I’m getting black lines in both my rotala green, and rotala h’ra... new growth is good, but in recent, and especially the older growth I’m getting straight black lines through(across) the leaves. I’m dosing full EI macros, and using version 13 of burr’s micromix- both plants are planted in 9oz cups containing ada as powder. No other plants are showing this, only other issues really is some recent stunting of L Pantanal. I’ve read that it may be physical damage, or some kind of deficiency- possibly FE, K, or Mg.
Any help and or advice would be awesome.
Thanks!


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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi @ninemag,

Thank you for the detailed pictures they help a lot. In the first picture see how the newer leaves are showing a 'downward hook' to the leaf tips? calcium deficiency

In the second picture look at the leaves on the stem closest to the camera; do you see how the leaf margins are curling/rolling under along the length of the leaf? magnesium deficiency

The spots of necrosis (dead tissue) in the older leaves is likely a potassium deficiency.

I do not see any signs of an iron deficiency in the two photos.

Pick up a bottle of Seachem Equlibrium. Do an initial dose of 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Thereafter, when you do your weekly water change add 1 teaspoon of Equilibrium per 10 gallons of new water added. Now wait...............two weeks. Watch the new leaves as they emerge; do not look at the existing leaves they will not change. The new leaves should start to come in straighter, with no leaf tip 'hooking downward'. As those new leaves mature (this will take several weeks) you should not the leaf margins curling/rolling downward (or upward) and the necrosis should not appear as spots on the leaves. Post pictures as things progress! -Roy

Do you have Ottos? I used to have this problem with my very first tank so I chose to remove the rotala after nothing worked. Once the ottos passed away I rescaped my tank and decided to try rotala out again! And to my surprise (same substrate and same amount of liquid ferts) the rotala was growing beautifully!! Fast forward exactly 3 weeks ago and I picked up some ottos from the lfs and today as Im typing this have come to the conclusion that its how aggressively the ottos go through the rotala and how they suck on it. If you observe them while they go through it youllsee that once they let go of a leaf, the leaf is completely wrinkled and bent.

Sorry for bringing this thread back up but hope this helps!!