Deficiency symptoms

Recognising and rectifying deficiency symptoms

Fish and plants can suffer from deficiency symptoms which are not recognized as such. A fish, for example, can get a kind of ulcer which is caused by iodine deficiency. Holes in plants are often not caused by a deficiency but quite simply by plant-eating fish, such as long-whiskered cat fish or loaches. Therefore it makes sense to read up a little on deficiency symptoms:

In fish

As the term implies it can lead to a deficiency in certain substances. As with humans it is mostly diet-related. The exception is water. For us it is part of our nutrition, but for fish it is their living medium. Therefore the composition of the water is extremely important. Deficiency symptoms can arise as a result of substances missing from the water.

Holes in the body, mainly in the head area

This can be the hole in the head disease (Hexamita, Spironucleus), which, in connection with flagellates, can lead to a mineral deficiency. Then the fish extracts endogenous tissue and holes form. This almost always occurs in very soft, low-mineral water.

JBL Aquadur

Mineral salt water conditioner to raise the hardness of freshwater aquariums

  • To create aquarium water that meets the demands of fish, invertebrates and plants: to achieve ideal water values for freshwater aquariums. For the hardness increase of soft water. To add minerals to osmosis water
  • Constant water values: an increase of carbonate hardness as advised by experts and the stabilisation of the pH level. Prevents a sudden drop in acidity
  • Healthy water, healthy fish: mineral salt mixture means fish are protected from mineral deficiency
  • Optimal dosing with enclosed measuring spoon. Increases about 3000 l by 1° KH and 1.6° GH
  • Contents: 1 tin Aquadur, 250 g. To use: 1 measuring spoon (18.75 g)/100 l water results in an increase of about 2.5 ° dKH
from 20,86 €
Holes in head and body (marine fish)

Often in connction with a discolouration of some body parts: it is caused by a deficiency of minerals and trace elements which often occurs after an unbalanced feeding with garden vegetables (lettuce, cucumber). Marine fish (e.g. surgeonfish) are algae eaters and ingest an unbelievable variety and quantity of minerals and trace elements through the algae. Lettuce and cucumber are practically free of minerals and trace elements! A feeding of lettuce and cucumber every now and then might be good but should be done in moderation. For algae eaters especially designed foods as basic food prevent deficiency symptoms:

JBL Spirulina

Premium main food for algae-eating aquarium fish

  • Maximum algae content for a healthy diet: complete nutrition and ideal growth for algae-eating freshwater and marine fish
  • Nutritious, easy to digest and healthy thanks to garlic content. Ideal feeding conditions for shrimps and freshwater and marine fish 3 - 20 cm in medium and upper water layer
  • No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content, better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
  • Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species ate the JBL food immediately during research expeditions in freshwaters. No processing of cheap fish meal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
  • Contents: premium main food, for aquarium fish. After opening to be used up within 4 months. In high-quality packaging with foil seal, unopened storable for 3 years
from 4,44 €

JBL Maris

Main food flakes for marine fish

  • Complete nutrition and ideal growth for marine fish: over 50 natural ingredients in 6 food flakes with protein-rich krill flakes and spirulina algae
  • Nutritious and easy to digest: ideal feeding conditions due to various flake sizes for fish species 5 - 20 cm in all water layers
  • No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content. Better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
  • Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species immediately ate the JBL food during our research expeditions in tropical coral reefs. No processing of cheap fishmeal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
  • Contents: main food, for aquarium fish. After opening use up within 4 months. Can be stored unopened in high-quality packaging with foil seal for 3 years.
from 5,66 €

JBL MariPearls

Premium main food granules for marine fish

  • Complete nutrition and ideal growth for marine fish: with seaweed
  • Nutritious, easily to digest: suitable for automatic feeders: ideal feeding conditions due to the floating and sinking of the granulate, for fish species 5 - 20 cm in in all water layers.
  • No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content. Better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
  • Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species immediately ate the JBL food during our research expeditions in tropical coral reefs. No processing of cheap fishmeal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
  • Contents: main food refill tin, for aquarium fish. Refill tin for Click doser MariPearls Click. After opening use up within 4 months. Unopened in high-quality packaging with foil seal, can be stored for 3 years.
from 17,58 €
Ulcerous growths in the throat area

Caused by iodine efficiency.

Remedy: either feeding iodiferous food or adding iodine to the water.

JBL Tropol

Tropical water conditioner for freshwater aquariums

  • For water to suit both fish and plants: for setting-up and for water changes in the care of freshwater aquariums and shrimp tanks
  • Creates crystal-clear water. Acts as light filter and withdraws a part of the light radiation vital for algae. Comparable to sun glasses
  • Healthy water, healthy fish: fosters good health in fish by using humic substances from peat and tannin from oak bark
  • Improves acclimatisation of all blackwater fish
  • Contents: 1 bottle Tropol. Use: 10 ml/40l water. Example for 60 l aquarium: 15 ml for setting-up, 5 ml for 1/3 water change every 2-3 weeks
from 7,79 €

In plants

A deficiency of certain minerals or nutrients can also arise in plants. This can be noticed just by looking at the plants. In the following you can see the possible manifestations of various deficiency symptoms in aquarium plants:

Stagnating growth

When plants which always grew beautifully and suddenly, for no apparent reason significantly stagnate in growth, you need to research the cause. As when a car breaks down, you may not think of looking at the petrol gauge, but according to the ADAC it is helpful in 30 % of all cases.

Diagnosis

Remedy: Please check whether your CO2 cylinder still contains any CO2 or needs refilling. Did you forget the liquid fertilisation? Did you accidentally adjust the timer for the lighting so that the plants are now just getting 2 hours light a day?

Nitrate quantities of over 50 mg/l lead to growth inhibition in many plants, although nitrate in smaller concentrations acts as nutrients. Can also lead to crypt melt.

Solution

Partial water change and JBL BioNitratEx and to insert fast-growing plants.

Good nitrate consumers include Cabomba, Hygrophila and Limnophila species.

Extreme temperatures ( 18 °C or > 29 °C), extreme pH values ( 6.5 or > 8.0) and extreme hardness levels (KH 4° dKH or > 10 ° dKH) all hinder plant growth. Read about remedies and corrections here - Water values . "Hard" anti-algae agents can hinder plant growth considerably and even lead to the death of those plants, which are closely related to the algae.

Algae

Switching over to JBL Algol (Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Registered at the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under BAUA number N-19236) when there are algae problems.

Light green leaves

Iron deficiency leads to light green, yellowish, glassy or pale leaves. The set point for the iron content ( JBL PROAQUATEST Fe Iron ) is 0.05 - 0.2 mg/l. To raise the iron content JBL PROFLORA Ferropol or JBL PROSCAPE Fe +MICROELEMENTS are most suitable. If you already use a fertiliser and the iron test still doesn’t indicates sufficient values, this can have the following reasons: Your fertiliser contains iron but in a form (Fe2+) which gets oxidised from the oxygen in the water (reacts with the oxygen) and so becomes unusable for the plants or your fertiliser doesn’t contain any iron.

Bulging of the leaf veins

If the leaf veins prominently differ from the leaf colour, potassium deficiency could be the cause. With the help of the potassium test ( JBL PROAQUATEST K Potassium ) you can quickly check whether it really is a potassium deficiency.

Remedy: by adding a potassium containing fertiliser, such as JBL PROFLORA Ferropol , JBL PROSCAPE K MACROELEMENTS you remedy the deficiency and the leaf veins will not bulge again.

Long stems, few leaves

Often easily recognisable on stem plants. The plans probably don’t receive a full spectrum, but an excess of reddish light. This reddish light creates a strong cell enlargement. On stem plants this looks unsightly because the stem grows quickly and the distance between the leaves increases. This then looks as if the plant has too few leaves.

Remedy: Do without lamps with a strong reddish spectrum and use daylight or sunlight full spectrum as lighting ( JBL SOLAR NATUR  or tubes: JBL SOLAR TROPIC / JBL SOLAR NATUR )

Lack of light

Plants always move towards the light. In strong light the plant can grow lower than in weak light, where it has to move upwards to the light. So the growth of a plant species can vary. If you insert stem plants too close together the lower plants will get not enough light and putrefaction processes will start.

Remedy: Do not press stem plants together into the soil, but plant them individually with some distance between them.

Pay attention to the lumen specifications of lamps!

A high lumen number on a bulb or lamp only says something about the quantity of light, but not about the quality of light! A well-known example of this: In office lighting, only the lumen value is prescribed and sometimes it is so high that employees find it dazzling. Office plants that don’t stand near the window usually wither away and die because the light is bright but it does not provide any of the radiation the plants need for photosynthesis. This growth-relevant radiation is indicated by the PAR value. Measurements and tests have shown that PAR values above 200, such as the JBL LED SOLAR NATUR, lead to a reduction in the amount of light required and only half (50 %!!!) of the amount of light is necessary to promote the growth of plants that need intense light.

Lighting with commercially available LEDs
After changing to the JBL LED SOLAR NATUR with a PAR value of 240

In addition to all the measurements, we aquarists can simply see for ourselves: Switch to ONE JBL LED SOLAR NATUR and start with a slightly dimmed output. Increase the amount of light as you dim it and simply observe your plants to see if they react positively. You will notice that your aquarium plants are already growing visibly stronger with a reduced light output than with your previous lighting. Very often you will not even need the maximum power level! The maximum output of the JBL LED SOLAR NATUR may only be necessary with a few plant species, especially with lawn-forming ones.

Holes in leaves

Contrary to expectations this is not a sign of deficiency; your fish just love to eat plants.

Remedy: check your fish stock! There are probably some plant eaters amongst them. Common culprits are long-whiskered cat fish (Ancistrus) or loaches (Botia). Once you have caught the culprits, swap them for other species. For instance, long-whiskered cat fish can easily be replaced by dwarf suckers (Otocinclus).

Crypt melt

Often arises from changes in maintenance conditions and relocation. The only remedy is to provide stable conditions and to reduce the nitrate value below 50 mg/l.

Plants become mushy and decay after a while

Some popular aquarium plants are actually not underwater plants but marsh plants which can survive some time - but not too long! - under water. Many water plants (e.g. Amazon sword plants) are cultivated emersed (above water) and initially shed the leaves they grew above water when they are submerged (put under water). All that can help here is patience and the purchase of pure underwater plants.

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