Overdosing

[Cam]

Hello everyone :0

I recently won part of a battle with cyanobacteria by dosing nitrates (salt
petre). The cyano slowly over a period of days began to recede, a few tufts
of algae have appeared on leaves since then but nothing serious. What I need
to know is when you are dosing ferts how long do you wait to see a response
in the plants. For instance, if i suspected an iron deficiency and dosed
some ferts to rectify when would I start to see an improvement in the
plants?

Also, my Valisneria is doing well, growing nice and green and sending off
runners but a few of the leaves at their tips seem to be red!!! Any ideas
what this may be? Its not an algae, it seems to appear on another plant that
has ok green growth but then in the middle of the green theres a red rusty
patch! Any ideas?

I am dosing ferts (kent), Nitrates are between 5-10ppm, CO2, pottassium
chloride, lights are 2 15 watt bulbs over a ten gallon tank.

--
Kind Regards
Cameron McNeill
RS&E Graphics Dept.

[[email protected]]

"Cam" > wrote in message >...
> Hello everyone :0
>
> I recently won part of a battle with cyanobacteria by dosing nitrates (salt
> petre). The cyano slowly over a period of days began to recede, a few tufts
> of algae have appeared on leaves since then but nothing serious. What I need
> to know is when you are dosing ferts how long do you wait to see a response
> in the plants. For instance, if i suspected an iron deficiency and dosed
> some ferts to rectify when would I start to see an improvement in the
> plants?
>
> Also, my Valisneria is doing well, growing nice and green and sending off
> runners but a few of the leaves at their tips seem to be red!!! Any ideas
> what this may be? Its not an algae, it seems to appear on another plant that
> has ok green growth but then in the middle of the green theres a red rusty
> patch! Any ideas?
>
> I am dosing ferts (kent), Nitrates are between 5-10ppm, CO2, pottassium
> chloride, lights are 2 15 watt bulbs over a ten gallon tank.

You want to approach it step wise.

See if the light is good, 3w/gal over a 10gal is enough. Check
See if the CO2 is good for the ENTIRE time the lights are on(20-30ppm)
Check?
Recheck it. Folks often mess this one up.
How sure are you of the NO3 reading?
Test kit brand?
You can likely estimate the NO3 through dosing vs the test kit. Even a
60+$ Lamott test kit is tough to get closer than 1-2 ppm of NO3 in
accuracy.

K+, PO4 and traces can be dosed to slight excesses. You add K so it's
unlikely your too low, PO4?
Traces, add about 2-3mls 3x a week. Your plants will not need anymore
than this with this light intensity.
PO4, a drop of Fleet enema or a rice grain's worth 2-3x aweek.

KNO3, add about 1/8 teaspoon 2-3 x a week.
KCL, add about 1/8 terasspon after water change only.
Weekly 50% water change.

Repeat.
Main thing is make sure the CO2 is good.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[[email protected]]

> PS. What is Anthomycin? (Sp?)

Eyrthromycin or Anthocyanin?
One is an antibiotic sometimes used to treat BGA/Cyano, the other is a
pigment found in plants, like the red in an onion.

Blackout does not harm the plants. If you take care of the nutrients
also, it doesn't hurt them at all. It's only for 3 days.......folks
ship plants much longer sometimes than this and most shippers take
this long anyway, plants always show in good shape unless they get
cooked by heat or frozen solid etc.

Don't worry, plants can take a blackout no problem.
It will surprise you how well it works. It's often too disheartening
for some to not turn their tank light on for 3 days.....but just do
it.

Regards,
Tom Barr