Amazon Sword Leaves Turning Brown

[NewToFishHobby]

Hi,

I bought this amazon sword last week and within a week, three of the leaves have turned brown. What can be the reason?

This is a newly setup tank. Not yet cycled. I haven't tested water parameters yet.

Specifications:
29 gallon, beanswork light, regular gravel, fluval root tabs, pennplax filter. Water temperature stays between 77 and 79.Tank also has a lot of black and red lava rocks.

Also, what kind of snails are those on the leaves? They came in with the plant, although I washed it before adding to the tank.

 

[nikm128]

those are definitely snails on the leaves.
Browning usually means a potassium low

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Thanks. What would you suggest I should add to the water? Any good fert recommendation?

 

[New Fish in Town]

Mine about died off until I added CO2. Then they took over the tank. Try keeping the lights on for a longer, or shorter time period.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Okay, thanks. Will try that. Do you know of any CO2 system that is not expensive?

 

[nikm128]

I use seachem flourish for my liquid fert as well as for the root tabs with my amazon swords. They mainly feed from the water column so the liquid fert is better to get first if you can't get both

 

[yukondog]

I would give it another week seeing how a lot of plants will wilt some from transplanting [shock].

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Okay, thanks. I have the root tabs. I'll get the liquid fert as well.

 

[-Mak-]

I would get Nilocg Thrive instead of flourish, flourish doesn't really contain some of the most important macronutrients.

 

[86 ssinit]

Ok I’ve got lots of plants but I’m no expert. As said above they do sometimes melt a bit when newly added to a tank. That’s what yours seems to be doing. So give it time it should come back. Remove those leaves if they continue melting. Root tabs are great for sword plants. They are huge root feeders.I also like the anubias nana on the driftwood. Great choice. That will feed from the water and flourish will work for it. Though a lot of people are happy with thrive.
Good luck with your new plants and tank . Oh and get rid of the snails they multiply like crazy. Get them now before they get out of hand.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

I would give it another week seeing how a lot of plants will wilt some from transplanting [shock].

Okay sure, will keep an eye and post some pictures in case they still show same signs.

Ok I’ve got lots of plants but I’m no expert. As said above they do sometimes melt a bit when newly added to a tank. That’s what yours seems to be doing. So give it time it should come back. Remove those leaves if they continue melting. Root tabs are great for sword plants. They are huge root feeders.I also like the anubias nana on the driftwood. Great choice. That will feed from the water and flourish will work for it. Though a lot of people are happy with thrive.
Good luck with your new plants and tank . Oh and get rid of the snails they multiply like crazy. Get them now before they get out of hand.

Thanks
Yes they have already increased in number :/ and I don't know how to get rid of them. I don't want to harm them.

 

[86 ssinit]

Yes I read this all the time. I don’t want to harm them. Sorry they are pest snails they leave little slimy egg sacks all over the tank and each one of those produces hundreds more snails. Squish those egg sacks and remove those snails. Because what follows that first statement is oh my god how do I get rid of all these snails!!!

 

[aquafrogg]

Hi, those leaves on that sword are leaves left over from when the sword was grown above water. Actually, every single leaf you see will die as sword-shaped leaves begin to grow in the middle.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Sorry they are pest snails they leave little slimy egg sacks all over the tank and each one of those produces hundreds more snails.

Oh God that's scary

Hi, those leaves on that sword are leaves left over from when the sword was grown above water. Actually, every single leaf you see will die as sword-shaped leaves begin to grow in the middle.

Ohh so the plant won't retain this shape?

 

[yukondog]

I agree about the squash the snails [ get them now or deal with it latter] or you could do a few loaches after your tank ages a little.

 

[aquafrogg]

Ohh so the plant won't retain this shape?

Nope! The leaves are actually going to look like the blade of a sword, meaning the same width for most of the leaf (no long stem before the leaf, the leaf starts from the very center of the plant) and tapered off at the very end. The leaves your plant has are called emersed, because it was grown above water. That’s when the leaves look like a shovel

 

[SuperMon]

Hi, those leaves on that sword are leaves left over from when the sword was grown above water. Actually, every single leaf you see will die as sword-shaped leaves begin to grow in the middle.

I also have a newly set up 29 with amazon sword with browning issues, nice to see it could be a lack of K which I should have fixed with a dosage of plant food 2 days ago, but I'd also like to add I got my amazon sword from one of those dry packages in Petsmart and I contributed them turning brown to this as Bubbles has mentioned the plant should be changing

I got my amazon sword with little leaflets and flowers growing, because I think emerged amazon swords can grow these easier than submerged. Transferring my leaflets to a spot in the gravel and see them melt made me worry, nice to know it's just in due time for better looking plants

 

[New Fish in Town]

Okay, thanks. Will try that. Do you know of any CO2 system that is not expensive?

It depends on what you want. You can go with a cheap manually operated one where you have to turn the valve off and on. There is a semi-automatic version that will cost you around $200+ once you are done, or fully automatic which is about $400+ dollars. Semi-automatic is the way to go. You put your system on the timer and the timer turns it off and on. As long as you don't leave it on for more than 7, or 8 hours and only do 1, or 2 drops a second you won't kill your fish from CO2 poisoning. Start out only leaving it on 5, or 6 hours and see if that helps. A automatic system will kick on and off if your PH level or CO2 level changes too much. I haven't had issues with any of that though and I have a semi-automatic system in a 20 gallon high.

This is where I bought mine. Looks like CO2 systems range from $20 (manual) to almost $500 (fully automatic).

 

[Kathryn Crook]

I know you changed subjects about the plants and snails to CO2 but can't reiterate more about killing those pond snails whenever and whereever you see them. Catch them, crush them, whatever needs to be done. It will take some time and persistence but it will pay off. Ive had hundreds of these snails in my small pond, more importantly their egg sacs. Though I disnt mind them in a pond, you really don't want them in your tank.

 

[New Fish in Town]

Also, I should add that you can make your own CO2 system out of a coke bottle and some other household items, if you don't want to spend a lot. Google it, or watch how to do it on youtube. It is also important to understand that Amazon Swords are root feeders, so continue to use root tabs, or enriched substrate.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

I know you changed subjects about the plants and snails to CO2 but can't reiterate more about killing those pond snails whenever and whereever you see them. Catch them, crush them, whatever needs to be done. It will take some time and persistence but it will pay off. Ive had hundreds of these snails in my small pond, more importantly their egg sacs. Though I disnt mind them in a pond, you really don't want them in your tank.

Yes I tried catching them, buy putting a salad piece inside the tank (saw one of the YouTube videos). It didn't work and I haven't seen them in 2 days now. Not sure if they died or are hiding :/

Also, I should add that you can make your own CO2 system out of a coke bottle and some other household items, if you don't want to spend a lot. Google it, or watch how to do it on youtube. It is also important to understand that Amazon Swords are root feeders, so continue to use root tabs, or enriched substrate.

Thanks newfish. I watched some diy videos for the Co2 system. Although, they seem easy, but I'll go with a semi-automatic system (too lazy for the diy project). I'll wait a bit to see how my plants are doing and then invest in co2 system. I am adding roots tabs, hopefully they'll survive.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Update: I see new leaves growing and they seem healthy. Should I pluck the leaves that are brown? If I don't pluck those leaves, is it going to harm the plant in any way?

 

[nikm128]

It won't harm them, but it would be benificial to get them off

 

[86 ssinit]

Yes best to cut them off. Plant is still sending nutrients to those leaves. Cut them off and more new leaves will follow. Good luck your getting there. How’s the snail problem?

 

[DarkOne]

You don't need CO2 for swords but root tabs will help a lot as well as ferts. Pluck off the leaves that are dying as they won't repair themselves and will use up nutrients. Swords like a lot of light.

 

[NewToFishHobby]

Yes best to cut them off. Plant is still sending nutrients to those leaves. Cut them off and more new leaves will follow. Good luck your getting there. How’s the snail problem?

Thanks. I got rid of 5 of them, haven't seen any more for last 4-5 days.

You don't need CO2 for swords but root tabs will help a lot as well as ferts. Pluck off the leaves that are dying as they won't repair themselves and will use up nutrients. Swords like a lot of light.

Yes I am using root tabs for swords.