[Rainer]

I have some notoriously fast growing hygro that doesn't, cause unknown.* The one in my high tech tank looks healthy; it just barely grows. I've added root tabs in addition to the EI dosing it already received; if it addresses some hidden deficiency, will the plant always be stunted?

What about clippings?


* Background

 

[ValMM]

If you just got the plant, it may be adjusting. If it's stunted, but healthy, why throw it away? You just won't have to trim it so much.

 

[Rainer]

If you just got the plant, it may be adjusting. If it's stunted, but healthy, why throw it away? You just won't have to trim it so much.

I've had it for over six months; it doesn't grow in either a high tech EI tank or a low tech, Excel-supplemented one. Doesn't seem to matter where it's placed.

At the moment it's the only 4" background plant I have. How's that for ridiculous?

That's not to say it hasn't grown some, just that the lower leaves don't do well, so I prune and replant. The growth rate is nothing like most of the other plants* in the tank. Even the mosses are growing faster.

*there's something weird going on with the vals - they rot a couple of inches below the tip before they can do more than reach the surface. My tank should be covered in hygro and floating vals, but it's not.

 

[ValMM]

I haven't been in the planted tank hobby for very long, so I am not too familiar with what is considered ridiculous.
Right now the largest plants I have are 10 stems of anacharis. One is almost 12" long. I also have 2 anubias nana. I am currently using them as floating plants in my 5 gallon betta tank.

 

[Bahugo]

I wouldn't toss them, if they don't end up growing try experimenting with them, what's the worst that can happen? It doesn't grow? lol It's not like you will technically be loosing anything if it isn't growing and trying new things with the plant doesn't help. I know in your other thread you thought maybe it was a Ca deficiency, that's possible. Try some Ca.

Don't touch them, period. Even if you start experimenting, try not to uproot them unless you are moving them from a shaded spot to a non-shaded spot. If you have multiple stems you could leave one completely undisturbed in the same tank for a "control" specimen and experiment on a separate stem.

First I would add root tabs and possibly snip the top half inch or so. maybe the bottom half inch too too try to get new roots too spring. And try planting it in a "deeper" section of substrate

Try moving them around in the tank too see if it is lighting related (they are getting blocked out or something)

Maybe it's your water hardness? Do you have high gh/kh? I have seen people complain that hardness effects the growth of some plants (even easy plants).

If no response, I would try trimming different segments and planting segments of the plant too see if it will promote new growth.

Let them float around for a bit see if it does anything to promote root growth.

Take the leafs off stem plants too see if it promotes new growth.

Eventually if nothing works you will end up with a trash stem anyways, you mind as well try to see if anything works first.

I feel your pain, I have a plant that I have had for months in 3 different tanks all with different substrate/co2/dosing that I feel doesn't do anything but sit their. If it grows it's very dismal but I just leave it, eventually i'll try moving it too my emersed setup too see if that will effect anything. The only time I noticed growth was when it was in a very deep part of the substrate and I was ei dosing but I ended up moving it in the tank and it stunted again so I just moved it to a dirt tank for now.

 

[Jeffww]

Trim it. That will help it along sometimes to make a plant stop putting out deformed leaves you have to trim it and the new leaves will be unstunted.

By all your descriptions it sounds like you're not dosing enough. You need more phosphorous (my prediction) and probably micros.

 

[DarkCobra]

I have some Ludwiga Repens that only grows if I add extra phosphate.

And some Ammania Gracilis that only grows if I reduce phosphate.

Plus now some algae that's growing because I've been messing around with my phosphate levels too much while figuring all this out. :hihi:

 

[tetra73]

I too have an Argentina Sword purchased from petco, the tube plants. My hygrophila corymbosa was also purchased as a tube plant but their growth rates are massive. Now, the sword is still only 4 inches tall, all the way at the back corner of the tank. The roots are pretty deep because I could see them as they are pressing against the tank. It hasn't grown an inch. No new leaves. It has been 1 month and 2 weeks. Even my Anubias has 1 new leave every week.

 

[Rainer]

Trim it. That will help it along sometimes to make a plant stop putting out deformed leaves you have to trim it and the new leaves will be unstunted.

By all your descriptions it sounds like you're not dosing enough. You need more phosphorous (my prediction) and probably micros.

That could be the case in the low tech tank, which is lightly fed, but the high tech gets full EI for a 29g and the larger fish population means heavier feedings. Is EI known for running a little lean on P?

I'll post a pic after both lights come on. The leaves on the 29g hygro don't look deformed to me, at least not in comparison to the yellowed, holed ones in the 10g.

 

[Rainer]

I wouldn't toss them, if they don't end up growing try experimenting with them, what's the worst that can happen? It doesn't grow? lol It's not like you will technically be loosing anything if it isn't growing and trying new things with the plant doesn't help. I know in your other thread you thought maybe it was a Ca deficiency, that's possible. Try some Ca.

RootMedic Complete tabs are in place for 2/3s of the high light tank and the hygro is deep inside that zone. We'll see.

Maybe it's your water hardness? Do you have high gh/kh? I have seen people complain that hardness effects the growth of some plants (even easy plants).

GH 150 ppm/8.3 dGH; KH 120 ppm/6.7 dKH.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll give them a shot.

 

[Jeffww]

That could be the case in the low tech tank, which is lightly fed, but the high tech gets full EI for a 29g and the larger fish population means heavier feedings. Is EI known for running a little lean on P?

I'll post a pic after both lights come on. The leaves on the 29g hygro don't look deformed to me, at least not in comparison to the yellowed, holed ones in the 10g.

Definitely try to add more fertilizers. You are doing jack if you aren't even dosing more to fix it. Phosphorous sounds about right from the sounds of your melting vals...

 

[Rainer]

Definitely try to add more fertilizers. You are doing jack if you aren't even dosing more to fix it. Phosphorous sounds about right from the sounds of your melting vals...

Everything I've read about EI indicates it's meant to be an excess of nutrients so I hadn't really considered it might be insufficient.

 

[Jeffww]

Everything I've read about EI indicates it's meant to be an excess of nutrients so I hadn't really considered it might be insufficient.

Every tank is different. My EI has about 1.25 times the amount of phosphorus, 1.5 times the potassium and 0 times the nitrogen that's suggested. I also dose supplemental calcium and boron. EI is made for excess but the amount of excess is specific for each tank. EI is also made for easy customization it was made to be played with.

 

[Rainer]

If EI is inadequate, adding the root tabs and leaving a control area should address that. Here's the breakdown of the additional fertilizers each provides:

• Nitrogen: 14%
• Phosphate: 10%
• Soluble Potash: 11%
• Calcium: 1.9%
• Mg: 1.4%
• Sulfur: 3.7%
• Boron .02%
• Copper: .05%
• Iron: .5%
• Manganese: .05%
• Molybdenum: .02%
• Zinc: .05%

Even so it wouldn't be clear if the original problem were P/K or Ca/Mg since both options are covered.