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Re: deformed leaves
On Tue, 25 Apr 2000, Cavan wrote:
> Roger, The misformed leaves are apparent on the
> following plants in the following ways:
>
> Cryptocoryne retrospiralis-some leaves have abrupt
> curves but are otherwise normal.
I've never seen symptoms in any Crypt. that I attribute to calcium
deficiency.
> E. tenellus Large version- Some leaves are as in the
> retrospiralis, while others twist like that and have
> the inside of the curve right up against the vein.
This is the morphology I've seen in other echinodorus and have been able
to treat by placing a Ca supplement in the substrate below the plant.
I've also seen it in E. tenellus and attributed it to a minor Ca
deficiency. The plant recovered without treatment.
> L. repens-many stems are fine, others are fine before
> sprouting leaves almost too small to see, and many
> stems have side shoots with tiny leaves that don't
> grow much
>
> Bacopa caroliniana_ grew really well for awhile before
> some stems sprouted "shrunken head" looking leaves.
> Adding potassium gluconate tablets caused a dramatic
> improvement for awhile...
I had both of these plants growing in the tank with the E. tenellus that
grew the deformed leaves then apparently recovered without treatment.
Neither had a problem. In fact the only stem plant I've seen with the
problem was Ammania senegalensis, and it followed the pattern that is
often described for calcium deficiency. The plants produced a single pair
of deformed leaves that didn't reach full development and the growing
point abruptly died. The plant then branched and with a calcium
supplement continued to grow normally for a while, then repeated that act.
This happened several times and the plant became progressively weaker
after each event and finally stopped growing.
> It sure sounds like a calcium defficiency. If sodium
> is a problem, how would I find out? I kind of doubt
> it will be now that the RO Right is no longer added.
> What else could interfere with calcium uptake?
As when you originally described the problems, it's unlikely that these
problems are caused by a calcium deficiency. You simply have too much
hardness in your water for that to be a likely problem.
Several years ago Paul Krombholz described symptoms similar to calcium
deficiency that were caused by something leaching from nylon screen
material he used in his tank. Other plastics might have similar toxic
effects.
Roger Miller