[TankEnvy]

Bought a sword plant, I think African, about 8 inches high, planted it in my 55 gallon tank that has a 96-watt coralife unit two days ago. Afraid not enough light so I added a 24" coralife unit placed directly over plant for another 65 watts. Weekly ferts with Pfertz micros and macros. No excel.

In two days, all the leaves on the sword are full of holes. Too much light? Too little? Some weird sword version of crypt-melt? Just an acclimating thing and it will throw up new healthy shoots?

I don't think any fish could do that much damage so fast, but I do have one 6" albino pleco and a smaller clown pleco. Plus a bunch of bolivian rams, 2 laetacara dorsigera (breeding!!), no snails.

Substrate is that black expensive stuff...can't remember name...made for Amazon setups. About 18 months old, though. Water chem is fine--all the usual parameters normal. Ph slightly acidic (peat moss in filter, lots of bog wood.)

Rest of plants are fine (crypts, java fern, java moss, anubias, water lilly, ludwigia) Also, I have an older sword that has same problem on older leaves, but new growth has no holes.

So, any ideas what's going on with the new/old sword?

I'll try to upload pix tomorrow...

Thanks!

 

[jl209]

Are you dosing any ferts and or injecting c02? With that much light you need both. The rest of the tank is lower light but where the sword is there is a high light level.You may have a K deficiency although I am no expert.

 

[tetra73]

Sword plants do not require a lot of light. I believe the plant is experiencing potassium deficiency. Just add some root tab in the substrate and turn back down the light. The plant should be fine.

 

[treasy]

What do the leaves look like? Most swords that are grown emersed before they are sold will have leaves that are mostly stem with an oval leaf at the top. Swords that are grown submersed will be narrower and have "leaf" over more of the stem.

When switching from emersed to submerged, a plant's leaves will often wither away and die, to be replaced by the proper form of the leaf.

 

[TankEnvy]

I am dosing ferts--as noted, Pfertz nitrogen and micros. No potassium. plant was bought from LFS tank, planted submerge for long time--big narrow leaves. root tab added when planted. No CO2 injection.

 

[jl209]

Sorry I don't know how I missed that. If you keep the extra light you may need phosphorus ,potassium, and c02.

 

[Surgeon]

If the holes are clean I'd blame a fish. If they are feathery around the edges/rotten etc its something else.

 

[johnny313]

I have a an Amazon sword and its 24" high with almost 30 leaves. its under high light, high ferts and high CO2

 

[TankEnvy]

I've never gone the CO2 route and I've never had luck with Amazon Swords. Starting to think the two are definitely related.

I'm reluctant to get into a higher-tech setup...maybe Swords aren't for me. Although I'd be curious to know if anyone out there has had luck growing Swords without CO2...

 

[fresh.salty]

Swords were one of the few plants that would grow well for me before using anything more than a stock strip light and a few root tabs. My tanks back in the late 70's and early 80's would get overgrown with them.

I think it's just transitioning.

 

[wetworks]

I had plecos eat my swords so you may want to keep an eye on them. The clown pleco for sure is a plant eater, and unless your albino is an ancistrus (bristlenose) then that may also eat your plants.

 

[johnny313]

sorry to hijack, but i wanted to show you my monster sword

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I've never gone the CO2 route and I've never had luck with Amazon Swords. Starting to think the two are definitely related.

I'm reluctant to get into a higher-tech setup...maybe Swords aren't for me. Although I'd be curious to know if anyone out there has had luck growing Swords without CO2...

I had a REALLY low tech (1 x 34 watt T12, no ferts, no CO2) 29 gal tank that had Radicans that pushed the glass top off...

Sorry about contributing to a hijack...


Are the holes elongated between the veins or are there yellow spots? Could be a Manganse deficiency.



Tommy

 

[catsma_97504]

Or possibly potassium deficiency?