problem with Amazon swords

[fishdud]

For some reason I can never get my swords to stay alive I don't know why but they grow out new leaves but they start to die before they even start to get bigger. On some the tips turn brown and some turn yellow. I use jungle root tabs but I have seachem tabs on the way since I heard many people have success with those. The substrate is just plain gravel. Please help!

 

[Aspencer]

What kind of lighting do you have...bulbs, watts, length of lighting periods...etc

 

[fishdud]

T5ho Nova extreme 48 watts. Blue bulb 10,000k, not actinic or whatever its called. Pink bulb is 6,700k. Both 24 watts. Left on for six hours

 

[Aspencer]

Seems like you have enough light by maybe your photo period is a little short, maybe an hour or more. Do you does carbon...with high light, carbon to support fast growth.

Rookie or fort could give you more detailed information.

 

[jcolon]

I have a similar issue with My Swords, larger older leaves yellow and brown, even with a ultra sun 6500K light and root tabs. I used to have a Flora Sun which was around 5000K and gave the tank a lavender/pinkish color. In my case, not all the leaves die, and the younger one seem to grow. I use the seachem root tabs and I do feel they do make a difference .... that might be what you need.

I also have a gravel substrate but am looking to do some PFS, see if that will benefit the roots better.

 

[fishdud]

Sorry I didn't get what you meant:/ but I'm thinking it could be the lack of potassium? The root tabs I use don't have potassium in em and the seachem tabs do. I read that somewhere on dustins fish tanks

 

[rich311k]

I wonder if you have a lack of iron? What size is the tank?

 

[fishdud]

I dont think its iron? And a 36 g

 

[rich311k]

Is it only the new growth that is dieing? The old leaves look good?

 

[fishdud]

New growth is dying and old leaves are either turning yellow or getting brown tips

 

[rich311k]

What are your test readings. i think you need to add potassium and maybe Flourish comprehensive as well.

 

[fishdud]

I tested my water yesterday and everything is perfect. I heard dosing potassium is a no no but I add flourish comprehensive tho. And I'm getting seachem root tabs and see how that goes. If I member correctly I think my nitrate was a teeny weeny up until I did filter maintenance on my aqueon.

 

[adadkins1]

The 10,000K bulb does not benefit plants if I remember correctly. So this means you are only running 24W on your 36g tank. You might could try upping your photo period to 8-10hrs a day and changing the 10,000K bulb to a 6,700K as well.

 

[fishdud]

Do you know where I can buy another plant grow bulb that's the same as the other pink one? A t5 bulb

 

[rich311k]

I tested my water yesterday and everything is perfect. I heard dosing potassium is a no no but I add flourish comprehensive tho. And I'm getting seachem root tabs and see how that goes. If I member correctly I think my nitrate was a teeny weeny up until I did filter maintenance on my aqueon.

Potassium is actually the safest one to add, are your nitrate high? if they are then no need for N just the K. I use 10000K lights and my plants grow just fine, to well at times.

 

[adadkins1]

I had always thought that 6,500K/6,700K were the best color temps. for plants. One more myth dispelled.

 

[fishdud]

It was till I did a small water change and cleaned my filter. And its not an actinic bulb either

 

[Aspencer]

I had always heard that the antic lights didn't do well for plants. One more myth dispelled.

Anatic bulbs are the ones tht most of the light is not usuable for plants while 10k bulbs have light that plants use although some of it is out of the range too.

 

[fishdud]

Here's one of my swords that's turning yellow and have brown tips