Sword plant dying, turning brown

[Byron]

I previously asked how long you have had this plant... ?

 

[Sgooosh]

I previously asked how long you have had this plant... ?

yeah if its new it really could be just emersed leaves dying

 

[Bettaguy08]

Are you using root tabs? Sword Plants are root feeders. There is also often an adjustment when you add one to a new tank. The old leaves will sometimes die and need to be cut away and the new leaves will be healthier.

I do use root tabs

 

[Bettaguy08]

I previously asked how long you have had this plant... ?

I’ve had it for about a month and a half

 

[Bettaguy08]

Substrate, gravel. What is the sword plant planted in

It’s planted in gravel. Just normal glo fish gravel I got for a LFS store a while ago

 

[Byron]

I’ve had it for about a month and a half

OK. This likely is a case of the outer emersed leaves dying off as the new submersed leaf forms grow from the centre of the crown. Sword plants (genus Echinodorus) are usually grown emersed (roots in wet substrate, leaves in the air) by nurseries because it is les expensive and faster. Once planted submersed, the existing leaves slowly die off as new growth emerges from the crown, and you will see the leaves will be slightly different in shape (and internal/external composition too).

The gravel is a bit large, but I would not expect this to be the issue here. Roots grow easier in fine-grain substrates like sand, or fine gravel. Substrate tabs do make a big difference with swords as others noted.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have been corrected in a PM that my post #14 is not accurate, so please disregard any of my contributions to this thread. Follow the instructions given by the other members.

 

[Garfield Simon]

There has to be something that your plant is problematic with. It can either be light, the lack of fertilizers, or both, or even something else. Some of the remedial steps you can take in this regard. Firstly, remove the yellowish or brown leaves because they are all already dying, and it will take a lot of nutrients and energy from the plants to rebuild them, and frankly, there is no hope. According to the experts, the inclusion of Root Tabs in the tank is one of the essential things, especially if you have this Amazon Sword and other aquatic plants. One of the other solutions that can help revive the yellowish and brown Amazon Sword’s leaves is carbon dioxide injection. A bit of extra carbon dioxide can harmful for your fish. Do accordingly, and I hope that will work.

 

[brendonjw]

OK. This likely is a case of the outer emersed leaves dying off as the new submersed leaf forms grow from the centre of the crown. Sword plants (genus Echinodorus) are usually grown emersed (roots in wet substrate, leaves in the air) by nurseries because it is les expensive and faster. Once planted submersed, the existing leaves slowly die off as new growth emerges from the crown, and you will see the leaves will be slightly different in shape (and internal/external composition too).

The gravel is a bit large, but I would not expect this to be the issue here. Roots grow easier in fine-grain substrates like sand, or fine gravel. Substrate tabs do make a big difference with swords as others noted.

What size gravel is a good size for them? I'm looking at getting one and some crypts. Just checking if I should be buying some finer gravel for those parts of the tank.

 

[Byron]

What size gravel is a good size for them? I'm looking at getting one and some crypts. Just checking if I should be buying some finer gravel for those parts of the tank.

For this species, sand or fine gravel (not the same thing). When I had gravel (before switching all my tanks to sand about 8-9 years ago) it was the smallest grain size normally available. The largest size normally useed in aquaria is pea gravel, and this is too large a grain for some plants to do well. When one considers that in their habitats these plants grow in dirt/mud/silt and/or sand, it is easy to figure out why sand or the finest gravel is likely to be the best. Fish have issues with sand/gravel too, and substrate fish like corydoras, loaches, small cichlids should always be over sand. So in general terms, sand is "the" single best substrate for the majority of situations.