# Holes in Anubias Nana



## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

I have had my Anubias Nana for 3 years that is attached firmly by it's roots to a fake bog wood decoration (I want to have the real thing but my loaches love it) . It has been doing well until a few months ago. I have decreased my lighting and started a new iron and potassium regimen within the past weeks. My water parameters according to my API liquid test kit are:
Nitrate 5-10
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Ph 7
Phosphate (although slightly unreliable) 0.5 

Lighting: Fluval full spectrum led 

Here's a picture


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

This looks like physical damage from something.
I have heard that some Loaches will poke holes in the leaves of large leaf plants.


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## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

Thanks for responding Diana! These are brand new leaves. I saw the hole in this leaf even before it was completely unfurled.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Still, it has no brown edges or anything so it looks like physical damage to me too. Perhaps while sucking out water you touched the leaf with the hose, or the loach indeed. 
Based on the green spot algae on the other leaves, it doesn't mind a little more PO4 either


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## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

Yeah, the gsa actually looks a lot better. So do you think PO4 will help get rid of the gsa? I started dosing with it 3 weeks ago one per week after my wc. Do you think I should dose it more than once per week?


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## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

Also I've had the loaches as long as I've had the Anubias and this has never happened before. Do you think it possibly may be getting too much light and becoming deficient?


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

My girlfriend has a car as long as I know her and never hit a tree before, but she did last week. Does this tell me her car has a deficiency? No, I'm 100% sure this is no deficiency! This is physical damage. You'll never know what did it unless it happens again. No need to worry as long as it doesn't happen again! 

About the gsa, this doesn't get rid by PO4. The extra PO4 just makes it doesn't grow anymore. How much you need to dose I can't say. Either watch your plants (as new gsa appears increase dosage) or measure PO4 and maintain values where it doesn't grow in your tank.


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## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

Ok thanks Yo-han!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

You're welcome!


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## ABettaMan (Mar 16, 2016)

my anubias is pretty tough, it would be hard to imagine my loach poking a hole through it. yours looks a little flimsy too ( the curling ) and I would guess its thinner than the usual leaves. by looking at your hygro difformis too, it looks a bit yellow. this could be a potassium deficiency, I dont want to go as far as calcium - but it could be both.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Newest leaves are not as tough... I once had a problem with some Congo tetras damaging new leaves before they unfurled.


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## Catlady (Mar 16, 2016)

I agree with you Abettaman because I've owned loaches for a while now. They don't have anything to poke through the leaves except a barb that they can use above their eyes only as a defense mechanism . My wisteria is recovering from an algae outbreak I just cut the tops off and replanted them. Since adding PO4 the wisteria actually looks better. Also the moneyworth is in transition just planted 2 weeks ago.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Yep, looks like mechanical damage. The location and appearance are wrong for deficiencies. Might be the loaches, but might also be snails or something else.


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