# Fuzzy Plants



## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

Hello Everyone;
I am relatively new to planted tanks, I have had this one for about 2 months.
There is a mix of mosses and plants, I have some fanwort that is growing like crazy, however, there are 2 java ferns and an amazon sword that are getting a little fuzzy.
The sword has a fuzz on it, however, it is still green. 
The java ferns have the same fuzz, however, the leaves have black spots on them that seem to be getting bigger.
From my reading, I think it may be a lack of Nitrate in my water. The Ammonia and Nitrite are measured at 0 ppm. Water ph is about 6.6, and GH around 9 and KH around 3. It is a 35G tank, I am using the Marineland planted tank LED lights. The lights are on for 9 hours per day. I am injecting CO2 at the rate of 1bps. I am in the process of buying a proper drop checker to check the CO2 concentration. I dose with big als plant supplement twice per week, and I am doing weekly water changes.
Right now the temperature is up at 84 while I battle an Ich outbreak. I have the filter carbon out while I dose the ich cure. Some pictures are attached, any info would be helpful, thanks.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

The fuzziness is algae that is growing on the edges of your leaves, indicating that there is an imbalance between light/CO2/nutrients.

What is your nitrate level at?


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## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

It looks like the Nitrate level is betreen 10 and 20ppm from the API test.

I also got the CO2 indicator working, its showing the CO2 is low.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

yyzAndy said:


> It looks like the Nitrate level is betreen 10 and 20ppm from the API test.
> 
> I also got the CO2 indicator working, its showing the CO2 is low.


I would try to increase the CO2 level then.

I assume you are using a 4 dKH reference solution in your drop checker? How much CO2 is it showing you have, approximately?


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## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

This is the kit I bought:

http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Watercare/Additives---Supplements/A7551

Its pretty basic, and there is no reference to the content of the solution in the bottle. They just call co2 indicator liquid.

Right now the indicator is still blue, I imagine it will take a while for the increase to indicate. I upped the bubble rate to 2-3 per second.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

The solution in the bottle is bromothymol blue, an indicator solution.

I assume the instructions require you to add a few drops of the solution to aquarium (or tap water)?

If so, this is incorrect, and you should be using 4 dkH reference solution (the former may give skewed CO2 results).


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## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

It just takes straight solution, no aquarium water,b or drops to add to the tank.

I imagine that putting the correct reference solution in that bulb would yield the correct indication.

If that's the case I will pick some up..

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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

yyzAndy said:


> It just takes straight solution, no aquarium water,b or drops to add to the tank.
> 
> I imagine that putting the correct reference solution in that bulb would yield the correct indication.
> 
> ...


　I am not sure what kind of instructions your drop checker came with then; unless the solution that they provide is already a 4 dkH reference solution with bromothymol blue in it?


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## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

Darkblade48 said:


> I am not sure what kind of instructions your drop checker came with then; unless the solution that they provide is already a 4 dkH reference solution with bromothymol blue in it?


There is no documentation or labelling to indicate exactly how this bulb works. Or the compisition of the indicator solution. It did state that the solution would have to be changed every 2-4 weeks.

On another note. This morning was water change day, prior to the change, the bulb was green (good CO2), and something was happening that I never noticed before, there were streams of bubbles coming from a couple of plant....photosynthesis taking place I think!

The pre change water measurements:

Nitrate 10-20ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Ammonia 0 ppm
Ph 6.2

Post change the bulb turned back to blue, however, it seems like it is changing back to green (blue low CO2, green good CO2, yellow bad CO2)

This is the picture that I took, I dont think the camera does the slight color hues any justice.

I will keep an eye on the algae with the increased CO2, and see what happens.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

yyzAndy said:


> There is no documentation or labelling to indicate exactly how this bulb works. Or the compisition of the indicator solution. It did state that the solution would have to be changed every 2-4 weeks.
> 
> On another note. This morning was water change day, prior to the change, the bulb was green (good CO2), and something was happening that I never noticed before, there were streams of bubbles coming from a couple of plant....photosynthesis taking place I think!
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, I am not sure what is in the Fluval CO2 drop checker solution.

I am betting at least bromothymol blue, since there is a colour change indicative of pH change (i.e. CO2 is being dissolved).

However, whether they used distilled water, tap water, or 4 dkH water remains unknown.

It is better to use 4 dkH reference solution as there are no other components in the water that can skew the pH/kH/CO2 relationship.

However, keep monitoring your plants and manually remove the algae as needed. You will have to be patient, as changes in plant health will usually take 1-2 weeks (or longer) before they manifest themselves.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Those streams of bubbles are known as 'pearling'. It's literally oxygen gas being produced by the plant and it means the plant's metabolism is in high gear.

So long as a plant is alive and has light, photosynthesis takes place for at least some portion of the lighted part of the day, to produce energy so the plant can survive and grow. 

In water plants, you'll see pearling when a plant is getting everything it needs at optimal levels, and as a result it produces more oxygen, which is a byproduct of photosynthesis. That's how we get oxygen to breathe.. from the trees and plants all over the planet. 

So pearling is more a sign that the plant is functioning at a high or near optimum level. And this often requires the addition of C02 to an aquarium, because Carbon is the one element most lacking in water, so it often is the one that, when added in the right amounts, makes the biggest difference to the way plants grow.


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## yyzAndy (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks for the info Anthony and Fishfur.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. Just a little experiment, I am going to find a bulb and 4dkH solution, and see how the fluval and the bulb readings compare.

I will post some photos when I get the equipment.

Andy


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