Micro dosing causing twisted/ stunted grow tips.

[Mitelog]

Hi,

i’m always in the search to finding why my plants don’t grow well, and last 2 week i completly stopped dosing any micro and in the same time changed 80% water each week.

I keep my dosing of macro the same and it seems that the aquasoil adsorb less po4 than previously.

I have observed some good new formed grow, but too slow and very light green, the older grow continue to be attacked by algae and some plant clearly showed iron(or other micro) deficiency: white new leaves on some pogostemon helferi.


So this week, i decided to re start dosing micro, i dosed 0,025 ppm fe proxy per day.

Today, i notice that the previously « healthy » tips now begin to be twisted/curled and some completly stunted !

Since monday i dosed 4x 0,025ppm so a total of 0,1 ppm of Fe/ micro and my plant stressed out and stop growing !

I’m litteraly lost, i really don’t understand, it’s like if my dosing of micro is toxic at 0,1 ppm

 

[Unexpected]

.45ppm seems to be a good level. Increase to that weekly and see what happens.

 

[Mitelog]

Do you think twisted/curled/stunted grow is because i dose too few micro ?

I had those before the 2 week stop of micro and dosed higher level so it seems weird to me ?

So for you, a good target will be 0,06 ppm Fe per day ?

Thank’s

 

[Unexpected]

Id imagine it was all caused by stopping and restarting. It takes some time and consistency so they get reprogrammed for the better conditions.

 

[Mitelog]

Ok i will try 0.06 ppm per day for 2 week’s and see what happen .

 

[Unexpected]

.45/6=.075

What's your substrate?

 

[Unexpected]

I've never done daily dosing, but after a water change, it wouldn't hurt to double dose on that day. I double dose after the change and then dose 2 more times over the week. My mix is a .15ppm Fe per dose.

 

[Mitelog]

Sorry i had based on 7 days and rounded

So you dose 0,3 after the water change (how many percent ?) and two more dose of 0,075 during the week ?

My substrate is ADA aquasoil ( 5 months old)

 

[Unexpected]

Sorry i had based on 7 days and rounded

So you dose 0,3 after the water change (how many percent ?) and two more dose of 0,075 during the week ?

My substrate is ADA aquasoil ( 5 months old)

.3 after the water change then .15 two more times over the week. Prior to me double dosing after each water change, I did .15 three times a week. Both work but I'll say the double dosing is a bit better. The idea behind doing a double dose is to quickly get micros back up. I need to mention, I do 50% or just a bit more on water change day.

 

[Mitelog]

Ok thanks my friend i will try that, i change my water (50%) tomorrow.

What is your dosing day ? 0,3 after the change but what are the other dosing days?

 

[Unexpected]

I just do every other day after the double dose.

 

[Mitelog]

Ok thank’s will try that

 

[Dennis Wong]

Just wanted to drop by and say that even when you find the right dosage that works for your tank, plants can take quite a while to adapt/react, so when searching for a dosage that works, give it some time. (a couple of weeks at least)The full effect long term can take even more weeks to play out - initial responses can be a bit different from response from sustained usage.

If you kept photos of the stunted tips, can I examine them and potentially use them in my article ?

 

[Mitelog]

Just wanted to drop by and say that even when you find the right dosage that works for your tank, plants can take quite a while to adapt/react, so when searching for a dosage that works, give it some time. (a couple of weeks at least)The full effect long term can take even more weeks to play out - initial responses can be a bit different from response from sustained usage.

If you kept photos of the stunted tips, can I examine them and potentially use them in my article ?

Hi Dennis,

Yes i know plant take time to adapt, especially when they are in poor condition like in my tank now, but i know with my previous tank that when the conditions are spot on, they rapidly grow healthy.

I will take my time to see how they do with this higher micro dose.


For the photos, yes no problem ! I will do them when i do my water change this afternoon.

 

[Mitelog]

So i have take some pics :

First one is deformed new grow on the ludwigia red:

Second and third are rotala tips stunting and curling ( you can see some healthy new grow on some of the stem):

Next one is a stunted tip of pogostemon decca. Were there is new side grow that is also stunted :


And a final one of a pogostemon helferi with a strong deficiency (Fe/micro):

If you want more pics or more close up, let me know.