# Why my amazon swords are rotting?



## taybelZ (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi, first post on the forums..

I shall list the specs of my tank
its 4 X 18 X 18 
4 X 36 watt fluros 
Canisfer filter rated 1000L/hour

stock:
10 X cory sterabais
5 X peppermint bristlenose
1 X common bristlenose
5 X cardinal tetras
5 X gold rams
1 X snakeskin discus

Now, i have the lights on for 8 hours a day, with a 30minute break during the day (to reduce algae growth i was told)

But for some reason, my amazon swords are rotting a bit, when i got them they were extremely healthy and very lush but now not quite. The other plants aren't growing super quick but they are showing signs of growth. The tank has been established for 2months or so. The hairgrass seems to be doing the best, plenty of shooters but not that much vertical growth for some reason. I think i might introduce c0-2 with my current light levels, but i want to make sure everything is right. I do occasionaly introduce fertz liquid (seachem flourish and some aquasonic fert tabs).

Can someone give some insight to what i'm doing wrong, and what i should be monitoring ( i never test, just do water changes every week 20% or so)

thanks
David

(from Australia)
^^)


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

it looks like severe potassium deficiency. Are older leaves on any of the other plants diying back?


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 17, 2004)

That is EXACTLY what mine is doing! Looks like the top layer is coming off?

I'll start dosing some extra K.


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 17, 2004)

Here is my sword, looks the same....


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 17, 2004)

And a banana plant leaf.

Do these all look like the same thing?


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

swords need alot of ferts in the substrate and alot of light. Light should be on 12 hours or so. I would up your lighting and feed the substrates with root tabs. Prefer ones with iron. Then monitor Nitrate and Po4, make sure u dose No3 Po4 and K. swords will need all that in balance to be healthy. How old are the lights? if over 6 mos they could be losing they intensity. Maybe a bulb change would be in order.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

First you need to test your water parameters...PH, KH, N03, P04

Next you need to up your lighting period to 10 hours a day.

How many gallons is your tank?... It looks big in the pic and with 144 watts of light you may need more wattage.

You say your plants are not growing well, it is more than likely a lack of N03. Also you need to dose micros & macros at least once a week or more. 

You can try putting a root tab under the swords, but with the look of things you have a bad deficiancy and maybe lack of light.

The most important thing is test your water parameters and post them so we can help you better.


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## neonfish3 (Feb 12, 2004)

I think the 6 bristlenose might have something to do with those holes.....
The inside new leaves look healthy. I would trim off all those old leaves and let it fill back in. I think they were emersed grown leaves that got weak from submersion and the bristlenose are eating them up.
Steve


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## taybelZ (Dec 5, 2004)

Yeh, there are other plants with simular sort of problem. I noticed all my plants seem to grow slower then usual. The tank is 48 X 18 X 18 inch about 55 gallons. The fluros are pretty new, so no problems there... i think i probaly have a lack of nuterients in the water... shall test the water and return with results.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

_Is your bulbs florescent plant bulbs_ _(5500k-10000k)?_

If your plants are growing slow then you are most than likely lacking nitrates, make sure to test your N03 reading.


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## shalu (Oct 1, 2004)

neonfish3 said:


> I think the 6 bristlenose might have something to do with those holes.....


My thoughts exactly. I don't think nutrient deficiency caused the holes.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

On second thought, it might be pleco damage. I see that the tip of the leaf is relatively undamaged. If it were potassium deficiency, the leaf would die back from the tip and from the sides. This damage looks to be centered around the midrib with the sides and tip in better shape. I bet it is your big bristle nose catfish scraping the leaf. Don't know what you can do about that. Maybe give them some zuccini.


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## Green Baron (Mar 17, 2004)

HeyPK said:


> On second thought, it might be pleco damage.


It is the Pleco ! I had the same problem and it took me a long time to figure out it is the Pleco which has been eating the Amazon Swordplant. I had both pleco and Swordplant in 2 different tanks but only one pleco eat Amazon Swordplant ! Once I took out the pleco, the problems was solved and the plant started growing again.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Did you ever test your water parameters?... If the signs are showing on all your plants and not just on the swords then it is most than likely not the Pleco but a deficiency. I keep Plecos with swords with no damage done. Low nitrates will cause your plants to grow slow.



taybelZ said:


> Yeh, there are other plants with simular sort of problem. I noticed all my plants seem to grow slower then usual. The tank is 48 X 18 X 18 inch about 55 gallons. The fluros are pretty new, so no problems there... i think i probaly have a lack of nuterients in the water... shall test the water and return with results.


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## taybelZ (Dec 5, 2004)

I think it might actually have something to do with my water temp... i noticed the other day when i was doing w/c that the temp was down to 70degrees (20gress C)... my jager heater is broken.. light goes on but heater element doesn't work. (crappy jager my 2nd return)


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