Amazin Sword troubles...

[Batt4Christ]

So when the more mature leaves on my amazons began to look like this, I cut back all that were looked rough, added some more root tabs (they were due anyway). Now the formerly non-shredded leaves are looking bad, and while there are beautiful green newer-growth leaves coming on and all the amazons I this tank are expanding, I'm puzzled at what is the cause of this "lace-effect".

Water parameters are fine, am also using Flourish Comprehensive.

Ideas?

Stock list:
Two angelfish
Large school of harlequin Rasboras
School of Rummynose tetras
Two rubberlip plecos (I believe a male and a female)
One SAE (he was going to be sent to the Petco re-home tank for misbehaving (chasing and injuring other fish- but since it's partner was caught and he was too quick and smart to be caught, he remains).
One male albino bristlenose pleco
A few cories
A couple of very effective assassin snails
A pair of horned nerite snails (that lay eggs regularly)
A well-controlled (as in- very few) other snails (occasional rams horn appears and usually gets eaten within a few days of being seen, and every once in a while I see an MTS, but the assassins are efficient.)

 

[Batt4Christ]

iPhone autocorrect fail- AMAZON SWORD-

 

[Batt4Christ]

Some photos of the "damage"...

 

[abrahamavelar]

Try potassium

 

[Batt4Christ]

Well- some time has gone by, and I have done two major cutbacks of damaged leaves, and added additional root tabs and supplemental potassium. Things seemed to improve for a couple of weeks, but in the last three weeks, it's condition is the worst yet.

 

[Atxpunx]

Do you have the stock lights? I had a similar problem before I upgraded my lights.

 

[Batt4Christ]

Nope. 3x T5 HO

One is on 10hrs, all three for a five hours of "mid-day sun". Also run CO2 injection.

 

[aqua_chem]

What are your nitrates testing at?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Oh- and rest of the plants, including some with significantly higher light requirements- generally are doing well.

 

[Batt4Christ]

A cording to the API liquid test kit- the color is somewhere between 0 and 5ppm. Probably closer to 0.

I just re-did that test to confirm (levels are usually somewhere around 20ppm).

So I rechecked my Ammonia and Nitrites- both still zero.

Hmmm... Am I nitrogen-deficient? Other, faster growing plants sucking it all up?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Oh- and I only do 5-10% water changes every 2-3 weeks any more, and even then, not as a result of high levels, but out of drill/clean-up/aesthetics.

 

[aqua_chem]

Possibly. Are you shaking the crap out of the nitrate test its first?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Possibly. Are you shaking the crap out of the nitrate test its first?

Hehe. And when I have counted the suggested time, I start over again with the shaking. I also give it the full 5 minute wait to check it. I then let it sit another 2 minutes and check again.

I'm almost convinced it is nitrogen deficiency. Now to figure out my course of action. I had figured a fairly high bio load would provide enough nitrates. Guess not.

 

[Batt4Christ]

View attachment 68965

The whole tank this evening

 

[aqua_chem]

Looks like a lot of stems with T5HOs and CO2? You will probably have to supply such a setup with ferts as they will surpass what your bioload can produce.