What makes these brown spots appear

[freak45]

I'm baffle at what causes the brown spots on my swords not enough nutrients?

 

[herp_mommy]

Swords are heavy root feeders, some root tabs are usually helpful in nutrient deficiencies.

 

[freak45]

Yea I dropped API root feeders in there

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

How long ago did you setup this tank? Does that brown stuff rub off with your fingers or is the leaf actually turning brown?

 

[freak45]

Yes they do rub off I just did it right now...this is a month old tank in its fish in cycle

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

They're probably diatoms. You can just scrub them away during your weekly maintenance. Eventually when your tank matures and balances out, they subside in their own. Nerites and Otos love to eat them, but the latter isnt a good option for a new tank that's barely cycled or not.

 

[Rivercats]

It also helps to only run your lighting for 6 hours to help keep diatom growth down. Did this recently when we set up two Fluval Edge 6g and go very little diatom growth. Then popped in 1 nerite and it kept the rest under control.