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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1118



At 03:48 PM 12/5/97 -0500, you wrote:
Subject: Plants whilting and Sword deteriorating - Need help
 
>     I have had the tank setup for 2 months now.  Its a 25 gal with 2 20W 
>     tubes (triton and Ultra penn plex).  Subrstrate is a combo of kitty 
>     litter (Hartz pH 5 and laterite) with 3" of sand/gravel above.  

I'm not sure why you would do this.  The whole reason Dan says he advises
the use of kitty litter is to avoid the cost of laterite.  There is no
benefit to using kitty litter _and_ laterite.  IMO, the pH of this litter
is lower than I would prefer too.

>    Tank temp is 82 degrees

That's higher than it should be unless you are keeping Discus or Rams.  At
that temp. you will need more light, more trace supplementation and more
CO2 to maintain good growth.

> pH 6.7, kH 2, gH 2.  I am using the yeast CO2 
>     injection method.  

>     Several of the Ludwigia have started to deteriorate.  The leaves 
>     thinned out and fell off!!.

I would suspect the very low pH of the substrate.  Another possibility
would be copper in the tap water.

>     The sword has put out new leaves, but 
>     instead of the nice oval shape, they are emergine long and thin with 
>     brownish colored veins visible.

That sounds like an absolutely normal transition from emersed growth to
submerged growth.

>     I am adding iron and trace minerals 

What kind and how often?


Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association