Thank you for your response! It could definitely be a fertilizer issue. I have been using AeroGarden by Miracle-Gro, with the plan to upgrade to General Hydroponics, when I felt more comfortable with semi-hydro. I felt really intimidated by having to determine the appropriate ratios for the General Hydroponics. My hoyas and philodendrons have been growing pretty well, but I know alocasias tend to be hungrier.
I use tap water that has been filtered through a ZeroWater pitcher for my nutrient solution, however, I have been flushing with plain water. That you see mineral buildup on the surface tells me I need to be flushing with filtered water : )
Also, I do not control for ph, and I’m wondering if that could be part of the problem. I actually went with the pon (mine is DYI, without slow release fertilizer) instead of lecca, because of the buffering effect of the zeolite, with the hopes of keeping the semi hydro routine as simple as possible. The plant is in a wicking setup. It had looked like the exposed roots had grown in like that, but it is possible some pon could have gotten displaced. I will top it off to cover them :)
Thanks in advance for any insights!
I will definitely get a new fertilizer and try soaking as suggested. Thank you so much for your help! ❤️