best plant food for Anubias plants

[Aquaboogie]

PLEASE forgive me if this is posted somewhere here.

But even though my water is good. My neon and cardinal tetras are VERY happy and growing, lighting is good. I'm still having trouble keeping my Anubias looking good. I'm either putting too much plant food in the tank weekly, or not enough. What plant food you all suggest and how much dosages a week?

It's a 40 gallon aquarium. temp is at 80/83 degrees

[bs6749]

Anubias should do well with low light levels and live with waste produced from fish/decaying food in the tank...I never use plant food for mine and it's grown very well.

My guess...you have it's roots under your substrate don't you? Anubias need to have most of their roots above the sand/stones and it's even better if you can get them to grow on driftwood. Try doing that and you should see improvemtent.

If it's roots aren't under your substrate then I think you may have high hopes for your plant. Generally they only produce a single new leaf every couple of weeks...they don't grow fast that's for sure. Do the plant's leaves look healthy?

[Ed13]

I have grown many anubias with the root system completely underground, including A. frazeri and A congensis(the root system ended up with 1/2 of the tank). I actualy thought they grew better this way, as long as they are not crushed and that the rhyzome is exposed.
Seeing as they need little food(some potassium and iron is all they need) and little light, maybe you problem is elsewhere. You don't really mention what is wrong with them, what is your set up or when you got them. It could be possible you got some growm emerged and are only starting to adapt.

[Aquaboogie]

I have the roots on driftwood..on one of them the roots are inside of a small, but yet OPEN hole inside a rock. none of the roots are burried.

Slowly the leaves turn dark brown.

I took the water in for testing and the levels on everything is fine. I took samples of water to 2 different stores just to be sure.

I did buy a bottle of potassium

[Ed13]

Slowly the leaves turn dark brown.

But are they sprouting new dark leafs? And how long do the leafs last before turning brown?

[Aquaboogie]

But are they sprouting new dark leafs? And how long do the leafs last before turning brown?

1. Yes, they are growing regular and dark green leafs.

2. leafs start slowly turning brown after a few weeks, very very slowly

[Aquaboogie]

During my lunch break at work, I went home and took one plant off the driftwood and took it to my local fish store, which has BEAUTIFUL large discus. They saw what I was talking about. The leafs have some kind of bateria on them. And they gave me some liquid packets that should rid the bateria in about 3 days with no harm to the aquarium.........

Thanks still! as I will have more questions in the future.

[ewok]

During my lunch break at work, I went home and took one plant off the driftwood and took it to my local fish store, which has BEAUTIFUL large discus. They saw what I was talking about. The leafs have some kind of bateria on them. And they gave me some liquid packets that should rid the bateria in about 3 days with no harm to the aquarium.........

Thanks still! as I will have more questions in the future.

i know what you are talking about... there is this black/brownish fuzz that covers the leaves. at first i thought it was algae, but the algaecide does not work and despite keeping up with regular water changes this stuff will not go. i am convinced it's some kind of disease...
what did you get from your lfs if you don't mind sharing?

[Wahter]

Post some photos and let us see what's growing on the plants.

Thanks,



Walter

[Aquaboogie]

i know what you are talking about... there is this black/brownish fuzz that covers the leaves. at first i thought it was algae, but the algaecide does not work and despite keeping up with regular water changes this stuff will not go. i am convinced it's some kind of disease...
what did you get from your lfs if you don't mind sharing?

It WAS black brownish with a odd texture to them. But after two days of trestment, I took a sponge and rubbed the dead bateria right off the leafs.
now the tanks is back to normal.
But this weekend, i'll post before and after pics to show you all what i'm talking about. photo bucket right?

[Apistomaster]

It is not that unusual to have to wait for these plants to slowly replace the original leaves grown in your aquarium, their new environment.
Like Ed, I have seen Anubias Plants grow extremely well with most of their roots but not their crown planted in substrate. That is the only way I have actually seen them produce blooms.
That said, Anubias are not particularly well adapted to growing in sand/gravel substrates or extracting their nourishment from them. They are by nature, a plant that grows anchored to wood or rock in the immediate vicinity of water fall sprays rather than continously submerged.
They are particularly well adapted to low nutrient environments. These adaptations make using fertilizers of low importance. They will use the supplements in direct proportion to their growth rates. The growth rate of newly purchased, small specimens, is always slow compared to most aquatic plants or very large, well established Anubias. Given enough time and suitable anchoring substrate, Anubias spp form a very large plant with a large rhizome.

Your LFS sounds like they think using an antibiotic will help solve the "black stuff on your leaves problem." They are mistaken. Personally, I wait this out and allow new growth to replace the old then prune to ugly leaves. I have an obsessed friend who regularly uproots his Anubias plants from his gravel/sand and dips them in a weak bleach and water solution. He has some kind of "algae-phobia". That alone is a clue that the substrate is of little import except to anchor these plants.
I don't do that but then again his Anubias plants regularly bloom, mine never have. He just gave me a handful of small Anubias plants taken from some of his larger specimens but I have never had extras to spare. BTW, I took all these small plants and gently stapled them to a large piece of Malaysian drift wood and they are taking off well. A few heavy duty staples works better for me than other popular attachment methods. Just don't crush the rhizomes with the staples. The staples will eventually rust harmlessly away.

[Ed13]

I also think your LFS is mistaken. What you seem to describe sounds like the plant is just shedding its emerged grown leaves and sprouting new ones.

[CARY_GLdiscus]

I'll agree with the non-bacteria thing. There are a couple of VERY wierd things i've seen with annubias sp. that COULD be bacterial in basis, but w/o seeing what you're working with i highly doubt that the anti-biotics will be of much help. Again as stated above descriptions pictures will be very helpful.


They will use the supplements in direct proportion to their growth rates. The growth rate of newly purchased, small specimens, is always slow compared to most aquatic plants or very large, well established Anubias.

Apistomaster - you're very close to the mark on this, but i'd disagree a little bit. Growth rates will be determined by available nutrient load, lighting and co2 balance. The reason large established annubias seem to grow faster than new small colony's is because of the ammount of locations for growth to occur - its an exponential thing - but the actual rate of production of leaves per inch of rhizome should be fairly consistent between small colony's vs large colony's. Of coruse there is always a little lag time upon initial introduction that growth will 'stall' because of the transplant, but this holds true for aquatic and non-aquatic species across the baord.

Balance your nutrient load, lighting, and co2 levels and you'll see your grownt explode. You can make small 'nicks' w/ a razor blade in the solid part of the rhizome to promote new growth. Think of it as just a outer skin scar - this location will sprout a new branch at that spot.




1. Yes, they are growing regular and dark green leafs.

2. leafs start slowly turning brown after a few weeks, very very slowly

#1 - how often do you see a new leaf?

#2 are the leafs that start turning slowly brown those that were on the plant initally or those that have grown for you under your aquarium conditions? If its the latter, i suspect some kind of predation or other issue.


HTH

[Aquaboogie]

#1 - how often do you see a new leaf?

#2 are the leafs that start turning slowly brown those that were on the plant initally or those that have grown for you under your aquarium conditions? If its the latter, i suspect some kind of predation or other issue.
HTH

I see a new leaf almost every 3rd week, since I placed the roots on driftwood and a big hole in one lava rock.

the big leafs started browning a few weeks after placed in the tank.
new leafs start browning right when they start to really bloom...
i'll attempt to post pics tonight

[Aquaboogie]

ok here goes...Before

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1751.jpg?t=1216476632
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1757.jpg?t=1216476701
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1755.jpg?t=1216476743

Here's the plants NOW, after 4 days of the treatment, following the instructions, and wiping the dead bateria(i hope) off the leafs with a sponge.

Of coarse, advice and comments on my 40 gallon aquarium are welcomed.
No CO2
Live plants
driftwood
Lava Rock
Ceramic air tube.
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1767.jpg?t=1216477059
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1761.jpg?t=1216477107
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1769.jpg?t=1216477148
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m449/acmad_72/PICT1770.jpg?t=1216477191

[bs6749]

A general FYI to everyone is that some antibiotics are also useful for clearing up algae which is what it looks like to me in the first picture.

[Aquaboogie]

A general FYI to everyone is that some antibiotics are also useful for clearing up algae which is what it looks like to me in the first picture.


What's strange is, if that's algae, the glass, water, and rocks are so trouble free of algae. water is clear and warm "discus ready" and Ph and such are all fine, when I get the water tested at the local store.

[Wahter]

What's strange is, if that's algae, the glass, water, and rocks are so trouble free of algae. water is clear and warm "discus ready" and Ph and such are all fine, when I get the water tested at the local store.

Looks like algae to me. You keep saying the water is fine, but let me ask you what type of water test at a LFS would reveal algae? :) Different types of algae will grow differently and on different surfaces. Some of them like the brown silicate/ diatom kind are easy to wipe off surfaces (otocinclus love to eat this type). You haven't mentioned that this is on your driftwood too.

Keep in mind the leaves are driftwood are facing the light for hours a day with little movement.

HTH,



Walter

[Aquaboogie]

Looks like algae to me. You keep saying the water is fine, but let me ask you what type of water test at a LFS would reveal algae? :) Different types of algae will grow differently and on different surfaces. Some of them like the brown silicate/ diatom kind are easy to wipe off surfaces (otocinclus love to eat this type). You haven't mentioned that this is on your driftwood too. Keep in mind the leaves are driftwood are facing the light for hours a day with little movement. HTH, Walter

Thanks..........From the looks of my driftwood, it seems ok. I never had to clean or wipe of algae from the driftwood.

What do I need to do in this situation? Thanks in advance...

[alan j t]

my anubias had the samething
i tried squirting flourish excel on the leaves and watered down bleach baths
it took out the algea away, but always came back
i dipped the anubias leaves in peroxide for 15 seconds and the algea never came back
i thought it was bba on my anubias leaves but was never sure

[Aquaboogie]

my anubias had the samething
i tried squirting flourish excel on the leaves and watered down bleach baths
it took out the algea away, but always came back
i dipped the anubias leaves in peroxide for 15 seconds and the algea never came back
i thought it was bba on my anubias leaves but was never sure

hydrogen peroxide?

[Apistomaster]

Quoting Aquaboogie,
"hydrogen peroxide?
Hi Aquaboogie,
Hydrogen peroxide off the pharmacy shelve is a mild bleaching and disinfectant and a viable alternative to household bleach solutions as a dip for killing black brush algae or other pesky algae that seem to like Anubias leaves as a substrate.
It can be used to temporarily increase the redox potential of aquarium water but that is both a different subject and something best not tried unless you know exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

Cyanobacteria can be killed by some antibiotics. I discourage using antibiotics unless the treatment is carried out in a separate container. No sense in exposing healthy aquariums to them since the drugs used in aquariums do not discriminate between the beneficial bacteria and the noxious ones. The results take longer and antibiotics are so much more expensive than any of the very effective OTC disinfecting oxidizers like Potassium permanganate, Sodium hypochlorite or Hydrogen peroxide.