Amazon Swords, thinning / decaying leaves.

[Tim Wheatley]

Hi,

Had some healthy plants and they have seemingly started to fall apart after I moved them from the tank they grew in. They look brown, are almost clear and I can see the veins in the leaves.

I treat the tanks with Flora Pride and everything but these plants seems to be flourishing. I am having my wife pick me up some Seachem Flourish today incase it's a phosphate deficiency, but should I prune down the leaves at this point to try to help with a recovery? Right now none of the leaves are really green anymore so I think I may have already lost them? I planted them just deep enough that I can see the top of the root area above the substrate.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,

Tim

 

[Gsxrdustnu]

Mine are doing the same thing at the tip I had just planted them about a week ago and I don't understand it I have plenty of the nutrients it needs and plenty of light I'm going to get advice at a local pet store from this guy that seems like he knows what he's talking about so if he gives me any advice I'll let u kno

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[xander]

Whenever I've transplanted swords they seem to take forever to get reestablished. Keep in mind these are root feeders so use some root tabs. It might help to trim the roots a tad before replanting to encourage new growth. I would also plant them deeper. I'm not sure but I thought none of the root should show.

 

[Fishies86]

I don't know about aquatic plants, but when terrestrial plants leaves go completely yellow (chlorosis), it means a deficiency of iron. If it is only a partial chlorosis (if the leaves go yellow and the veins stay green) it means a magnesium deficiency.
Plants need nitrogen for green leaves, and phosphorus for roots. Any proper plant food will have three values on the back: N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). If swords are heavy root feeders and have just been transplanted, I would go for a plant food that has high N and P to give them a boost and really get that root system off to a good start.

 

[meegosh]

Swords are notorious heavy root feeders. Throw some root tabs nearby and you'll see it perk up in no time. That is usually how I know when I need to change my root tabs, the tips will start to yellow a bit.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Hope I did it in time... They were literally falling apart.

Thanks folks

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I went to the store tonight, thought "screw it" and bought API flourite and API leaf zone fertilizer (this is ontop of the Flora pride and seachem flourish). I covered my filter intakes with media bags and just poured it straight in. Obviously the whole tank looked like the Amazon for a little while but it's beginning to clear now. I might lose a batch of Angel eggs (if the Angels feel disturbed enough to eat them) because they just laid today... But it's worth that one to save the plants I feel.

The only thing I do not have is co2. They weren't grown at any point with co2 so does anybody know why they might need them now? Also, can co2 kill fish? I'm just not familiar enough to use it...

 

[meegosh]

Unless you have a high level of lighting (typically over 2.5wpg) you won't need to inject CO2. CO2 can kill fish at high levels, typically we shoot for around 30ppm of CO2 in our tanks. Swords will not benefit from the CO2 as much as a stem plant since it feeds mostly from its roots.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Thanks very much for the info.

Is there a recommended CO2 injector that has a monitoring system so you can't kill the fish or anything? I don't really understand how they even work. I am just wanting to research at this point.

 

[meegosh]

There are a few different ways injecting CO2. The method I use is I have my regulator's solenoid (what lets the CO2 out of the tank) plugged into a timer. Every night it turns off and comes on about an hour before the lights come on. This gives the CO2 time to build up to the ~30ppm I am aiming for. Then it goes off right before lights out.

Some people will use a pH probe/monitor and plug their solenoid into this - so when the pH hits a certain point it will shut off. (CO2 affects pH)

I prefer the timer approach because you don't waste the CO2 at night. If you let the CO2 run all night (when the plants aren't using the CO2) it can potentially build up enough to make your fish start gasping for air at the surface.

 

[Gsxrdustnu]

Hey bro the root tabs worked within 24 hours they stood right up and I can see the tips starting to regrow and new little baby leaves growing off my swords

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Nice! Congrats. Mine haven't come back yet, I probably left it too long.

 

[meegosh]

Hey bro the root tabs worked within 24 hours they stood right up and I can see the tips starting to regrow and new little baby leaves growing off my swords

Glad to hear a success story! Keep a supply of tabs handy because in a few months it will repeat the same cycle.

Nice! Congrats. Mine haven't come back yet, I probably left it too long.

Give it some time, I'm sure yours will still come around. My swords have been neglected from time to time and they always seem to come back.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Here's what they look like. As of now they haven't got any worse, but they've stopped falling apart. I do think they're dead though. lol

Decaying leaves | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Are all of the leaves like that? If there are still some green leaves, I would prune off all those dead rotted ones. Pruning doesn't hurt the plants and actually encourages them to grow in faster and more fuller. The more you prune sword plant leaves, the chances of it shooting runner offspring is higher.

 

[meegosh]

Yeah I would remove any leaves that look like the one in the picture. If there are any leaves that are mostly green they should bounce back. Pruning only helps in this case.