My swords are dying....

[Lonewolfblue]

I placed 2 sword plantlets with 5 inch roots on each into my 55G. Well, the leaves are becoming transparent, one by one. What's going on? I have them planted in PFS, and had 1 root tab under each. Tonight I added a 2nd tab under each, on the opposite side as the first tabs. Nitrates are high, and have not dosed Phosphates, as I have very minimal plants anyways, just 2 swords, 3 anacharis stems, and a small wisteria branch. Not enough to really do anything. I have not dosed potassium though, maybe I should add some? I really didn't want another dosing tank, lol, as I don't really have anything in it. Any thoughts on it?

 

[fish_4_all]

Potassium, sounds very much like it. It could also be just an acclimation period from being fed by the mother plant to being seperate and learning to take up nutients. The roots might be water roots and then just need to grow some roots to grow in the substrate. I say tgive them time because once the roots find the tabs they should do fine.

My roseatta swords did this when I removed them from the mother stem.

 

[MSU Fan]

tangent question: what do you use for root tabs? I have swords in my tank (with pfs), and they are growing like crazy with no root tabs - I am a little scared to put some in for fear of the new growth rate - some of my plants grow atleast an inch every time i dose ferts already....

 

[Purrbox]

My bets are that the swords have used up all the PO4 and can't make use of the NO3. NO3 and PO3 deficiency look very similar, leaves turn transparent and the disintegrate. I'd check the PO4 levels and then dose to balance out your NO3 if necessary.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

As for the root tabs, I used Flourish Root tabs for them.

I also have 130W over the tank.

 

[TwoHobbies]

If you haven't already....Remove those clear leaves. If they have a good root structure you should be fine. Give them some time.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I've already removed the bad looking leaves.

 

[TwoHobbies]

Ya I kinda figured that