Sword Plant Going Black

[ostrow]

Hi. My sword plant (dwarf amazon?) is going black. Had old bouts with hair algae that my SAEs gobbled up and it never came back.

This is different. Leaves just deteriorating black, splotchy in the middle and edges of the leaves just black.

I add Flourish every 10 days or so per instructions, and have put in a couple of flourish tabs at the base of the plant, to no noticable effect. I've put new bulbs in -- Coralife Nutri-Grow.

Any ideas? All water parameters normal. 29G tank with Eclipse 3 hood.

 

[EddieW]

Ostrow,

Found this:
Be aware of indications of poor maintenance. When the tank’s conditions are less than ideal, you will see the effects on the plant leaves. Pale and widely spaced leaf growth is a sign of poor or insufficient light. Blackening of the leaves indicates pollution. Yellowing of the leaves is a sign of lack of nutrients like iron. And holes or damage indicates the presence of either snails or vegetarian fish. Attend to these distress signs immediately so that your aquarium garden will always be in good health.

Doesn't sound good, probably need to wait until a plant expert is here to give you a better answer.

Cheers, Eddie

 

[ostrow]

Pollution? Hmmm... Doubtful. The leaves that aren't black are pale which suggests lighting insufficiency, but these aren't especially high-light plants and I have new, pretty high intensity bulbs. Hmmmmm......

Hopefully someone else will chime in but thanks. BTW what's the source of that quote?

 

[EddieW]

Sorry mate, went on google and searched on 'tropical aquarium plants' and went through a load of the results. Can't recall which one that was on.

Eddie

 

[Dubby]

Does it look like algae growth or is it more like a burnt leaf?

 

[ostrow]

I'm pretty sure it isn't algae. Doesn't look at all like algae.

 

[ade1975]

Could they have been grown terrestrially by the nursery that grew them? If so then they could just be adapting to aquatic conditions by growing new leaves. HTH

 

[ostrow]

Nope, they were and are aquarium plants. As far as I know never out of water.

 

[kevin007]

intresting topic.........