Coriander & lettuce not doing well

Snoek

Hey all,

Relatively new here, looking for some advice. My system is few months old. All cycled with few fish.

I added some coriander seedling (bought from Bunnings), which is not growing at all (see photos). Instead it is slowly dying with the edges of the leaves turning purple & then dying off. Is that a Potassium shortage?

Also, the lettuce seedlings are not growing very quickly and leaves dying, this one becoming yellow. I did add a teaspoon of Iron Chelate a few weeks ago. I have not added any other nutrients.

Info on the system:

- straight forward IBC (photo's here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29902 )
- 7 gold fish (will add some more or other fish eventually)
pH = 6.8
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate 5.0 ppm
all API tested
Water Temperature around 19 degrees
I feed them gold fish flakes at the moment

scotty435

In terms of deficiencies the symptoms match either nitrogen or phosphorus (but might not be either). Since your tests are showing nitrate nitrogen, it's probably phosphorus. The other possibility is that you have some root rot and or other root uptake problem and/or the growing environment might be the cause. Sometimes deficiencies are temperature or pH dependent - those don't look too bad in your case although I don't know what your air temps are doing. Quality of your fish food might be involved but most have plenty of phosphorus - if you are on a flake food it would probably be good to switch to a good quality commercial grow out type pellet.

dlf_perth

>> I feed them gold fish flakes at the moment

you also don't say how big your goldfish are

The fish will grow but in the meantime for a new system you will need to supplement until your get some solids build up in the bed (takes time). Get some Seasol original (white bottle) and some Seasol Powerfeed (green bottle).
Make up at half dose and water directly onto the plants/grow bed - but not in full sun/heat.

** if you are certain you have cycled then you can use *a little bit* of powerfeed to just keep the nutrients up a bit while the fish are growing and grow-beds maturing.

you will need to switch from flakes to better quality pellets...but make sure you don't get a high protein one for goldfish. (around 30-40% is OK, try and keep to the lower side).

** you say 5ppm nitrates which suggest you have enough. so probably other minerals absent in the flakes.
Seasol will help and you can use a multi-mineral as a foliar feed (spray from a plastic bottle - but not in full sun/heat).

Snoek

The gold fish are fairly small, somewhere around 10cm. And I have 7 of them. I thought pellets may have been too big for them.

The system should have cycled after few months. The only thing I see are the nitrates. I will add some powerfeed.

Since my post another 3 lettuce died and other plants as well unfortunately. They grow slowly at first, then look sad and die quickly...

If phosphorus is the problem, how would you recommend to supplement this?

dlf_perth

Seasol will help...

note difference between Seasol original (white) and Seasol Powerfeed (Green).

You mostly want to try an keep to Seasol Orig as it doesnt add a lot of nitrogen.
(it has P and K plus few other things).

Sesaol Powerfeed has N,P,K with higher levels of N and P.

Another trick (usually with tomatoes etc) is to sprinkle some blood and bone with added potash onto your bed and water in with a watering can. That will provide a bit of a solids boost within the bed and break down over a period of time without too much impact on the fish tank.

Snoek

Thanks Darren. Will monitor and feedback

dlf_perth

@Scotty > The other possibility is that you have some root rot and or other root uptake problem and/or the growing environment might be the cause

dont forget this point Scotty makes.

just checked your other thread, recall before you had a constant flood with fairly wet gravel,
did you solve that ?

earthbound

I've never seen any plants grow with goldfish flakes..

DanaPT

you can also grind up/make the feed smaller and easier for your fish to eat.

Snoek

dlf_perth wrote:

@Scotty > [i][size=75]

just checked your other thread, recall before you had a constant flood with fairly wet gravel,
did you solve that ?

I was able to add quite a bit more gravel where the top is no longer wet, it is just below. I haven't found a decent way to add height, wasn't really feeling comfortable adding black plastic :shifty:

Snoek

Now 2-3 weeks later, applying seasol once a week on the leaves it seems to have a nice effect. Lettuce is growing nicely & the coriander has no longer deteriorated & seems to be getting some extra leaves. :thumbright:

I guess next step is getting some proper feed instead of flakes to get some proper fish waste happening & perhaps some bigger fish (perch) for in the tank.

Any recommended feed (for near Melbourne). I will browse the forum as well. thank you.

dlf_perth

look around for Skretting pellets or similar.
Not sure who is selling them now that Ian (Ideal Fish Food) doesn't supply any more.

Snoek

dlf_perth wrote:

look around for Skretting pellets or similar.
Not sure who is selling them now that Ian (Ideal Fish Food) doesn't supply any more.

Thanks Darren, found a place in WA that ships AUS wide.

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