Plant Necrosis

kizwan

Member
Aug 17, 2019
115
8
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45
Kedah, Malaysia
Hello,

I need help in determining what could be causing the plants to deteriorated. The plant is Ludwigia sp. 'Dark Orange'. The leaves damaged. I have increased water change but it does not improve. I also have stopped ferts but it only makes things worse. I also have tried increased dosing but that doesn't work as well. For each try (stop / increase dosing), I tried almost a month.
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Mooner

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2006
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Colorado
I need help in determining what could be causing the plants to deteriorated. The plant is Ludwigia sp. 'Dark Orange'. The leaves damaged. I have increased water change but it does not improve. I also have stopped ferts but it only makes things worse. I also have tried increased dosing but that doesn't work as well. For each try (stop / increase dosing), I tried almost a month.[/QUOTE

Can you provide full tank specs so members may try to help.
 

kizwan

Member
Aug 17, 2019
115
8
18
45
Kedah, Malaysia
I have corrected the problem. I found an old thread which have similar problem with mine. In that thread Tom Barr advised the thread starter to do deep vacuum of the soil. The thread starter have same main issue with mine where plants failed to developed heathy root. Basically, if I understand correctly there's too many organic matter that causing anaerobic condition in the soil. So the organic carbon is eaten up by bacteria under very reducing conditions (no O2). Without new source of O2, it only getting worst. I did open a thread here before asking whether I can use H2O2 to help oxygenated the soil. On the bright side, I learned Bacopa Caroliniana love ammonia as nitrogen source while Ludwigia sp. 'Dark Orange' prefer nitrate. Other than failed to root, Bacopa Caroliniana are healthy. Can not say the same thing with Ludwigia which the leaves develop necrosis & eventually died when I stop ferts.

Right now, after cleaning the soil more than a week ago, the plants are now growing well.

Just a summary; the tank was fully rescape without removing the soil. So the old soil, mixed with organic matter after over one year using it, unfortunately causing anaerobic conditions because there's no healthy root to oxygenated the soil. The bacteria that eats organic carbon require oxygen. So it only progressively getting worst.
 
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Tankforlife

New Member
Dec 22, 2020
7
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Singapore
Hi Kizwan, may I know how you clean or deep vacuum the soil?

Can’t we just insert some oxygen tab into the soil? Or are u saying we have to remove these bad bacteria?

I’m having issues with AS deep substrate (about 5cm job volcanic minerals and top with 10cm ada soil). Tank is 30G about 5 months old with poor lower stem (maybe necrosis) and twisted Macandras and stunting. Dosing EI daily but nitrate is always just around 5ppm. Thank you
 

kizwan

Member
Aug 17, 2019
115
8
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45
Kedah, Malaysia
I lack proper equipment to do deep vacuum, so I improvised. I use a fish net & a big bucket with dechlorinated water. I removed all of the plants & put them in another bucket with dechlorinated water.

I stirred the soil little bit & using the fish net, I scoop the soil & dump in the big bucket with dechlorinated water. After cleaning the tank, I put a thin layer of organic soil. I have root tabs (osmocote) but not impress with the performance. I repeat the process, to add back the soil into the tank. Fill the tank with dechlorinated water & replanted the plants. Plants look awful but still can get new growth from it. I also planted new cutting from other tank to help "re-populate" this tank.

Same here. I even bombarded the tank with fertilizer everyday for a month & nitrate is non existence. When you disturbed the soil, did you get bubbles coming from the soil? Unless the soil is new (trapped air in new soil), that show the soil is anaerobic.
 

kizwan

Member
Aug 17, 2019
115
8
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45
Kedah, Malaysia
Just FYI, the failed or poor root growth have to do with metal toxicity. I stopped micro dosing for two weeks (three >50% water change in two weeks) & after two weeks resume micro dosing with just small amount once a week; Seachem Flourish (1 ml). In addition to Ferrous Gluconate in Seachem Flourish, I also dose Iron (DTPA Fe 11%) with just 0.15 ppm per week. After I did this, root started to grow white & healthy.