Uneven Growth in a 10 Gallon

[csmith]

I have 2 amazon swords and 2 ozelot swords (with chain swords mixed in), one of each on the left and right side in a 10 gallon tank. With much help from the good people of this forum, I've managed to get a handle on algae and increase growth like crazy. My only issue now is one side of my tank is doing far better than the other, and I don't understand why. The 2 swords on the left side are doing far better in terms of overall growth than the swords on the right.
To the naked eye, and to a little bit of logical thinking, the flow would seem to be the same to each side. In fact, I actually removed a rock from the left side because I thought it was hindering flow on that side even though the growth was better. I've got a 150 GPH filter centered in the tank, and a mini-jet 404 diffusing my Co2 actually sitting closer to the weaker side of growth. The pearling on the shorter side is a lot better than that of the opposite side, and yet the smaller growth persists. Any suggestions as to what may be causing this unbalanced growth?

Right side.

Left side.

Secondary question: Check out the leaf on the amazon sword in the second picture, it's got brownish spots all over it. All of the older leaves on my swords (both amazon and ozelot) have this going on. What is it?

 

[hani]

4 amazon plants in 10g tank will be defficult to get good growth, the tank is too small for that, you might get away with 1.
what are you using for fert?

 

[shoggoth43]

Most likely carbon deficiency. What are you doing for supplementation? Excel? CO2? Once you get them going swords will eat pretty much anything you can throw at them. The left side may simply have a better root structure allowing it to get more resources overall.

-
S

 

[csmith]

what are you using for fert?

Seachem products for now. 4 mL N, 6 mL P and 6 mL K on Sun, Tues, Thurs. 2 mL Fe, 1 mL Flourish and 2.5 mL Trace (just to get rid of it) Mon, Wed, and Fri. I'll be dosing my own stock solutions later. This dosing regimen has given me explosive growth thus far. Compare the first picture above to the picture in post 3 here.

Most likely carbon deficiency. What are you doing for supplementation? Excel? CO2? Once you get them going swords will eat pretty much anything you can throw at them. The left side may simply have a better root structure allowing it to get more resources overall.

I use both, actually. In picture 1 and 2 above the tube for my DIY Co2 runs under the mini jet-404. The pump has enough power to move the water from the front of the tank, around the glass and to the back. I also dose 2 mL Excel daily, but mainly for algae. It's weird to think one side could have a better root structure, they started off nearly the same size and have been established for months.

 

[aquabillpers]

Light is the most important driver of plant growth. All else is secondary.

I'd bet that one side of your tank gets more or better light than the other.

Bill

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

Could it be that the powerhead on the left is actually distributing more flow/c02 to the right side of the tank? Current is funny in a tank and it can bounce off anything, including plants.

Those are big plants for a 10 gal and they will block a lot of flow. Over time, the one side had an advantage, outgrew it's companions, and now you see the end result.

 

[Biollante]

Crazy-Make-Me's

Hi,

I am going to echo what others have said. When it comes to plant competition, it is amazing what small differences can end up in very large differences. It is part of what makes me crazy, just as you think you “know” something it turns out some incredibly small variable I had not accounted for may have skewed the result. It is a “crazy-make-me.”

One small detail in addition to the others mentioned, from the photographs it appears that you may have planted the plants a bit deep.

Others have commented as well, the plants you have in that ten-gallon would overwhelm an 80 or 100-gallon tanks, Echinodorus amazonicus are monsters, proverbial tank busters, Echinodorus 'Ozelot' are not much better.

Echinodorus in general are nutrient hogs, including Echinodorus tenellus.

I find it hard to believe that the water in a 10-gallon tank would not be somewhat hazy if you were dosing high enough to satisfy that group.

While I do not wish to anger anyone by suggesting, I or anyone else can recognize nutrient deficiency, which is what I see.

Granted that has given your dosing regimen has given you explosive growth, but as the plant mass increases so do the nutrient (micro and macro) requirement.

Biollante

 

[csmith]

Thank you all for the suggestions.

Light is the most important driver of plant growth. All else is secondary.

I'd bet that one side of your tank gets more or better light than the other.

Bill

I can't tell other than by eyeballing it (which I know doesn't work), but it seems even. I will keep an eye on that, though.

Could it be that the powerhead on the left is actually distributing more flow/c02 to the right side of the tank? Current is funny in a tank and it can bounce off anything, including plants.

Those are big plants for a 10 gal and they will block a lot of flow. Over time, the one side had an advantage, outgrew it's companions, and now you see the end result.

I didn't think of that, either. I'll be moving some stuff around sometime soon, and I'll try to even it up as much as possible.

Hi,

I am going to echo what others have said. When it comes to plant competition, it is amazing what small differences can end up in very large differences. It is part of what makes me crazy, just as you think you “know” something it turns out some incredibly small variable I had not accounted for may have skewed the result. It is a “crazy-make-me.”

One small detail in addition to the others mentioned, from the photographs it appears that you may have planted the plants a bit deep.

Others have commented as well, the plants you have in that ten-gallon would overwhelm an 80 or 100-gallon tanks, Echinodorus amazonicus are monsters, proverbial tank busters, Echinodorus 'Ozelot' are not much better.

Echinodorus in general are nutrient hogs, including Echinodorus tenellus.

I find it hard to believe that the water in a 10-gallon tank would not be somewhat hazy if you were dosing high enough to satisfy that group.

While I do not wish to anger anyone by suggesting, I or anyone else can recognize nutrient deficiency, which is what I see.

Granted that has given your dosing regimen has given you explosive growth, but as the plant mass increases so do the nutrient (micro and macro) requirement.

Biollante

How deep is deep enough with these? They're in the substrate just enough that the part where the stems seperate are above the gravel.
Funny that you bring up hazy water. The water in the tank seems clear, but I've got a very oily looking surface on the water. I was contemplating getting one of those little hagen skimmers because of it. If hazier (is that a word?) is what it takes, I'll do it.
As far as a deficiency, FertFriend gave me the current dosing regimen. After checking Seachems calulator, I'll be bumping up all macros a little more. I'm also potting with osmocote plus soon.

Again, thanks to all for the help. I know these are huge/going to be huge plants. This isn't a permanent home for these guys, just the first and current one. Proper growth kind of takes precedence over tank asthetics for now, so again thanks for the responses.

 

[Biollante]

Prolific

Hi,

The planting depth for most of the swords is just below the crown, the point where the leaves spread out. For these purposes, the photos may be misleading, I really cannot tell, just the gravel looks a little higher than the crown.

In my grow out tubs I dose a couple of times EI, that 10-gallon tank qualifies as a grow out tank.

The OsmoCote Plus is a very good idea, so is heavy on the iron.

The oily surface is probably a bio-film; there is a lot of nonsense out there, a little Excel, a little surface agitation, skimming with a small cup even, if you are daring a little Hydrogen Peroxide.

Biollante