Can’t grow sword

[Deadeye]

My Amazon sword was one of the first plants to go in my planted tank back in March. Since then, the big leaves died off and just never came back. Always been the other small leaves that go with it.
It has many root tabs next to it and gets plenty of light (12 hours). I run a fluval aquasky. All the other plants grow fine.
Only thing I can think of is the pH is too high, it sits at about 7.5 which is the high end for swords.
Thoughts?

 

[altums85]

What substrates are u using? Swords are heavy root feeders. They prefer nutrient rich substrates and helps if your substrate is thick. Sand with root tabs isn't gonna be enough imo. Unless u have co2

 

[tlindsey]

Sand with root tabs isn't gonna be enough imo.

I have had Amazon Swords for over a year growing in sand and root tabs only. The Amazon Swords were growing pretty good until Blackbeard Algae became a nuisance.

 

[tlindsey]

pH is too high

My PH from the tap is 7.5-7.8 and was able to grow Amazon Swords.

 

[duanes]

Mine hung in for a little over 2 years in just sand, no ferts (I never vacuum its tank), pH 8.2, until Vallisneria began to outcompete and choke it out.

So I dug a rootball size hole in a sunken log and wedged it in closer to the surface, bringing it up into more light, where it started to flourish.(the shot above)
The moved it, and its new log into a more well lit shallower tank, with full sun for 4 hours per day
It hung in almost another year, but the the Vallisneria in that tank finally swallowed it up, and I haven't seen it in a couple months.

 

[Deadeye]

I just have regular gravel and crushed coral substrate, from back when it was a mbuna tank.
I dose flourish and excel.

 

[fishguy1978]

Swords are generally undemanding plants. It is possible to burn the roots with to much fertilizer. Was this a tissue culture plant? Grown emersed prior to planting in your tank? Either tissue culture or emersed grown will experience leaf melt during transition which will look like die off.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

PH should matter much. I have mine in a tank that hovers around 8.5 while the tap water comes out at 8.7-9. deeper substrate seems to be the key to good growth when it comes to swords from what I've noticed. Atleast any that I plant in the shallower end tend to die off or atleast stay small.

 

[Deadeye]

Swords are generally undemanding plants. It is possible to burn the roots with to much fertilizer. Was this a tissue culture plant? Grown emersed prior to planting in your tank? Either tissue culture or emersed grown will experience leaf melt during transition which will look like die off.

It was one of the topfin ones in the bottle, out of water. So yes I think it may have been tissue cultured.

 

[fishguy1978]

It was one of the topfin ones in the bottle, out of water. So yes I think it may have been tissue cultured.

I haven't had good success with tc plants.