# Heelpp Yellow!



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hey guys!

So you know my 30 gallon.. I am sure there is a log threat floating around here somewhere... :3

Anywho... It was doing great for a few months now my leaves on my saggitarias (is that bushy grass...) and a dwarf sword and yellowing, leaves die off quickly as well. They dont look as full or green like before.

Should i go to Co2 now? or is there some eliment missing? I picked up a lquid fert but i dont feel its great. (i was in a pinch)

My crypts are doing well but the leaves seem to be short lived. To me it looks like the leaves get weak then are eaten....

What should i do? The tank looks like crap!


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Hmm ... usually when that happens, I do a %50 water change and dose either Tropical Master Growth or Seachem Excel or PPMD.
Unfortunately, I haven't been doing it regularly so every time I start adding ferts to mine, algae starts to grow out of hand.
CO2 will help, but if they are short on fert, CO2 can't make much of a difference.
What kind of gravels to you have? Flourite or eco complete? Most of the other kinds of gravels requires some kind of gravel nutrient injection stuff into the gravel to help with the root growth.

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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Seems to me that it maybe lacking Fe and Mn.

As Zebra suggested, 50% water change and fert.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

wtac said:


> Seems to me that it maybe lacking Fe and Mn.
> 
> As Zebra suggested, 50% water change and fert.


Well i usually do a 25% change each week and add a fert, which has already lead to a growth of hair algae.

The gravel itself has built in ferts but i couldnt give you the name as i didnt originally buy it. I do know it came from the menagerie. I have also added plant tabs..

So i should up the w/c to 50%?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If that's the case, I would do a 50% water change. From what you are describing, there is most likely a build of of other nutrients. A larger water change will dilute more of the excess and when you add the "full spec" ferts, you will not only replenish what has been depleted but add a bit of what is building up. Generally an off ratio of NO3O4 is the case. IIRC, the ratio is either 5:1 or 10:1.

If 50% water changes seem too much for your comfort level, you can do daily 25% water changes and add the appropriate amount of ferts. Don't let the algae growth stop you, of course physically remove them, as in time when you will establish a nutrient balance and the plants will out compete the algae. Once you attain balance, you can start cutting back on the water changes.

There are lots of little tricks to help keep a planted system healthy longterm w/o excess nutrient build-up. The best way is daily additions as the plants will be constantly working uptaking nutrients. Plants will stop/significantly reduce nutrient uptake when one nutrient is depleted. When you dose, they take a bit longer to "fire up" the uptake mechanism and this lag is where algae can take advantage of the replenished nutrient.

What to get, where to buy, how much to add...

PMDD (Poor Mans' Dosing Drops) Recipe:
http://www.hydroponics.com/info/aquatics/pmdd.htm
NOTE: I personally like to dose KNO3 separately and add to maintain the NO3O4 ratio. Also it's "tweakable" to suit your growth needs as, IMHO, every planted system nutrient demand is different.

HTH


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

I try to keep my NO3 at around 15ppm and my PO4 around 3-5ppm. I dose each seperately every 2 or 3rd day. Fe is dosed on the non PO4 days, trace maybe 1 time a week and excel every 2 or 3rd day or as needed.

I have both injected and non-injected CO2 aquariums. It is all about the CO2! The expense of the CO2 system is high but well worth it. Once you can control the CO2 you can play around with your fert schedule to slow down the growth of your plants or put into overdrive and have most of them grow very quickly.

Going high tech sounds like it would be harder but its not. It is actually easier; it just requires 5-10 minutes a day to check and maintain your parameters and an hour or two a week for pruning, WC etc


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

thank heavens for you guys...

Where do you usually buy your ingredients? Should i hunt out a hydroponics store?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Thanks jrs for pointing out CO2 as I forgot to add that it's one of the important parameters for overall nutrient uptake .

Most hydroponics stores will carry the various ingredients for PMDD. Look in the yellow pages for a closest one near you. You'll probably spend ~$20 for everything but it should supply your set-up for at least a year.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

I pick up my PPMD ingredients from here:
http://www.hydroponics.com/distributors/MarkhamFull.htm
That was 2 years ago and I haven't even use 1/2 of it yet.
But then again, I don't dose much anymore. After a while, my fish's waste seems to eventualy keep the tank ballance.
The only tank that is uncontrolable is my DIY CO2 injected tank. It's very unpredictable and you have to keep up with it.

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## Glouglou (Jul 11, 2007)

*Yellowing of leaves*

Most of the time low iron, leaves become brittle start on new leaves and part of the plants because it's an immobile element in the plant


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

i've been doing the bigger water changes and adding a fert... its been helping a lot....although the tank still looks raggity..

As soon as i get some extra time and funds i can play around with it more 

Thanks guys!


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## Glouglou (Jul 11, 2007)

*Sorry to high jack the thread...*

Just a remark for jrs, Your PO4 is higher that the 10:1 ratio. How it's going for you???
Personally It seem, as you, that I have better result when my NO3 is low and with higher phosphate levels, NO3 4 to 5ppm, PO4 .7 and plants seem to ask for more (elodea).... Going up slowly


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