Pogostemon helferi illness

[adrideh]

Short story :
I was sick a couple of weeks ago. So no one taking care of my tank at that time. My downoi suddenly become ill like the photo above. I've tried to raise the dose of KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, but didn't show good result.
My friend said that vitamin B1 can prevent stress on terrestrial plants. So I tried to give it into the tank, and no results.
and the other suplement is booster bacteria that used to raise production for farming. and yeah, no results.

I'm getting hopeless now

Spec :
Dimension : 60x30x35cm
Substrate : Malang Sand (contains the majority of Mg and Fe, made for bonsai growing media), DIY based fertz, NISSO Soil, Silica sand
CO2 : 2bps
Lighting : 23w x 4 tornado tube
Liquid fertz : DIY Macro nutrient = +/-20ppm; Micro nutrient = +/-10ppm
(i've tried to give dry dose, but can't measure the right portion, so i get back to make my own liquid)
Macro Nutrient (concentration in 1ml, i'm using 10ml) :
My friend's calculator
NO3 - 0.245313364 ppm
PO4 - 0.020936397 ppm
K - 0.271002178 ppm
Mg - 0.009861017 ppm

Web calculator (1ml)
NO3 - 0,99 ppm
PO4 - 0,1 ppm
K - 2,78 ppm
MgSO4 - 0,5 ppm

Water parameter : GH = 2; KH = 0-1

oops, sorry..forgot something..today i give it a DIY root fertz using AMAZONIA II as a mixer (contains KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, and Na2EDTA)..dont know what will happen..

kinda funny btw, when i had a flashback, the question arises "what did i do?"..hahaha

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

You seem to have a great deal of light. 4 tubes? How large is the tank in gals please?

I would look to your c02 and flow. Overall filter maintenance as well. Fairly easy to rule out macro/micros with EI and your substrate....You may want to investigate a gh booster....

So, what is left? Light and c02....

So, you may have more light than you can provide c02 for. Light drives plant growth and subsequent c02 and nutrient demand...

How do you diffuse your c02? What type of flow/filters do you have?

 

[ibanezfrelon]

Light overkill...
4x23w over 15gal...

 

[adrideh]

i'm using eheim 2217 with boyu inline difusser...

 

[dbazuin]

My experience with those plants is that they need lots of traces. When I decrease the dose they start doing badly.
And also your GH and KH seems very low. As Gerry wrote a GH booster should be a good start.

They are doing fine here on a totally empty substrate, they are growing here in just plain sand. Sow I don't think the DIY root fert will make any difference.
They just take everything out of your water.

How much mg/l is 2 bps CO2?

And I agree with the light, you have way to much.

Greetings Dirk

 

[adrideh]

thanks for the advice guys..but i think my lighting is fine as long as i can supplies more CO2..
so i'll try to raise my CO2 first..and raise KNO3..
btw, this is the reason why i'm using bigger filter..

anyway, i have another 60cm, using PL 36w x 2 + T8 18w x 2 with EHEIM 2015 and simple CO2 atomizer..every other stems were healthy..but not Downoi..

i'm still guessing that CO2 and lighting is not my problem..but nutrient is..don't know which element..

 

[dbazuin]

Best is getting a CO2 tester. Dennerel sells a very good one.
Then you can increase the bubbles until you reach 40 mg/l

I still think the light is yo high. If you calculate the watt/gallon ratio your in the range of 6. I know that for smaller tanks it is different but for example I have 90 gallon tank with only 2,6 and the lamps are hanging 10 inch above the surface.

 

[adrideh]

Best is getting a CO2 tester. Dennerel sells a very good one.
Then you can increase the bubbles until you reach 40 mg/l

I still think the light is yo high. If you calculate the watt/gallon ratio your in the range of 6. I know that for smaller tanks it is different but for example I have 90 gallon tank with only 2,6 and the lamps are hanging 10 inch above the surface.

thanks for the advice..

i changed the water, then i raised CO2 and KNO3..and in the same time, i plant another healthy downoi from another tank to know if my substrate is the problem.

about the lighting, i still don't understand what lumens means if it's for water lighting, cuz i still believed that PL or T8 or even MH have the highest penetration for water, but not the tornado bulb that i'm using..CMIIW

(sorry, i'm only using my eyes as a PAR meter..dun hav de money.. )

 

[Tom Barr]

Use 1/2 the light you now have.

I have a large amount of this plant at 1.5 w/gal, like 100+ plants growing well.........
The distance is over 1 meter from the light to the plants also.

It is very much a low light plant.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[dbazuin]

I have 240 watt HQ light (2.66 watt a gallon) thats is about 90 cm from the plants (35,4 inch) and the doing great.

 

[adrideh]

i changed the lighting house..much more brighter than the old one (with the same bulb)..raised the CO2 and KNO3..new tip have new shoots are growing with a light green color..thanks guys!