Argentine Swords are sad

I have two small-ish (5-6 inch) Argentine Swords in my 5.5 gallon. I use Flourish Root Tabs, and Flourish Comp is slightly over dosed once a week, at almost 1/4 teaspoon. Lighting is a single 13 watt (60? watt replacement) CFL, on for like... 11 or 12 hours a day. Substrate is black sand, with MTS to stir it up.

One of them was always kind of sad, but the other I noticed started yellowing a bit after my Lily Bulb really took off, and started growing all over the place. I had one new root tab at the base of the sword, and the Lily was about 5 inches away. I recently moved the Lily, and found that, to my surprise, the roots, *all* of the roots, were growing towards the root tab, thus out competing the poor sword.

I'm not do to replace the Root Tabs until Mat 1st, but I don't want my Sword to die, as I really like it. I'd hate to check and see how the root tab is, and make it worse by floofing (Yes. "Floofing." ) it all up into the water column, but I'd *also* hate to just stick a new one down there, and screw my parameters up :/


This is the only plant that is having any problems (besides my new-ish Banana Plant. PetCo didn't treat it very nicely, but its slowly perking up). I also have:
Guppy Grass (So. Much. Guppy Grass @.@)
Wisteria
a Dwarf Lily
a Crypt Wendtii
some Dwarf Hair Grass (also near the Argentine Sword, and has started to do better since I moved the Lily)
an Onion plant
Pennywort
a Java Fern
Java Moss (just a tiny little bit)
Aponogenton
2 Argentine Swords

And a few days ago, I added:
a Marimo Moss Ball
an Amazon Sword (a bit smaller than the Argentines)
and Telanthera (?) (which is still trying adjust to life underwater)


Heres a pic of the Argentine Sword. You can see half of the plant is yellowy, while the other half is real happy and green. Also, the difference in the leaf shape...?





And a FTS:





P.S. I have no idea how I managed to shove all these plants in there LOL

Also, Stocking is in my sig. Not listed are the MTS and RCS. They don't really count lol

 

Could you please explain to a plant beginner, beginner, beginner what a root tab is and how it works??

 

A root tab is an awkward little chunk of solid fertilizers for plants, such as swords and crypts, that ulilize nutrients more from the substrate than they do the water column, such as java fern and guppy grass. Does that make sense?

 

What kind of lighting are you using?

IMO I think you're putting too many ferts in. Especially with frogs.

 

A 13 watt CFL. The frogs don't seem to mind. The male sings, and they try to make babies all the time. Not to mention that they eat like pigs. You've seen the proof of that lol

 

Fertilizers in amphibians have an accumulative affect. They absorb whatever is in your water through their skin.

As for the plant, you could try adding another light source that has a different spectrum of light.

 

What kind would you recommend? The space there is limited, as it's made for an incandescent bulb.

 

You probably want something in the lower light spectrum, if you can keep the current bulb as well. Otherwise I know petco sells some bulbs for hoods like yours that are in the 5000k - 6500k spectrum that work really well. Do you know what your current bulb is putting out?

If you add a lot of ferts, you need a lot of light. Try backing off on the liquid fert a bit and see if that helps.

 

So you have a link for that?

 

I have 2 of these in my 10 gallon and it's working out really well for me. Do you know what kind of light your current bulb is putting out?

Edit: there's also this one, it has 2 different types of bulbs in one package.

 

Oh ok. I'll look into that.

No I don't. I'm not at my room right now. I can look when I get back though. The one u have right now is the equivalent of 60 watts, as far as I can gather the pack I bought doesn't say how many watts it replaces, but other 13 watt CFL packs say like 60 watts or something.

 

It's not just wattage that you need to look at. Light wavelength plays a part in this. You're current bulb may not be hitting the right wavelengths for a plant that needs higher light levels.

 

Well the lily likes it

Lol

So do you think this might explain why the java fern has been turning a nice dark green, even though it's not shaded and is pretty much right under the light? (the wavelength)

 

Java moss isn't very picky. It's like an aquatic weed lol. I'm getting overrun with the stuff. When you get back to your room look at the bulb, maybe it'll have info on it.

 

Java *fern*, not java moss lol My moss is kinda like "screw you, I'm not growing!" LOL

Ok, so I made a boo-boo. I have a 10 watt CFL. Not a 13. That's the 10 gallon LOL

So, this 10 water equals 40 incandescent watts. I'll give you all the info on the box I can find (doesn't say much :/)

-520 Lumens
-Soft White
-120 VAC
-60 Hz
-140 mA

Whatever those last 3 mean.... I'll find the GE equivalent of these bulbs on line and post a link.

Ok, so this is the closest I can find. Apparently, Publix is the only brand to make Soft White CFLs -_- Hopefully, what you're looking doesn't differ between "Soft" and "warm"...

 

that's what I needed to know! it's a 2700k bulb. If you switch to a 6500k from petco, you'll get a much broader light spectrum for your plants. I'll get a pic up tonight of what my 10 gallon looks with my 2 6500k bulbs. I need to stop Fishloring from work lol.

They bulbs I linked above are expensive, but in my opinion worth it!

 

I've got two of these on my 10 gallon:




Would my swords be happier if I took them home with me this weekend and put them in the 10 gallon? I'd like to work with what I have if I can =3

Also, I have a 20 long, with one of these, but a regular, 2 inch thick, one:

 

Pssst. I'm looking, gosh. I'm not sure what wavelength the first bulb gives off. Couldn't find any info on it. Your last link doesn't work. I think you've said that your tank at school doesn't get any natural sunlight. If your tanks at home do, then I think they would probably do better at home.

I'll do some research and see what amount of light your plants need.

Edit: do you know the scientific name for the plant you have? https://www.fishlore.com/Plants-ArgentineSword.htm

 

;D

I couldn't find anything about the 1st one, either :/ For the second one, you have to copy/paste the thing into the address bar. I dunno what's its issue is LOL

Tank in my dorm only gets the light from the tank (and the room lol). Tanks at home may or may not get natural sunlight. The second link is used for terrestrial plants, too, and apparently is for corals as well.


*edit*

Heres that link again. I wonder if it will work this time....

 

The second light sounds like a good choice. If it's already for plants it's going to be on a different wavelength than the bulb you've got in your 5.5

Luckily the rest of your plants are low light plants.

I should get a pic of my java moss, it took over a plastic plant.

 

Redid the link in my last post. It works now =D

I have a 50/50 of low and high light plants lol

I think, actually, looking at some other thread (no idea how I got there, or what the thing was originally about) that my swords problem *might* because I buried it too far... Either way, I think I'll take it (well, them) home this weekend, to clear up some space in the tank.

 

Ok, so this is the closest I can find. Apparently, Publix is the only brand to make Soft White CFLs -_- Hopefully, what you're looking doesn't differ between "Soft" and "warm"...

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/2223/FC10-15829.html

I have the same kind of bulbs for my 10 gallon and my plants are growing crazy and many are like yours I don't use root tabs but I do use the nutrafin plant gro. so I'm not sure if its the light but I'm not an expert lol

 

;D

I couldn't find anything about the 1st one, either :/ For the second one, you have to copy/paste the thing into the address bar. I dunno what's its issue is LOL

Tank in my dorm only gets the light from the tank (and the room lol). Tanks at home may or may not get natural sunlight. The second link is used for terrestrial plants, too, and apparently is for corals as well.


*edit*

Heres that link again. I wonder if it will work this time....

I've got that light on my 29 gallon and it seems to be working pretty well.

 

I've got that light on my 29 gallon and it seems to be working pretty well.

I've got it on my 20 long and 29. Lilies love it lol

So, do you think I should move my Argentines home then, into the 20 long?

 

Well, if they look like they aren't doing well, it wouldn't hurt. You could try anubias in your 5.5

 

Definitely changing in leaf shape. Sword plants undergo leaf changes when going from emersed to submersed. That is what is going on in my eyes. You need to cut off the yellowing leafs if you haven't yet already. Looking into better light just like what you are doing wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

I don' like anubias

Definitely changing in leaf shape. Sword plants undergo leaf changes when going from emersed to submersed. That is what is going on in my eyes. You need to cut off the yellowing leafs if you haven't yet already. Looking into better light just like what you are doing wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Oh, ok. I thought it was mad at me for something, and here its just trying to be aquatic plant LOL I'll cut the bad leaves off, and take it home with me this weekend. =3

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I bought my 3 different Sword plants they all had leaves that looked like the ones that are yellow; long stem short leaf. Now they are short stem long leaf-new aquatic leafs. lol

Are the new submersed leafs yellowing too? I can't tell in the pictures. lol

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I bought my 3 different Sword plants they all had leaves that looked like the ones that are yellow; long stem short leaf. Now they are short stem long leaf-new aquatic leafs. lol

Are the new submersed leafs yellowing too? I can't tell in the pictures. lol

Its just the 4 leaves in the front that are yellowing.

 

How deeply is it buried in the substrate? I read that burying them too deep is bad.

 

I dunno... I just made a little hole, and put the plant in there, and flung sand on it till it stayed put

 

Its just the 4 leaves in the front that are yellowing.

Thought so. The new leaves looked like they were nice and green but sometimes the light can be tricky.

Just cut off the bad leaves so it won't waste energy in trying to fix them and let the plant continue to adjust.

 

Will do