# Tonina Belem troubles...



## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

I've had the tonina belem for 3 months now, but the tips of the plant have been browning since the first week. It grows tall and spreads but the older leaves always brown eventually. Any ideas on whats causing this?

I use eco complete, and have read somewhere that this might be the issue...is this true?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Are you dosing with anything? I use Metricide.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

I do EI dosing and run co2...I'll also spot dose excel for gsa on my anubias. I've never used metricide before.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I had the same problem with my Tonina Belem a while back and it all melted away. I am having similar trouble with my Tonina Fluv. now, and I was advised to cut back on my phosphates. You might want to try that. I've stopped dosing phosphates totally.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I had the same problem with my Tonina Belem a while back and it all melted away. I am having similar trouble with my Tonina Fluv. now, and I was advised to cut back on my phosphates. You might want to try that. I've stopped dosing phosphates totally.


ok maybe i'll try that...has your tonina fluv. shown any signs of recovery thus far?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

It's only been 2 days, so I can't tell anything.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

so i put some belem into another tank of mine with florabase substrate, and the new growth there has been great. no brown tips, and a clean bright green. so i'm assuming its growing better because florabase is more acidic than ecocomplete.

i've read people have used peat moss to make their ecocomplete more acidic...so my question is, without disturbing the substrate too much, what's the best way to make my ecocomplete more acidic?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You did better than me then. My Tonina all died. I'm going to get some pointers from Bien this week I hope.


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## imtrippedup (Apr 25, 2010)

u got it right on the dot

its the acidity of the sub


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

trip said:


> u got it right on the dot
> 
> its the acidity of the sub


I don't that's the only factor as I tried in Florabase twice.


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## aquaflora (Jun 1, 2010)

Just a thought, our water out of the tap tends to be deficient in Ca and Mg, do you suppliment with any thing to build GH? Burning of the leaf tips can be anything from lack of CO2, Ca/Mg deficiency, even K deficiency (although you dose EI, so this isn't likely). Is it older leaves or younger leaves that show the problem?


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## punchbuggy (Apr 21, 2010)

i really hate toninas. i've never had success with them.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

aquaflora said:


> Just a thought, our water out of the tap tends to be deficient in Ca and Mg, do you suppliment with any thing to build GH? Burning of the leaf tips can be anything from lack of CO2, Ca/Mg deficiency, even K deficiency (although you dose EI, so this isn't likely). Is it older leaves or younger leaves that show the problem?


I've never added anything to any tank to build GH.

The tank with florabase is not getting any co2 supplied...the florabase is relatively new and was told i could hold off on adding co2 initially. In fact, I don't dose this florabase tank with anything yet; yet the belem grows great.

The tank with ecocomplete is getting CO2 at about 30 ppm and the typical EI dose. With this tank, the belem tips brown on the older leaves.


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## alym (Apr 21, 2010)

I can't grow it either - it's been my nemesis for years!


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

*Tonina Belem troubles...(updated - pic added)*

update:

not sure why, but things turned around...after a couple trimmings in the tank with the ecocomplete, the belem is growing green without brown tips. (attached pic)

(sorry for the poor quality, grainy iphone picture)


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Good work. Looking great.


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