ADA substrate. Top of the plant melts transparent and dissolve.

[Bozhkov]

I have experience in the cultivation of aquatic plants about 10 years. To use ADA Amazonia I've never encountered such a problem. And now it happens a third time, and I do not know what to do.
The problem in the following. At the initial stage of the aquarium, top of the plant melts transparent and dissolve.
View attachment 1243
I created two aquariums with Aqua Soil Amazonia, and in both cases, the problem repeats itself. The first time I concluded that this is due to very soft water. Stopped adding RO water at water changes, KH increased from 0 to 4. After that, the plant growth has stabilized.
I second time create a aquarium with Aqua Soil Amazonia, and second time facing a problem of rot and decay of plant tops.
View attachment 1244 View attachment 1245
Aquarium 60x30x36cm. Setup 2009/12/13. Substrate PowerSand, Aqua Soil Amazonia, Bacter 100, Clear Super. Light: Hagen Life Glo 24W x3. Daylight 10 hours. Parameters of tap water KH - 7; GH - 8; NO3

 

[Philosophos]

You may want to get a subscription here and read over the ADA analysis. You're paying $40 for 250ml of bottled water with a risk of some potassium or iron showing up in it. In North America, they're illegally selling their fertilizers without any nutrient concentration listings, and this is why it sells. If more people knew, they wouldn't buy it.

The dosing ends up being so lean that in 1-2 years your aquasoil will run out of nutrients because it is not being replenished through nutrients in the column. How old is your aquasoil?

The melt looks like CO2 and potassium issues off hand.

 

[Tom Barr]

If they call it a "plant supplement", they can get around such requirements.

Regards,
tom Barr

 

[Philosophos]

So this gets around state fertilizer registration as well?

 

[Bozhkov]

That is, you consider, what the reason in ADA’s fertilizer? You can advise what fertilizer to me for use together with Aqua Soil Amazonia?
I completely reject lack CO2 or potassium, in an aquarium more than enough of it (if to trust data of research of structure Brighty K)

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I completely reject lack CO2 or potassium, in an aquarium more than enough of it (if to trust data of research of structure Brighty K)

Do you mean by this that based on the LABEL of the Brighty K and the dosage amount that your plants have sufficient c02 and Potassium?

Do you use c02 in your aquarium at all?

I doubt any fert other than c02 itself is going to add c02 to the water. Even if so, it will be very small amounts.

ADA supplies ferts to the roots and leaches some in the water column. You may want to dry dose N, P, and K as well to the water column.

I would also suggest reading up about c02 and it's role in aquatic plants. C02 is the most vital plant nutrient and it affects the uptake of many other nutrients such as N, P, and K.

 

[Bozhkov]

Hi,
Do you use c02 in your aquarium at all?

Certainly I bring СО2. This integral condition for the maintenance of water plants.

 

[Tom Barr]

Water changes are important for that 1st few weeks, maybe 8-10 and even after that.
Too much NH4 accumulation and the plants will melt from too much NH4 toxicity.

High levels of NH4 are used as weed control in many agricultural systems.
This was done.

You might have wanted to do a few more.
3x 24 W is too much light for this aquarium, use 2x 24 for 8 hours, this aquarium should be able to do fine with a single 24W light.
T5 lighting is a lot more intense than you think.

I think it's CO2 issue, few things melt like this due to anything else.
The other possible cause is the aquarium cycled and finally ran out of NH4.
Bacteria built up, so there's little available. Your NO3 is WAY TOO LOW and the PO4 is absent.

Neither is good.

I add liberal amounts of N and P, about 15ppm of NO3 and 5 ppm of PO4 3x a week with about 1/3 the light you use..........
There's nothing wrong with your Tap water.....

Here's my tanks:

Both have ADA AS that's older, but the results are the same, perhaps more KNO3 is added as time goes on, but the nutrients are fairly stable other than NH4/NO3 in ADA AS.
Powersand the other additives offer little help over the 1st few days perhaps.

Also, you should calibrate and ensure the test kits are correct by running them against a known standard solution.
This way you know i the test kit is accurate and can make a better decision about the readings.
Otherwise, you are just guessing with the test kit.

Good current/CO2 can help also.
I'd not rely so much on the sediment for nutrients, and add less, not more light.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Tom Barr]

Certainly I bring СО2. This integral condition for the maintenance of water plants.

ADA AS can play with the measurement of CO2.
Be careful if you use the pH/KH chart, it does not apply well to ADA AS aquariums.

I still think too much light, not enough water column nutrients are more common here.
If the light is reduced, the CO2 demand will decrease as will any nutrient issue.

Try that.
Then tweak the CO2 up progressively and slowly, then add KNO3/KH2PO4.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Bozhkov]

ADA supplies ferts to the roots and leaches some in the water column. You may want to dry dose N, P, and K as well to the water column.

It is interesting, if it is harmful to system why ADA does not use K2SO4? I have a possibility to prepare fertilizer of any structure independently. So I also did in pregoing aquariums. And with purchase Aqua Soil Amazonia has decided to take advantage of that the manufacturer of a ground advises.

 

[Bozhkov]

Big to you thanks! I thought all these reasons, but did not dare to make with it experiments because ADA it does not recommend. I will try. Once again thanks, you have very much helped!

 

[Philosophos]

Every nutrient in the column tends to be lacking with ADA fertilizers. You'd probably need to dose brighty K at its maximum dose on the bottle not to have issues, especially at your high level of light. Even so, your N and P are far more lacking.

As Tom is saying, your level of light is very high. It's very hard to get enough CO2 into a tank that well lit without killing the fish. Reducing the light will probably fix your problems. Most people also use too little CO2 or add it inefficiently until they take the time to pay close attention to it.

ADA quite likely derives its K+ in Brighty K from K2SO4. Pfertz and Seachem definitely do. It's a very common compound to use.

 

[Bozhkov]

Thank you very much. I will necessarily reduce illumination and I will start to bring N, P.

 

[Tom Barr]

Big to you thanks! I thought all these reasons, but did not dare to make with it experiments because ADA it does not recommend. I will try. Once again thanks, you have very much helped!

They also suggest you buy 100% ADA and follow all their advice, you buy more of their products that way, like a new Car dealer telling you that you must come to their dealership for all work/repairs for a high cost.
This does not mean we do not get quality repair and maintanance from private non dealership auto mechanics are a cheaper rate.

Folkls have been growing nice planted tanks without using their products for decades.
Their system is more based around using low light, sediment based ferts + CO2.
With low light, sediments are easier as the primary source for nutrients since many forget to dose or think excess = algae.

This solves two issues at once for ADA. Dupla use to claim you had to use their entire system as well, or failure was likely occur.

Neither is the case.

Regards,
Tom Barr