# Are my Amazon Sword plant leaves dissolving because of snails or algae or what?



## gblaca (Jul 26, 2011)

I have noticed that the leaves of my Amazon Sword plants are dissolving. I am not sure if this is from a type of green spot algae attaching itself to the leaves, or if it is from snails eating it. I do have Malaysian Trumpet Snails and a few pond snails in my tak, but I thought they were not supposed to eat plant leaves. Apparently there are holes in my plant leaves as well as algae growing on them so I am not sure what is the cause of the plant leaves thinning and dying.

Can you please suggest what is the cause and what to do about it?

I am going posting some photos here, so if you recognize what the problem is, please help and write back.

Fish population: 6 adult guppies, several baby guppies, 11 cardinal tetras, 1 otosinclus, 2 large Clown Loaches in hiding.

Please see photos of my plants in my personal galleries at this URL:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/browseimages.php?c=15&userid=34665&t=


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## B76 (May 17, 2011)

Ferts? Substrate? Lighting?


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

that would not be an algae related issue, and the snails would only eat the leaves if it was dying... and in your case the leaves are dying so the snails are eating it leaving behind that fiber network. 
most likely a problem in substrate, lighting, and your water parameters


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## DishyFishy (Aug 11, 2011)

Do you use root tabs at all? Amazon Swords are heavy heavy root feeders.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Also since we don't know how lomb your tank has been set up its hard to know if your leaves are just converting over from emerged growth to submerged growth. Do you have any plecos? What ia your substrate?


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## gblaca (Jul 26, 2011)

Fertilizers: API CO2 Boost, Flourish, API Leaf Zone
Water Parameters: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5
Jungle Plant Food Tabs 0-0-6 plus Iron

PH: 8.2
Water is hard

It seems like the Malaysian Trumpet Snails are eating the leaves of healthy plants voraciously, not just dead leaves.


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## Viwwo (Oct 30, 2009)

I had them in the beggaring and also had the same 
problem. I added a bit more iron to the water along side my ferts and that worked for me.


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