Recognizing Deficiencies

CrashSmAshley

New Member
Found an interesting picture showing the typical signs noticed for certain deficiencies on most plants.

3591814040_bc03c264a5_o.jpg
 

Lilydog

New Member
Another advantage of soil is that all the organics in it make for a trace element synch. Soil tanks do not need fertilizers or trace elements added becouse of this. You can grow swordplants in 1watt/gallon light this way. The only problem is you will have too many plant spikes to grow all the plants. With the marine substrate under the gravel there is also a lot of locked carbon the plants take in roots too so less dissolved carbon is need in tank from co2.
 
This is an old post, but it is stickied, so I'll add links to where I've found this picture discussed elsewhere:

The original post by the creator, Zapins, who I've noticed seems to have quite the reputation as a plant deficiency expert:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... agram.html

A thread asking about the picture months later:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showt ... hp?t=98529

The plantedtank.net thread ends with a classic Tom Barr post admonishing people to stop worrying about individual nutrients and just fertilize every nutrient (is easy and cheap), and that it is getting CO2 right that is hard. :)
 
I like this diagram as well, because it divides the deficiencies whether you're using CO2 or not.
 

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Chiisai

New Member
How about sword ferns loosing most of the actual leaves only leaving skeletons? Im have that issue in 2 tanks. New leaves sprouting but they are a bit more pale
 

Seattle_Aquarist

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

Just a comment so folks don't get mislead. Sometimes a deficiency is caused by insufficient levels of a nutrient. However, sometimes deficiencies are caused by an excess of another nutrient that inhibits intake of a nutrient. Also, with iron for example, a deficiency is caused by dosing the incorrect type of iron (EDTA, DTPA; EDDHA; ferrous gluconate; HEDTA) for the pH of a tank with makes the iron unavailable to the plant. Don't always assume a deficiency is caused by a insufficient level of a suspected nutrient. Check out Mulder's Chart of Nutrient Interactions for more information https://www.nutriag.com/mulderschart/ -Roy
 
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