sword plant leaves turning brown

[cudamaster13]

I have three melon swords in my tank and the leaves keep turning brown so I was wondering wat the problem might be and if there's a solution I also use flourish, flourish excel, and just started using flourish nitrogen.

 

[Aquaticfan]

I have three melon swords in my tank and the leaves keep turning brown so I was wondering wat the problem might be and if there's a solution I also use flourish, flourish excel, and just started using flourish nitrogen.

What are you using for light? Its most likely a nutrient deficiency issue. Do you use any root tabs? Swords are primarily root feeders. Are the items you list all your using? How much and how often? Your also missing other vital nutrients that make a difference. Potassium and phosphate.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[cudamaster13]

What are you using for light? Its most likely a nutrient deficiency issue. Do you use any root tabs? Swords are primarily root feeders. Are the items you list all your using? How much and how often? Your also missing other vital nutrients that make a difference. Potassium and phosphate.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

light is bright but I use the excel one every day,the nitrogen one twice a week and the other once a week would root tabs help alongside the others and ill look for the other stuff, oh also my lfs said to dilute the main flourish should I not do this?

 

[Aquaticfan]

light is bright but I use the excel one every day,the nitrogen one twice a week and the other once a week would root tabs help alongside the others and ill look for the other stuff, oh also my lfs said to dilute the main flourish should I not do this?

Your getting bad advice from your LFS. First you need to determine if your trying to run your plants under high light, medium light or low light. Whats the brans and type of light? is it LED or T5HO or other? The amount of light a plant gets determines how much nutrients your plants need. Light is what drives photosynthisis in plants to more aggressive levels. The more light the more nutrients. How large is the tank?

Your not dosing enough Nitrate, Phosphate and Potassium. You have Micro and macro nutrients. Your Micro would be the Flourish. Id recommend dosing that everyother day starting lets say on a sunday.. (or whatever day you chose) Then you would dose that same stuff again on tuesday and thursday. Once you have your NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium you will dose that on Monday, Wednsday and Friday. Basically every other day. DO NOT DILLUTE. Use the root tabs pushed down into the substrate right next to or under the roots of the plant. Do water changes once a week of 50 percont (on the schedual above dosing your water change day would be Saturday and do not dose anything that day) What you need to do is provide more then enough nutrients, this way eliminates any deficency issues you can have.

 

[cudamaster13]

light is led but also have led flashlight above plants to give more light to some that don't get enough light were they are thanks for the advice I hope this works.also I plan on adding some red telanthera and chain swords to the tank so will this process work with them as well?

 

[burbon44s]

Your getting bad advice from your LFS. First you need to determine if your trying to run your plants under high light, medium light or low light. Whats the brans and type of light? is it LED or T5HO or other? The amount of light a plant gets determines how much nutrients your plants need. Light is what drives photosynthisis in plants to more aggressive levels. The more light the more nutrients. How large is the tank?

Your not dosing enough Nitrate, Phosphate and Potassium. You have Micro and macro nutrients. Your Micro would be the Flourish. Id recommend dosing that everyother day starting lets say on a sunday.. (or whatever day you chose) Then you would dose that same stuff again on tuesday and thursday. Once you have your NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium you will dose that on Monday, Wednsday and Friday. Basically every other day. DO NOT DILLUTE. Use the root tabs pushed down into the substrate right next to or under the roots of the plant. Do water changes once a week of 50 percont (on the schedual above dosing your water change day would be Saturday and do not dose anything that day) What you need to do is provide more then enough nutrients, this way eliminates any deficency issues you can have.

This is all very true.
But I would also recommend using the correct substrate for plants. They dont do very well in gravel. And possibly using 50% R.O. water with water changes. Plants also don't care for hard water conditions

Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[tyjo1334]

Using RO water for a planted tank a bad idea; filtered soft RO water is not good for plants because your plants thrive off of the fresh water that is full of minerals from your tap. True hard high Ph water is not good for your plants they thrive in 6.8-7.1 Ph water but you can adjust that with co2 injection or with Ph down if last resort needed. But definitely RO water is not your best choice. Just be sure you either ONLY use API tap water conditioner NOT Prime or I prefer to put your new water in a separate tank or new clean garbage can as I use with a powerhead and aerator for 24+ hours to remove any chlorine and add heater to get your water to within 1 degree difference before you change the water. Best of luck. And read read read about nutrient needs of plants

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[sincebeen]

I would also recommend using the correct substrate for plants. They dont do very well in gravel.

That depends on the plant. The plant in the OPs thread does do well in gravel. I actually have a sword in gravel, which has been for more than six months, and is very much alive.

However, I was having the brown leaf issue with a bunch of Anubias Frazeri plants. I had them rubber banded to rocks in order to keep the rhizome exposed. They all eventually died from what I thought was an iron deficiency, although I think I just learned a ton from this thread. The only Anubias Frazeri that is still alive in my tank is one that was potted. I also have an Anubias Nana that is doing well and is potted.

OP, I'm not sure how partial you are to the swords, but you might try some java fern. I have several Java Fern Mats that seem to do good in my system.

It is worth mentioning that 1. I do not add any chemicals to my water (I did use Prime twice while testing my automatic water change system, but it didn't seem to effect the plants) and 2. I have a low light environment.

 

[burbon44s]

I did mention 50% R.O. with water changes.
And just because u found a plant that lives in gravel doesn't mean it will thrive
Just my opinion

Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Aquaticfan]

This is all very true.
But I would also recommend using the correct substrate for plants. They dont do very well in gravel. And possibly using 50% R.O. water with water changes. Plants also don't care for hard water conditions

Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

I'm not 100% sold on substrate. Ive grown several tanks with super small fine gravel. But my favorite is pool filter sand. All my tanks currently use it and are going crazy with growth. Some people think it has to be ada aqua soil or other brand of stuff. Ive had no issues with the sand. Ive got dirt tanks as well and still prefer the sand.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App