Dwarf hairgrass turning white

[JadeButterfly]

Hey all.

I recently started my dwarf hairgrass turning white...I thought it wasn't a big deal until it started to spread.

This started when I added some driftwood into the tank...I initially thought it may have been the driftwood blocking out the lights, but now there are areas where there is obvious light and the hairgrass is still turning white, and areas where the driftwood is blocking the light and the hairgrass is still healthy.

So what can be causing this? I dose EI...so I know I have high NO3/PO4 and CO2 have always been quite high in the tank (no algae)...and I dose 10ml TMG every other day...

I can't confirm if the hairgrass is dying or if the new growth is white...but have anyone experience this?

oh, and I have been growing hairgrass for almost 4months with no problem, good growth, always green, and algae free (thx to EI)...the hairgrass that is turning white is only a small fraction of all the hairgrass I have...but it's growing.

thanks for any feedbacks!

 

[defdac]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Sounds like nitrogen deficiency.

If you only dose TMG with EI (large weekly waterchanges) and you have high nitrates, it's probably organic nitrogen not available to the plants.

Get KNO3 and KH2PO4 to combine with TMG and you will not have to depend upon mineralization-rates in the substrate to convert the organic nitrate to inorganic nitrate.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

The wood could have screwed up your CO2 if you assumed the KH was the same or pH, wood can sometime lower these and make you think the CO2 is higher than it is.

Otherwise, NO3, but that's sort of rare with hairgrass to the point it will turn white.

CO2, add more.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[JadeButterfly]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Okay I'll look into CO2...
Today I'm noticing a little fuzz algae growing on the driftwood, plants are still algae free, so it should be CO2.

 

[chubasco]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Maybe something gave it a terrible fright, causing it to turn white

Bill

 

[chubasco]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Well, it's not etiolation otherwise you could have a nice underwater
mushroom farm If you are faithfully dosing macros/micros as set forth by EI, and you have plenty of light, only thing left, like Tom said: CO2.

Bill

ps sorry for the post above, couldn't help it

 

[fosteder]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

It's definitely not a light problem. I have dwarf hairgrass that has spread under a rock cave (no direct light), and it grows just fine. It needs very little light to flourish.

 

[JadeButterfly]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Update:

I've removed the wood outta my tank temporarily until my dwarf hairgrass revives.

I found a lot of my hairgrass dead...and I can only come up with one reason...

The areas where the hairgrass is dead are areas that the hairgrass isn't rooted properly. The only reason for this is when I was uprooting the glossos...it must have uprooted the hairgrass...

so now I have removed most of the dead hairgrass (lots of holes in my carpet), also cut down all my hairgrass by one inch...

Hopefully this is the reason and that the holes will be carpeted soon.

 

[freemann]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

Could it be iron deficiency?
Even with what you add.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Dwarf hairgrass turning white

It is CO2, there is simply not enough.

I've been down this road dozens of times.
If the KNO3/KH2PO4, and traceas are added, and that is easy to rule out........what is left?

You can chase all these nutrients and suspect this or that, but until the CO2 is cranked up, the nutrients will not mean as much.

This is an easy plant to grow truthfully.
It grows equally well in ADA soil, Onyx, Sand, Kitty litter etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr