Amazon Sword Help Please

[SLIM]

Hi

I have a heavily planted 260l low tech tank.
All my plants are very healthy and thriving very well except my Amazon sword.
The Amazon sword seems to be growing quickly, new leaves sprout all the time. Infact its 10 times bigger than it was when i planted it.
The leaves however seem to quickly degrade very quickly making the plant look tatty all the time. The leaves seem to develope yellow patches and then big holes.
What can i do to stop this and get the plant more healthy.
Im always chopping back the bad leaves to encourage growth in the good leaves but this doesnt seem to help.

I do weekly 50% water changes, ammonia is always 0, nitrite is always 0, nitrate is kept around 30-40ppm and phosphate is kept around 2ppm.
I dose Macros once a week after water change which contains Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulphate and added Potassium Sulphate.

And i also dose Micros everyday except water change day.

The plants should be getting everything they need right?

My ferts are mixed at home using dry salts from aquariumplantfood.co.uk

Can anybody help me with whatever my swords are lacking???

Thankyou

Paul

 

[KittyKat]

Keep in mind that my knowledge of such things is quite lacking… given that it's a sword, wouldn't the problem be lack of iron?

 

[SLIM]

Keep in mind that my knowledge of such things is quite lacking… given that it's a sword, wouldn't the problem be lack of iron?

The Micros im dosing on a daily basis do contain 8.5% FE (IRON) and i also dose twice the recommended dosage.
With this in mind, do you still think its an Iron issue? I can increase the amount of iron im adding if need be.

 

[MegaZerino]

how long has it been in there for??

 

[Wigster]

Amazon Swords seem to rely highly on root nutrients, so possibly a lack of nutrients within your substrate.
Try something like this? http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/api-root-tabs-pack-of-10-p-4492.html

 

[SO19Firearms]

You should put your micros in on the off day to the macro's. Holes in leaves tend to point to co2 issues, so you probably need to increase your flow, or lower your light so it needs less co2.....
IMO

Amazon Swords seem to rely highly on root nutrients,

That's not true.

Edit: I just re-read your dosing regime, that's not ideal but if you can't dose through the week I guess its OK

 

[SLIM]

You should put your micros in on the off day to the macro's. Holes in leaves tend to point to co2 issues, so you probably need to increase your flow, or lower your light so it needs less co2.....
IMO

Amazon Swords seem to rely highly on root nutrients,

That's not true.

Edit: I just re-read your dosing regime, that's not ideal but if you can't dose through the week I guess its OK

I do dose throughout the week, i dose everyday. Macros on saturday, micros mon tue wed thur fri sun. My flow is exactly 10x my water volume too so i cant add more flow. My filter is 1000lph and my powerhead is 1600lph giving me a total of 2600lph for a 260L tank. My photo period is 8 hours.

how long has it been in there for??

A year. It thrived when i was injecting co2 but its not doing great now its a low tech

 

[Wigster]

Amazon Swords seem to rely highly on root nutrients,

That's not true.

Care to clarify that?
"It is worth mentioning that is a plant has a vast root structure it will therefore demand heavy root feeding for good health. If you do not have a substrate additive like flourite or laterite you way want to add fert sticks or root tabs below the roots before you replant. These species will greatly benefit from such products."
http/www.ukaps.org/plant-maintenance.htm

 

[SO19Firearms]

I do dose throughout the week, i dose everyday. Macros on saturday, micros mon tue wed thur fri sun. My flow is exactly 10x my water volume too so i cant add more flow. My filter is 1000lph and my powerhead is 1600lph giving me a total of 2600lph for a 260L tank. My photo period is 8 hours.

It thrived when i was injecting co2 but its not doing great now its a low tech

You're dosing all the good stuff once a week and the stuff it barely needs every day. It'd be better the other way round. You're turnover looks good. If we presume the sword is getting enough flow and you're not dosing CO2 anymore then I'd say the best option would be to lower your light some more so it needs less CO2. (or try swapping the dosing round first)

IMO

Care to clarify that?
"It is worth mentioning that is a plant has a vast root structure it will therefore demand heavy root feeding for good health. If you do not have a substrate additive like flourite or laterite you way want to add fert sticks or root tabs below the roots before you replant. These species will greatly benefit from such products."
http/www.ukaps.org/plant-maintenance.htm

Dose the water column - It's wet in the substrate - Plant can feed through it's roots.

HTH

 

[SLIM]

I do dose throughout the week, i dose everyday. Macros on saturday, micros mon tue wed thur fri sun. My flow is exactly 10x my water volume too so i cant add more flow. My filter is 1000lph and my powerhead is 1600lph giving me a total of 2600lph for a 260L tank. My photo period is 8 hours.

It thrived when i was injecting co2 but its not doing great now its a low tech

You're dosing all the good stuff once a week and the stuff it barely needs every day. It'd be better the other way round. You're turnover looks good. If we presume the sword is getting enough flow and you're not dosing CO2 anymore then I'd say the best option would be to lower your light some more so it needs less CO2. (or try swapping the dosing round first)

IMO

Care to clarify that?
"It is worth mentioning that is a plant has a vast root structure it will therefore demand heavy root feeding for good health. If you do not have a substrate additive like flourite or laterite you way want to add fert sticks or root tabs below the roots before you replant. These species will greatly benefit from such products."
http/www.ukaps.org/plant-maintenance.htm

Dose the water column - It's wet in the substrate - Plant can feed through it's roots.

HTH

I hear what your saying but lets remember this is a low tech now. If i dose macros everyday or every other day my Nitrates and Phosphates will get way too high too quickly because il be adding them faster than the plants can absorb them.
Lowering the photo period makes sense but would like to consider that as a very last resort.
Im willing to give root tabs a go. Iv never used them so my be interesting to give em a go. They wont discolour the water will they?
Also if it is indeed co2, or a lack of it... What about using liquid carbon rather than reducing the photo period?

 

[SO19Firearms]

I hear what your saying but lets remember this is a low tech now. If i dose macros everyday or every other day my Nitrates and Phosphates will get way too high too quickly because il be adding them faster than the plants can absorb them.
Lowering the photo period makes sense but would like to consider that as a very last resort.
Im willing to give root tabs a go. Iv never used them so my be interesting to give em a go. They wont discolour the water will they?
Also if it is indeed co2, or a lack of it... What about using liquid carbon rather than reducing the photo period?

You wouldn't have to dose more macro's - split what you dose now by 7 or 3 etc
If you go to liquid Carbon you're back in Hi-Tech....

One thing I don't know - when you went from hi to lo, did you change your lights? If you didn't your lights are still driving the tank at the same rate as it ever did, but now you've dropped you CO2 away...which makes for a problem.

 

[tribalbrit]

I dose extra iron on trace days. Works for me.