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hey guys and gals! ok i am having an issue with my amazon sword. I bought this a few months ago and it hasnt been doing well since i transplanted it into my tank. I thought at first it was just getting time to adjust to the new environment. it had a few runners on it that i have taken off and have replanted, and these new plants are doing quite well, however the mother plant's leaves are turning yellow and have holes all in the leafs. which im assuming that its dieing off rather slowly. I have been using fert tablets around the roots for this plant and i havent seen any new growth. all my other plants are doing quite well, as well as the cut offs of the original sword... any ideas?


Shawn

Sounds like a lack of potassium to me....especially with the way you describe the holes in the leaves. What other ferts are you using besides root tabs? I might suggest using Leaf Zone by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals to solve your potassium problem.....it solved mine. You probably ought to be adding othere ferts as well, if you're not already.

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Bannanas Anyone?

Chris

Crazyred:
the ferts i use is:

flourish
flourish trace
flourish Nitrogen
Flourish Potassium
Flourish Phospherus

co2 is about 25ppm

light schedual is 10-11 130watts compact florecent 10 000k and 6700k

lighting b is from 11-4 130watts totaling 260watts for 5hr period. Those lights are as well the mix of 10000k and 6700k

my fert schedual is flourish twice a week, nitrates is once a day, the phospherus and potassium are both ever other day. and flourish trace is every other day as well. This is also combined with the root tabs.

but why would the cut off of the same plant be doing better then the mother plant?

Shawn

i should also add that my tank is a 110gal. 60" long x 24" tall by 18" deep... thus giving me about 2.36 watts per gal.

Well, I'm stumped. Maybe one of the high tech plant gurus will come along and shed some light on the situation.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

but why would the cut off of the same plant be doing better then the mother plant?

Because they are smaller.

Amazons are big plants and therefore have big appetites

The bigger plant will have a higher demand for nutrients then the smaller ones. If it's not getting enough it will show problems. Sword plants tend to show problems very quickly.

Sounds like a nitrate deficiency. N is a moveable nutrient, if there is not quite enough to satisfy demand it will move nitrate from old leaves to new growth. This means the older leaves will yellow and die off quickly. This will continue where most of the plant is yellowing and only the newest growth is green.

Try upping the N level and keep it at about 20-30ppm.

Also check GH, sjould be 3 dgh or above.

---

Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

thanks guys for your input, ill try that and ill let you know.

Speaking of nitrates. What is the cheapest way to dose nitrates cause im using seachem florish nitrate and the stuff is expensive... any recommendations. i dont care if its in a liquid or powder form

Hi,
I believe the least expenisve way to add nitrate is to use
a stump remover. This is NO3 and comes in white granulues
that you sprinkle on a tree stump. I use a brand called
"Grant's." I purchased a one pound plastic bottle of it
at the local WalMart for a couple of bucks. I'm still useing the
same container, with plenty left, three years later.
Many stump removers have additives to make the decomposition
process move along faster. You do not want any of them.

Read the labels and be sure to purchase only one that
is pure NO3, no additives!

I place the granules in some water and dissolve them, and
then pour the solution into the tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks Frank for that reply, how much would i need to mix to maintain 20ppm of nitrate for my plants? each day / week using the pure No3?

Shawn

Hi Shawn,
Here is a link to the site that many of us use to
determine how much to add:

http://www.csd.net/%7Ecgadd/aqua/art_plant_dosage_calc.htm

You should be able to enter your desired saturation
and the size of the tank, and the compound, and it should
tell you how much to add.

Failing that, I'd try a teaspoon full, disolve it in a
glass of some warm water and pour it into the tank.
Depending upon your filtration system turnover rate,
I'd wait 24 hours and then test for nitrate, and then
add another teaspoon, wait 24 hrs, and test again, etc.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--