What is happening to my plants??

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A

AmazonAngel

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 3, 2009
128
1
0
Colorado
I have had my 75 gallon set up for a little over a year now, but all of the sudden my sword plants and others are turning into "skeletons"! Anyone have a clue what the cause is? I add iron, potassium, and seachems acid buffer. I have phillips full spectrum lights (3 48") that I just bought.

leaf.jpg
 
looks like it getting eatin by something whats in the tank
 
What kinda substrate do you got? Some sword plants need a rich nutrient substrate. Even though you dose nutrients and have the light, it may not be enough.
 
I have gravel mixed with flourite. I also add the fertilizer tabs underneath the sword every month. This plant has been in my tank for a year, and I have never had any problems until now. I have a farowella, 2 small chinese algea eater, and a few dwarf plecos.. could it be them sucking on the leaves that is causing this? The fish have been in there for a few months.
 
That happens to my plants after a while too.

My only thought is that the algae eaters sucking on them eventually put those little holes in it because something else first weakens and thins the plant. My tank's history has included a lot of plants being lost to first being covered in GSA and then yellowing or turning brown. They always seem to get thinner as they weaken.

The spotting is too small and uniform to be from a deliberate herbivore - purposeful bites are usually bigger and more random - but it makes sense that if the plant was getting weaker that it'd start having those microshreds.

(disclaimer: I have no plant expertise whatsoever. I just have years of experience putting swords in tanks that get 12 hours of light per day and only occasionally dosing excel or micronutrients and watching them eventually turn to crap.)
 
Okay, the plecos have been in there for a year and the swords leaves were perfect the whole time up until recently... if it is them then the new leaves should be fine for a year since that it how long it took, right?
 
Thats was happening to my plants about a year ago too. Not just this one ( Giant Hygro) but even my anubias and java ferns had it.

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In my case, it was a potassium deficiency. I used Flourish's line of potassium and I was able to save it. Never had that problem again.
 
When leaves start failing in rapid succession, it is usually a sign of a deficiency of one of the macro nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
 
I only add potassium and iron. I dont have a test kit for phosphorus and see if that is it. I never add it because I heard the fish waste and leftover food etc produces enougth phosphates
 
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