Re: E. Stellata & Willow hygro (Rachel's tank)

[Chuck H <grendel at usit_net>]

Rachel wrote:

> Here's the deal: my E. stellata is growing gangbusters,
> although it is very green, not the nice pink. It grows
> and grows. But both my willow hygro and E. diversifolia
> are growing these stunted, crumpled, deformed leaves,
> and the older leaved on the willow hygro get a brownish
> tint. The A. reineckii has completely stalled.
>
> Here's the tank params: 72 gallon bowfront, 220W PCF
> light, canister CO2. KH=GH=4.5, from addition of baking
> soda and Flourish Equilibrium. PH=6.8. 75% water changes
> weekly, with massive pruning to remove BBA. Add at water
> change & midweek 1/2t KNO3, 1/16t KH2PO4, 15ml Flourish.
> I am not adding any other K because the Equilibrium has a
> hunk of K in it. Also mega-dosing before water change with
> 1t KNO3, 1/8t KH2PO4.
>
> What's missing? What's overdosed? What is going on?


Anecdote alert!

Back some time ago, I was having difficulty with distorted growth in some
plants despite the fact that I was dosing nutrients within accepted ranges.
Everything I read pointed to calcium deficiency, but that seemed illogical
given that my tap water has about 130-140ppm hardness on average (~7-8
dGH) and a near perfect ratio of Ca to Mg.  I flip-flopped around trying 
different
additives in differing amounts, but to nip a long story in the bud, it 
turned out
to be a lack of iron that was causing the screwy growth.  I'd been depending
on Flourish and Flourite to provide iron, but it apparently wasn't enough
for some plants.  Adding an extra squirt or two of iron -- 0.1ppm or so -- in
between doses of Flourish seems to have corrected things.

So, you might want to try boosting Fe for a few weeks and see if things
improve.
--
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee