Amazon swords

[Zephaniah]

What does it mean when the leaves of Amazon swords start getting brown spots?

They never seem to go away and eventually consume the whole leaf to the point where I have to cut it off before it spreads further.

[rwel4809]

nutrient deficiency - try adding some chelated iron, potassium sulphate power and a little magnesium (epson salts), in combination with a good all rounder like flourish complete.

The amount you add depends on the tank specs. I add 1/2 tsp potassium, 1 tsp chelated iron, and a capful of flourish complete once or twice a week to my 300 litre heavy planted tank with 4 WPG of lighting... some add more, but it's best to work it out based on trial and error - if you get too much algae, you've added too much fertz...

HTH

R

[ILLUSN]

thats eiother potasium or iron defficiency.

if you remove the old leaves it will just get worse, plants use old leaves as food for new leaves when their substrate is defficient.

[Zephaniah]

Thanks.
The tank is a 46 gallon.
Barebottom so it's easier to feed and clean up after. Plants are in pots.

So what do I do once I get potassium? Just dump it in?

[Zephaniah]

And it won't have an adverse affect on the fish?

[ILLUSN]

in a 46gal 1/2 a tsp will have no effect on fish and give your plants all they need.

if you can get some root fetrs for your swords, swords are HEAVY root feeders, they are bog plants more than they are aquatics so the majority of nutrient uptake is via the roots.