Problems with Anubias Nana?!

[SchizotypalVamp]

So about two weeks ago I set up my first planted tank, a picotope. The lighting is sort of subdued, since, well, it's not an upraded and the 2 ADFs and Betta like it that way. It has eco-complete substrate and two independent LFSs said that I would never have to use fertilizer. I have Java moss, one bundle of bacopa from petsmart,one Anubias Nana, two staghorn java ferns, a moss ball, and a dwarf plant who's name I can't remember(blush) but is growing very well. Everything is doing fine, but the nana has some brownish stuff on and some brown spots on its leaves.http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/LokMarie/Photographs/Photographs/IMG_0826.jpg?t=1207260867 Some of its leaves are a lighter color. The lighting is most concentrated toward the back, where the nana is. The rhizome is weighed down, not physically connected to, some bogwood, and a good part of the roots are exposed, but they have found the substrate. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/LokMarie/Photographs/Photographs/IMG_0829.jpg?t=1207260937 A bunch of roots died, but now there are many new, green ones that are also finding the substrate. Any advice? I just repositioned the lighting.

[SchizotypalVamp]

Oh, and there is no problem with the undersides of the leaves, except where the holes are just starting to eat through.

[jpappy789]

The brown kinda looks like brown algae, or diatoms. Fairly common in new tanks and will disappear on their own.

[Bansart]

Hi. Anubias is a slow growing plant and stores energy through its rhizomes and I read that sometimes when theres too much being stored the plant have a hard time utilizing this energy thus causing some leaves to turn yellow and have spots or something like that. From personal experience, Its usually caused by either too much lighting, excessive fertilization, or lack of fertilization. My anubias had the same spots ans stayed there for ages wthout the leaves melting or anything. From your picture it looks like its getting too much light.

[SchizotypalVamp]

Thanks! I shifted the light away from the plant. It may be my imagination, but it already looks happier :). Will the moss ball grow in low lighting, or should I shift it toward the back?

[Bansart]

Do you have full shot of your tank? :thumbsup:

[SchizotypalVamp]

it's a little darker than this; where the moss ball is just above barely recieving lighthttp://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/LokMarie/Photographs/Photographs/IMG_0834.jpg?t=1207263955

[Bansart]

I think the moss will need a bit more light so maybe (just worried bout the bottom part dying) if you move it to the left next to the crypt when your facing your tank it may receive more light. It can tolerate different light settings even the brightest light. Hope this helps

[0live]

how do you like your pH NH3/NH4 meter? I've been thinking about getting one of those for my 55 (which is cycling now.. not having to wait 20 minutes for an ammonia test would be nice..)

good luck figuring out the lighting/plant situation.. tank looks good btw! i love the moss ball 2x the size of your betta. haha

[satanpie]

cool tank, how many watts on that?

[SchizotypalVamp]

The ammonia monitor is nice, and I've heard other people recommend them. However, both the PH monitors that him and I got seem to be out of wack. I have to do another test (rrrr) to confirm this, but his was saying 5.2 when his ph was 6.5. We bought it from the same store, could have been a bad shipment.

Thank you! :):)

[SchizotypalVamp]

rrr I want to delete this but don't know how

[SchizotypalVamp]

When I was sold it they told me to treat is as a low-light tank. Random word of caution: when I moved the light close to the water(about an inch and a half?) I noticed what looked like burns on the bacopa. Apparently they were, because they left when I moved it farther up. Rethinking this from the perspective of having common sense, it's obvious, so you prob wouldn't do it, but better safe than sorry, lol.

It comes with a 9 watt bulb. The square dimensions add up to a 3.5 gallon tank, not including the bow front, but how much water is in there when you factor out gravel, area used etc is something I don't want to do, heh. Probably does come out to somewhere near 3 watts per gallon.

And thanks:)

I moved the moss ball. Thanks, Bansart, for all your help! The Anubias leaf actually changed color back already, and the dots are fading. That's an amazing plant.

[Bansart]

No problem :). Im glad to hear your anubias is doing better. Oh by the way about the ammonia monitor. My bro and I had the same one and it was also out of wack. Thinking it was the cartridge we went ahead and bought some and replaced it and it was still out of wack. I know its a long process but nothing really beats using an actual test kit to check your parameters.

[SchizotypalVamp]

Am picking up one of those all in one test kits soon:). It's frustrating, the one thing I didn't do research on was the bottled bacteria, so I stocked the tank and the poor things have to go through the cycle. All of them seem happy, are eating well and one of the frogs shed yesterday, so I hope that they're going to be fine.