Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a question about a bell pepper plant that is about 4 weeks old and the leaves are curling and it is being significantly out grown by the same plant right next to it. It was originally in a miracle grow "growables" container which is a decomposable container with the dirt nutrients and seeds already to go. I started it in my grewbed and removed it from the container once I thought it was big enough to be put directly into the grow bed I did just that and about two weeks later the plant on the right has became much healthier with no sign of the curly leaves like the other. I'll try to get pics uploaded but the ones I took ate to high MiB.

Quick internet searches say it may be a lack of calcium but asking people usually gets better results than Google. I may try to put some egg shells in the cycle just to see if it helps. Any other suggestions?

What's the water temp?

The water temp is 65F andreatemp is 80F.

check out my pepper plants in the system in the sig

is it like that?

pics would help

@fishyfarmer - my plant leaves do look like that except they are not yellowing.

I forgot to mention my ph is about 8 right now I'm having a hard time getting it down. Been using vinegar but I've been told to switch to muriatic acid. I'm a little skeptical to do that so anyone have suggestions?

Also I cant upload the photos I have. I keep getting a message that says my "images must be 0 pixels by 0 pixels."

Muriatic acid works well.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl)(aka muriatic acid) - Add to topup water - adjust this to 6.0 to 6.5 and let stand for at least a few hours before adding to system (allows pH to stabilize and you might need to adjust it back up). This will lower the system pH gradually over time. Avoid changes to the pH greater than 0.4 pH points each treatment and give fish time to adjust. Some fish can handle much greater fluctuations than others.

I think the photos need to be sized 800 X 600 (I may have this reversed) and then you'll be able to add them to your post.

Here's a tutorial Tallman wrote - http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=21754&p=454839&hilit=images+tutorial#p454839

Here is the pic I've been trying to add. Finally got it.

Looks like leaf roll caused by environmental stress. Probably taking it out of the pot and planting it in water, it may be having troubles adjusting but just give it more time and I think it will be OK. The water temp of 65 is fairly low for peppers but check it early in the day when it's at it's lowest. Peppers are warm season plants and below 60 is really tough for them.

Might also have a phosphorus deficiency showing on the lower leaves (turning purple a bit)

looks just like mine to me

Your's looked like they puckered more, seems more like calcium FF. There's a bit of puckering here but very little. I won't rule it out, they could both be related to environment or there could be some overlap. If the roots aren't working right then you could show all kinds of nutrient deficiencies - sometimes if you wait the plant roots adjust and no more problems (unfortunately it doesn't always work this way). Root adjustment problems could be the phosphorous deficiency cause as well.

If your plants with the puckered leaves are right next to some hot lighting that might give you the environmental leaf curl as well FF but I think were on the right track.

@scotty435 This one isn't in any pot. Another bell pepper about 6 inches away from it is not showing any leaf roll and is still in its miracle grow "growables" container and is doing well. think I should maybe add another water heater?

@fishyfarmer - I read your thread, which of the attempts was the final in solving the problem.? Calcium carbonate?

I've also started adding muratic acid to my bio filter in small proportions at a time to try to fix my ph and put egg shells under the hose flowing to the grow bed to try to bring the cacluim up. I figure it wont hurt to try. Ill also see what I can do about adding phosphorus. I should also mention they are under a "mars hydro" led grow light and have been there since they sprouted. The two bell peppers are under the same light though so I doubt its a lighting problem.

Below is how I interpreted the situation -

Both plants were in grow pots but you removed the one that isn't doing as well and planted it in the AP bed. The other plant was not removed from the pot and is doing much better.

Is the plant on the right that's doing better in the grow bed or just in the pot? If it's just in the pot and the pot is not planted in the AP bed then it's probably two things - Temperature since the small pot warms faster when the sun comes out and that the root conditions weren't changed. Most plants do well going into AP from soil but sometimes growth stalls for whatever reason.

LED lighting- actually if you read a bit on those "other"gardening sites u will se elots of info regarding cal/ mag deficiencies when using led i am also using led

epsom salts seem to help(mag)
and calcium seems to be helping too

no final result as they r still on the mend

I have to ask- do you have a fan in there?

Here's the other pic I was trying to post. I ad to take a new pic to get the pixels right.

@scotty435 - They are in the grow bed together. When I started them the one that is now curling its leaves was doing better. Now not so much. I'm thinking the one still in the grow container is getting its needed nutrients from the pot soil.

@fishyfarmer - Can you reference some reading material about needing the different additives for growing with leds? And I do have a fan in there.

This is probably part of what's going on. In addition the plant with leaf curl is having to recover from being transplanted into more of a water environment than a soil one after having it's roots disturbed. It may also have lost some of it's root mass in the transplant process. Peppers are sensitive when it comes to transplant shock. You might want to give it some shade but it should recover.

http://www.garden.org/subchannels/care/techniques?q=show&id=1180