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Re: uniform staining around leaf margins, nutrient deficiency, Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #1413



| Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 21:02:55 -0800
| From: Leonardo <cathouse at cdsnet_net>
| Subject: uniform staining around leaf margins
|
| I have been searching the archives and the Krib and all the other
| sources I can find, but I have not found a description of what I have
| going on here.
|
| Leaves of some of my plants are starting to get a perfectly even rim of
| "coffee stain" around the margins.  It first appeared on the banana
| plants, but now I see it on the hygrophila.  Its most visable on the
| underside, where the leaf color is lighter.  Its not a withering, and
| the edges aren't being eaten away.  There are no holes in the leaves, or
| lack of color in tissue or vein. Its just a discoloration that looks as
| if the edge of the leaf has been lightly stained, and it outlines the
| entire leaf, and is the same width all the way around. Nothing appears
| to be dying off, and there is considerable new growth going on, too.
|
| I can't find anything like this on any deficiency tables.  Does anyone
| here have a clue?
|
| Tank has DIY CO2, 2.5 watts/gal, pH 6.8, temp. 78 and everything has
| been going wonderfully since I defeated the BBA and got tons of previous
| help right here.
|
| Thanx to all!
|
| Marci

Marci,

Maybe I can help.  Your battle and success eradicating BBA indicates to me
that your current nutrient deficiency will be an easy task to overcome!  My
first inclination is Magnesium and/or Potassium deficiency.  If the new
growth is OK (new growth is NOT stubby and distorted/twisted)  I might rule
our Calcium deficiency here.  What is your gH?

I have read somewhere that when plants are lacking in some nutrient
(possibly Mg or K in this case),  it will start to utilize nutrients from
it's own older leaves by transporting the deficient nutrient back into the
stems/roots to foster new growth.   This is why you are seeing the uniform
deterioration around the leaf edges!  I would add K and if your gH is <1 or
2 or 30ppm I would add some CaCO3 in whatever form you have available
(garden lime = CaCO3/MgCO3 add a little at a time, CaCl=salt substitute from
your grocery store..beware of quick pH rise, or put some sea shells in your
filter or somewhere with constant water flow over them for a more gradual gH
rise and  this nice because you can pull them out when you reach the desired
gH) .  For Mg just pick up some Epson Salts, MGSO4  at the drug store.   In
my case I add CaCO3/Epson salts in a 4:1 ratio with water changes to get up
to about 3-4 gH.  If you can pick up some Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4) or
Potassium Nitrate (KNO3, but go easy because of the Nitrate!) at a garden
center or hydroponics supply like homegrown Hydroponics
http://www.hydroponics.com/info/aquatics/pmdd.htm  and go to town!

Read more about nutrient deficiencies at The Krib and experiment:

 http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/nutrient-deficiency.html

Hope this helps and enjoy!

Tom