Diagnosis of plant damage

The most common deficiency symptoms are described and valuable tips are given. It is of great importance that almost half of the alleged "deficiency symptoms" reported to us and illustrated with pictures are regularly due to feeding damage by catfish or snails.

Close-up of aquatic plants with round, light green leaves and dark stems in the background. The leaves show a fine net pattern of green veins.

CHLOROSIS IN WATER PLANTS

Chloroses are chlorophyll (leaf green) formation disorders. Any element that is either contained in chlorophyll or is involved in its synthesis is a possible cause:

Nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium) and magnesium are included.
Iron and manganese are also involved in synthesis.

Green aquatic plants under a slightly moving, clear water surface that reflects the sunlight.

TIPS ON FERTILISATION AND PLANT CARE

Iron level
Electronic ballasts
Deficiency symptoms
Mixing and diluting different fertilizers
etc.

A brown antenna catfish is lying on a large green leaf. The fish has light-coloured spots and striped fins. Other green leaves can be seen in the background.

FEEDING DAMAGES TO AQUATIC PLANTS

These require differential diagnosis of leaf damage caused by trace element deficiency.

Damage is most often caused by hungry loricariids (such as the Ancistrus, Panaque and Peckoltia species) and snails (Pomacea bridgesi) is the only apple snail that does not eat plants, although it probably does eat rotting leaves).

Water lily leaves of different colours float on dark water. Some leaves are yellow, orange, red and whitish. Stems protrude into the water. Reflections and slight ripples are visible.

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

Growth laws - Liebig's minimum law

The growth factor at the minimum is solely responsible for the yield!
Strictly speaking, this no longer applies today, because although an increase in the minimum factor leads to the greatest increase in growth, the influence of the other nutrients is not taken into account.