I need a plant expert! Browning leaves.

[MMK]

Hi all,

The plants in my 5 gallon eclipse have begun to die off, or it think they are anyway. I've never had this problem before, so I don't know what to do. The plants in my 5.5 gallon and 15 gallon are doing great.

The tank finished cycling about a week ago and my betta has been in for just under a week. The tank has four amazon swords and the leaves have been slowly turning brown and falling off. The one java fern is doing fine and even has new leaves sprouting. This makes me think that maybe it's a light issue? I'm using the Florescent bulb that came with the tank (the standard compact bulb that you can buy in aquarium stores).

Or I was thinking that maybe the nitrates are too low? I did a huge water change before my betta went in and brought them down to around 5ppm. I even added flourish root tabs when I set up the tank. I don't know what to do!

I've heard of using Flourish Excel, but I don't know anything about it. Can anyone suggest something that would work? Any ideas would be great! I guess if everything else fails, I'll try to find a whole bunch more java fern (its just really hard to find larger ones in my area).

Thanks!

[nomoretickets]

it might be a nutrient deficiency. Java fern is pretty much indestructible, but most other plants need the occasional dosing of fertilizers to remain healthy. When was your last water change? if all the nutrients in your water have been eaten up that could explain it, or maybe you introduced something weird with your last water change if you recently did one

[MMK]

Thanks for the reply. I think it's unlikely that I introduced anything new as the bettas is doing great and I use the same water etc. in all my tanks (which are fine). My last water change was 5 days ago and it was a 50% change.

If it is a nutrients deficiency, what is a good fertilizer to use?

[wallywestisthebest333]

Don't amazon swords need nutrients in the roots as well?

Do you have enriched substrate (potting soil, flourite, or something ekse) or root tabs for them?

If not some root tabs will help. =]

That and if the plants are new I think amazon swords are grown emersed in nurseries and the leaves that were grown emersed usually die off after being underwater.

[MMK]

Yah, as I mentioned before I put in root tabs, as they are in gravel. That has always worked in my other tanks that is why I wasn't sure what to do?

Would flourish excel be a good thing to try next?

[Creat]

I agree with wallywestisthebest amazon plants need fertilizer near their roots where they can get at it where java fern does a great job of pulling nutrients from everywhere. And as long as the roots and crown of the plant are fine the leaves should grow back. I use Flourish excel for all my planted tanks and I recommend it to anyone but as its not necessary for the amazon sword or java fern although you would see some crazy growth from the fern using it.

[Oldfishlady]

Originally Posted by wallywestisthebest333

That and if the plants are new I think amazon swords are grown emersed in nurseries and the leaves that were grown emersed usually die off after being underwater.

This is the most likely cause-some/most plants are grown at the nursery with their leaves out of the water so they grow faster and the leaf that grows under water is different than the leaf that is grow above water...emersed and submersed growth.....once the emersed growth melts/drops and the new submersed growth come it the sword plant should be fine-just pinch off the brown leaf...also, planting correctly is important too...make sure the crown is above the substrate some......when I plant swords and most rosette plants in general-I will poke the roots in the substrate and then give the plant a little tug to bring the crown above the substrate just a bit so it doesn't rot and die.