# Browning leaves???



## Kerry (Sep 5, 2013)

My swordplants are showing some brown patches/dead sections on the leaves. I was wondering what was causing it?



My tank is a 37g 12wx30lx22h (inches) with a topsoil and kitty litter base covered with pool filter sand. The substrate varies from about 1 1/2" to 2" deep and is about 1 month old. Lighting is a Oddysea 4x24w t5ho with 4 6500k lamps and I run two lamps for 14hrs and 4 lamps for 2hrs. The light is on YoYo hangers and can be lifted from sitting on the tank rim to as high as 7ft...so, the light can be easily raised if needed. Currently I have been keeping the light 1" above the rim of the tank which would put the lamps right about 22" above the substrate. Plants include swords, Echinodorus "Rose", Echinodorus martii, Echinodorus "Red Rubin Narrow", Echinodorus ozelot, Cryptocoryn wendtii green and tropica, moneywort, Brazilian pennywort, frogbit on the surface, and all along the back is jungle val. 

In addition to the main tank, there is a 20L sump which has the middle section planted with a dirt/cap substrate, as well. I light this at night on a reverse schedule from the main tank. The sump is planted with my extra plants and lots of frogbit. 

Since re-doing my substrate and re-planting about a month ago, I am just now starting to see some good growth from the Vals (which suffered a lot of shipping damage and had to be cut way back) and also from the rest of the plants. However, I am now seeing a lot of these browning leaves on the swords. I could use some help with trouble shooting thes as I'm a newb to planted tanks. I figure it may be a CO2 deficiency so I recently started dosing Excel last week (started with 1 cap per day and now up to 5 caps per day) but it may be too soon to tell if that is helping. Alternately, figured my lighting may be too much, or, too little...really not sure what I've got without a par meter. Anyway, I would really appreciate some help in figuring this out and also any recommendations to improve the setup.


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## Kerry (Sep 5, 2013)

No comments?


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## elkhunter (May 24, 2012)

Check your nutrients sounds like lack of key fertilizers 


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## SBS (Feb 26, 2013)

Sorry Kerry, it's very quiet here. I have no idea what the cause is. 
If it's lack of macro nutrients like nitrate, potassium, phosphorus or magnesium, you'll see the problem in old leaves only with some exceptions.
If it's trace element, it would show up on new growth.

Have a look on this deficiency finder here created by a member here called Zapins.

http://deficiencyfinder.com/

Also there's a plant deficiency section on the forum with some threads with decent info.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-deficiencies/


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## Kerry (Sep 5, 2013)

Thanks SBS! I looked through the finder and as best I can tell, it looks like a nitrogen deficiency. If so, what is the best way to address this...without dosing ferts. (trying to stay low tech with dirt substrate and no CO2, although I do have some Excell I can use) Is this an issue because my substrate is too new...about 1 month old? Perhaps too much light prompting too fast growth? Too many plants? Too few fish to provide the nitrogen? (just added 6 angels today). Any one have any suggestions for a plan of action on this system of mine?


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## elkhunter (May 24, 2012)

I would get some dry Ferts you can easily get them for cheap on aquarium fertilizer or bobs tropical plants or anywhere for cheap they don't cost hardly anything and is easy to dose 


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## Kerry (Sep 5, 2013)

Thanks Elkhunter. I may look into that, but, my hope was to keep this low tech as much as possible. 

Am I right in thinking this is a lighting issue...in that too much light is causing rapid growth, resulting in nutrient deficiencies? Should I change the light duration...currently 14hrs on one dual 24" t5ho and 2hrs with 4 24" t4ho. Would it be better to run only 1 dual fixture and insert a midday siesta...5hrs on with 2 24" t5ho, 4hrs all off, 5hrs on with 2 24" t5ho? Would this still be too much light on a 22" deep tank? I can raise the fixture however high it needs to be.


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

In your last pic you have some floating plants. Those will suck the nutrients out of your water very fast. They get the full PAR of the light and also have unlimited CO2.

First test your water for Nitrate and confirm you are out. It will read 0 if it's the deficiency. Otherwise, it could be something else like phosphate.

If it's Nitrate (I'd suspect this is the case), then I'd pull most of the floaters. Keep just a little in case you need to regrow more later.

EDIT: Dropping a little Osmocote under the deficient plants would also help. Just put a little in an ice cube tray and cover with water to freeze it. The it's an easy to handle solid tab you can just slide under the plants roots.


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## elkhunter (May 24, 2012)

I do think you have to much light during the day especially without Ferts I would dose ur excel if u plan to keep it without a co2 canister 


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## Kerry (Sep 5, 2013)

Tugg and Elkhunter, thank you for your replies! 

I went ahead and ordered some fertilizer for the tank...some RU tabs (clay with embedded ferts) and a gallon of Metricide 14 since my Excell is nearly gone. I'm also bidding on some osmocote plus... to see if I can get it cheap, lol. Anyway, I don't mind dosing the Excell, and, root tabs are not a problem...just can't afford (or want) to go with pressurized co2. 

I harvested some frogbit...about a pound of it, lol! I've been pulling out a big handful or two a week from the sump and top tank, but, it definitely does very well in my system and grows back fast. 

I also raised my light about two inches above the tank rim, so, now to wait and see...and get the root tabs in when they arrive. I will get a water test done and post results later today, too.


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