you look closely at the glosso, the leaves are browning from the tip back. Not a dying type of brown like melting but more of a loss of color.

The tank is a 55 gallon
130 watts
Seachem sand substrate
30 ppm co2
EI method - dosing strictly to the schedule
50 % water change weekly

I have not changed anything and over the last two days its beginning to take a turn for the worse.

Damn!


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

Just took some readings:

PH = 6
Iron = 1
GH = 6
KH = 2
CO2 = would that mean 60 ppm, whoops...yikes! or am i reading that wrong... 33?
nitrate = 10
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = o


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## jharrison (Dec 7, 2004)

Did you test phosphates? That was my problem, and I was using the same chart you are, I backed off the fertz for a few days and everything was great. Maybe could use a bit more iron too? For some reason I am thinking it should test at 3? but I don't know where I got that from. Never have tested mine.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Interesting..

Seems like everything is fine too. Maybe back off on the EI method for a few days, back off the CO2 a bit and get it in the 30-40ppm range.

I'd say riase the nitrates to about 20ppm too, and see if that has anything to do with it. I've heard some people say they needed to raise their nitrates for their plants to grow healthy.

Are you dosing potassium? Potassium helps plants stems and roots grow thick and strong.


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

Ok that's what I'll do for the meantime. I stopped dosing today and I'll wait to see what happens. Yes, dosing KNO3, potassium, phosphates and CSM+B. I was thinking the same thing about the Nitrates. Can I just up my KNO3 dosage to achieve the 20 PPM level?

Dippy do you know the equation based on gh/kh to find co2 ppm? Do you think not conditioning the tap water might have had something to do with it. I ran out of conditioner and went straight tap water change last weekend, 50%.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

roccov12345 said:


> Ok that's what I'll do for the meantime. I stopped dosing today and I'll wait to see what happens. Yes, dosing KNO3, potassium, phosphates and CSM+B. I was thinking the same thing about the Nitrates. Can I just up my KNO3 dosage to achieve the 20 PPM level?
> 
> Dippy do you know the equation based on gh/kh to find co2 ppm? Do you think not conditioning the tap water might have had something to do with it. I ran out of conditioner and went straight tap water change last weekend, 50%.


Yes, you can up your KNO3 and get where you want. But do it slowly, over the course of a few days, it is more natural that way.

Here is a chart to show how you get CO2 ppm. It is based on KH and pH.

You ran out of what, chlorine remover? I think you should be ok there. If your KH is down in the dirt @ 0 or 1, I suggest using Seachem's Equilizer to keep your pH from crashing


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Ok that's what I'll do for the meantime. I stopped dosing today and I'll wait to see what happens. Yes, dosing KNO3, potassium, phosphates and CSM+B. I was thinking the same thing about the Nitrates. Can I just up my KNO3 dosage to achieve the 20 PPM level?
> 
> Dippy do you know the equation based on gh/kh to find co2 ppm? Do you think not conditioning the tap water might have had something to do with it. I ran out of conditioner and went straight tap water change last weekend, 50%.


Yes, you can up your KNO3 and get where you want. But do it slowly, over the course of a few days, it is more natural that way.

Here is a chart to show how you get CO2 ppm. It is based on KH and pH.

You ran out of what, chlorine remover? I think you should be ok there. If your KH is down in the dirt @ 0 or 1, I suggest using Seachem's Equilizer to keep your pH from crashing
[/quote]

Thanks Dipp... I've always had a problem with my PH dipping low into the 6 range. Never quite figured out what it was from. Might be because my CO2 has been through the roof. I think I need to get a drop checker. Too much of a pain to constantly test.......


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Also, check that KH and see if it is under 3. If it is, I would invest in some of that Seachem EQ.


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Also, check that KH and see if it is under 3. If it is, I would invest in some of that Seachem EQ.


KH still hanging on at the 2 mark.


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

Dippy is > = 3 on the KH scale where I should be? I was looking into seachem EQ like you had mentioned and it seems like it is obviously to raise the c hardness or general hardness of the water overall affecting the KH. Makes sense....

I'm wondering if I'm dumping too much CO2 in the water. I changed up how I had the diffuser set up and I think its making a major difference. I have a glass diffuser which I placed underneath the power head. Obviously from the last test my CO2 PPM was pretty high with no change on BPS of CO2. I turned it down a bit, not much as I didn't want to inflict a total crash.

I noticed my KH out of the tap is around 5. I did some skimming of the GH/KH/PH and CO2 effects and all seem to be interrelated. One effects the other. Do you think the overdose of CO2 is the culprit or just general soft water.....?


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

That is a tough one for me, I'm not very smart lol

The only real problem with too much CO2 is the effect on your fish. 
It shouldn't hurt anything else. --Shouldn't being the key word..hah

I wish I could help you more on this issue, but I'm afraid I can't.

There was a member named Harrykaa that was really good with this stuff. I wonder where he went?
He was a smart guy.


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> That is a tough one for me, I'm not very smart lol
> 
> The only real problem with too much CO2 is the effect on your fish.
> It shouldn't hurt anything else. --Shouldn't being the key word..hah
> ...


Ahh come on, don't underestimate yourself. You're one of the very few on here in the aquatic section that really tries to help people out with good knowledge.

Thanks!!


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks

I'm very happy to say that when I can't make it to the keyboard, there are a few here that take up my slack









And they do a great job of it


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