Nitrogen deficiency or ?

[chevyguy8893]

For two weeks now I have been EI dosing plantex csm+b, K2SO4, and KH2PO4 with the 50% water change at the end of the week. I wasn't dosing KNO3 because my nitrates were staying around 10 ppm less than a week ago. I tested today, found nitrates at 0 ppm, and dosed the KNO3.

So, one stem of rotala has new growth with stunted and wrinkled leaves, and none of the other plants show any problems. Is this a result of the lack of a nitrogen source or possibly a calcium deficiency (only other one that seemed to fit)? Last time I tested, GH was roughly 3 dGH.

[OVT]

My first bet is the low GH, not N.
I would raise it to ~6 using baking soda (look up how much you need per gallon to go up 1). There are also several versions of GH Booster available on the web.

[Kathyy]

GH was magnesium and calcium. Baking soda is sodium and carbonate.

You could try dosing some Epsom salts, that is magnesium something. Could research calcium, I think there is something you can buy at HD that has calcium, plaster of paris maybe? I happen to have calcium carbonate I used in homemade dog food, sure doesn't dissolve well though.

My Rotala was stunted and a bit of GH booster perked it up. Your plant isn't stunted though. What is the nitrate level?

[fplata]

Baking soda increases the kh, it does look like an no3 issue, I run my gh at 4. Maybe dose a little gh booster


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[chevyguy8893]

Thanks everyone. I'll have to search and see what I can find for a source of calcium, or I'll just order some GH booster. The dosing of KNO3 brought my nitrates back up to 10-20 ppm from zero.

The growth is pretty fast, so if it is a nitrogen deficiency I should see a difference soon. It just seems odd that only one stem has this problem.

[m00se]

For calcium, a lot of people use Prestone Heat ice melt. Yes, even reefers. For magnesium, use Epsom Salt.

[AlyeskaGirl]

Hi adam!

I responded over in your journal.

[OVT]

Originally Posted by OVT

My first bet is the low GH, not N.
I would raise it to ~6 using baking soda

My bad, backing soda increases pH, sorry about that. As others said:

http://www.calgaryaquariumsociety.co...Chemistry.html

[m00se]

Originally Posted by OVT

My bad, backing soda increases pH, sorry about that. As others said:

http://www.calgaryaquariumsociety.co...Chemistry.html

Per that article:

"Calcium chloride also does the trick safely and inexpensively, but calcium chloride is not readily available in local stores. But you can buy it from chemical supply stores. "

Prestone Heat (in fact, all those beaded white ice melts) are calcium chloride. Prestone is used because it's been determined to be relatively pure. I use Ball Pickle Crisp Granules, because it comes in sane volumes and I rarely need to use it being that I live in liquid rock Upstate NY.