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20 long tank
finnex 24/7 just running whites 8 hours.
Pressurized co2 + diffuser + powerhead on top to better circulate co2
Flourite black sand + Flourish Root Tabs
Aquaclear 30 and just added surface skimmer couple of days ago

the first pic is on 4th day of adding all the baby tears and the pics after is today.

I have the same substrate in a 7 gallon and its growing like crazy just like in this 20 long as well but just noticed some leaves are turning yellow, I dose pottassium so it's obviously not that. Could it need more root tabs? Tank was set up 1month ago.

 

[AWolf]

20 long tank
finnex 24/7 just running whites 8 hours.
Pressurized co2 + diffuser + powerhead on top to better circulate co2
Flourite black sand + Flourish Root Tabs
Aquaclear 30 and just added surface skimmer couple of days ago

the first pic is on 4th day of adding all the baby tears and the pics after is today.

I have the same substrate in a 7 gallon and its growing like crazy just like in this 20 long as well but just noticed some leaves are turning yellow, I dose pottassium so it's obviously not that. Could it need more root tabs? Tank was set up 1month ago.

Yellow leaves can mean not enough light. My experience with LED's is limited, but I would add more light. You could use a clip on cfl to supplement the light, until you find out.

 

[dukydaf]

It might be that the plant shades its emersed growth (depending on the source of the plant).

However another posibility is that you are low on N (nitrogen). The tank is new, CO2 and light, just RCS so high demand and low resources. The root tabs might be to deep so that the superficial roots of the HC cannot reach it. In your 7g , the substrate might be older or you have more fauna so more resources of N.

try to dose some NO3 (KNO3) and see what happens.

 

[Hoppy]

That tank is only about 12 inches high, so you surely have enough light. In fact you have enough light that you should need to dose all of the nutrients, NPK and trace elements. Root tabs are not an adequate fertilizer for that much light, especially with newly planted plants.

 

[josephla]

I've been out of the hobby for about 9 years, but if I recall correctly, yellow leaves are from a lack of Iron, no?

 

[AWolf]

I would say add a liquid fertilizer, but, adding that to the root tabs would probably be detrimental to the whole tank. There aren't enough plants to utilize all of the fertilizer that could be in the water column. Which is another reason I personally don't like root tabs. You never know how much is in the water column, and can't add or subtract nutrients like you can with liquid or dosing. That's why I would err on the side of light first. Adding more fertilizers of any kind would be my second choice, just because of the damage that could be done with an over fertilized tank.

 

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I added a other 10 root tabs broke it half and spread it through out the tank, the hc grew really fast.maybe the tabs ran out? And I purchased flourish iron and dosed that, whats the point of liquid fertilizing? I only have baby tears in there plus its bad for shrimp

 

[AWolf]

whats the point of liquid fertilizing? I only have baby tears in there plus its bad for shrimp

That's my point, with all those root tabs, I would never add liquid fertilizers. You could ruin your tank.

 

[dukydaf]

I added a other 10 root tabs broke it half and spread it through out the tank, the hc grew really fast.maybe the tabs ran out? And I purchased flourish iron and dosed that, whats the point of liquid fertilizing? I only have baby tears in there plus its bad for shrimp

Aquatic plants can take up nutrients through their leaves not only their roots. Liquid fertilizing is food for plants. With good light and CO2 your plants consume nutrients faster than the tabs or shrimp food can provide. After certain elements run out, the plants will consume their old growth (old yellow leaves, holes etc) to try and generate new growth. However this pattern does not generate a nice carpet for your tank.

Liquid dosing of NO3, PO4 and K will not kill your shrimps if done at sensible values. I kept RCS at EI levels with no problems, but if you have fears start with PMDD dosing and work from there. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/PMDD.htm