Spots on Plants

SUNSTER · 06-19-2012, 03:26 PM

75G w/2 40w 48" (one 3100K and one Daylight 6700K) both on at the same time for 8.5 hours per day. No CO2. 50% water change 1/wk. I am dry dosing the following
daily
1/4 tsp KNO3
1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/8 tsp CSM +B
1.5 caps of excel

every other day
1/10 tsp KH2PO4

and I use Justin's Root tabs. Water parameters hard and PH of about 7.8 Temp is running 79-80. Not sure what's going on - there are these brown/black (hard to tell) spots on the leaves of most my plants. Picture of anubias attached since they are the easiest to see and show up best in photo.

**gordonrichards** · 06-19-2012, 03:36 PM

Did you try rubbing the spots off?
Could be diatom.

-G

TwoTacoCombo · 06-19-2012, 04:26 PM

Looks like diatoms to me too. Are they fuzzy, or like the leaf is just dirty? how old is the tank? Any otos in there?

**Trickerie** · 06-19-2012, 04:48 PM

I get similar spots on my leaves. Mine rub off. Its some type of buildup from not rinsing my safe t sorb long enough. Some of my micro swords have it bad from when I had no water movement the first few weeks. Its annoying for sure.

SUNSTER · 06-19-2012, 06:29 PM

Some rubs off...but this seems "harder" than diatoms. I re-did substrate about 6 months ago. Used some original water and muck so it cycled very quickly. This may be a silly quesiton but if I run the diatom filter will it help "fix" the problem.

roadmaster · 06-19-2012, 06:50 PM

Perhaps there is too much light for the anubia which looks to be planted in substrate?
Maybe move the plant to shadier spot? attach the plant to wood or rock?
Reduce lighting to eight hours from eight and one half?
How old is the set up?
I have 80 gallon tank with three 32 watt T8 bulbs on for eight hours, and dose once a week with.. 1/2 tsp KNO3,1/2 tsp KH2PO4,and 1/2 tsp of CSM+B with no CO2 and saw similar looking leaves when the tank was first set up, but it went away after a couple months.(Diatoms)
Was told that there is no need for K2SO4 if dosing KNO3 and KH2PO4 but I do add it once or twice a month when I do monthly water change. (already paid for it)
I clean the filter each month (Eheim 2217).
I have mostly crypt's and anubia with vallisneria,water sprite,pennywort (floating).
Without CO2 ,you may not need to dose daily but maybe weekly.
Don't think it will hurt anything by dosing daily with weekly water change but plant uptake without CO2 is much less so ....

OOps! just remembered that you said the tank was re-set 6 month's ago?
I should think diatoms would have disappeared by now.

SUNSTER · 06-19-2012, 08:08 PM

I thought I could be dosing too much.....but talked on the phone with the guy from Fresh Water Aquarium Plants and he gave me the dosage and said do it daily. So confused. Maybe I'll try 3X/wk instead and see if there are changes.

06-19-2012, 03:26 PM	#1
SUNSTER Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 75	Spots on Plants 75G w/2 40w 48" (one 3100K and one Daylight 6700K) both on at the same time for 8.5 hours per day. No CO2. 50% water change 1/wk. I am dry dosing the following daily 1/4 tsp KNO3 1/4 tsp K2SO4 1/8 tsp CSM +B 1.5 caps of excel every other day 1/10 tsp KH2PO4 and I use Justin's Root tabs. Water parameters hard and PH of about 7.8 Temp is running 79-80. Not sure what's going on - there are these brown/black (hard to tell) spots on the leaves of most my plants. Picture of anubias attached since they are the easiest to see and show up best in photo. Attached Thumbnails

06-19-2012, 03:36 PM	#2
gordonrichards Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (299/99%) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Huntington Station, NY Posts: 4,420	Did you try rubbing the spots off? Could be diatom. -G __________________ Planted Tank Guru

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06-19-2012, 04:26 PM	#3
TwoTacoCombo Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 383	Looks like diatoms to me too. Are they fuzzy, or like the leaf is just dirty? how old is the tank? Any otos in there?

06-19-2012, 04:48 PM	#4
Trickerie Nerd (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 707	I get similar spots on my leaves. Mine rub off. Its some type of buildup from not rinsing my safe t sorb long enough. Some of my micro swords have it bad from when I had no water movement the first few weeks. Its annoying for sure.

06-19-2012, 06:29 PM	#5
SUNSTER Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 75	Some rubs off...but this seems "harder" than diatoms. I re-did substrate about 6 months ago. Used some original water and muck so it cycled very quickly. This may be a silly quesiton but if I run the diatom filter will it help "fix" the problem.

06-19-2012, 06:50 PM	#6
roadmaster Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Missouri united states Posts: 690	Perhaps there is too much light for the anubia which looks to be planted in substrate? Maybe move the plant to shadier spot? attach the plant to wood or rock? Reduce lighting to eight hours from eight and one half? How old is the set up? I have 80 gallon tank with three 32 watt T8 bulbs on for eight hours, and dose once a week with.. 1/2 tsp KNO3,1/2 tsp KH2PO4,and 1/2 tsp of CSM+B with no CO2 and saw similar looking leaves when the tank was first set up, but it went away after a couple months.(Diatoms) Was told that there is no need for K2SO4 if dosing KNO3 and KH2PO4 but I do add it once or twice a month when I do monthly water change. (already paid for it) I clean the filter each month (Eheim 2217). I have mostly crypt's and anubia with vallisneria,water sprite,pennywort (floating). Without CO2 ,you may not need to dose daily but maybe weekly. Don't think it will hurt anything by dosing daily with weekly water change but plant uptake without CO2 is much less so .... OOps! just remembered that you said the tank was re-set 6 month's ago? I should think diatoms would have disappeared by now.

06-19-2012, 08:08 PM	#7
SUNSTER Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 75	I thought I could be dosing too much.....but talked on the phone with the guy from Fresh Water Aquarium Plants and he gave me the dosage and said do it daily. So confused. Maybe I'll try 3X/wk instead and see if there are changes.