# Amazon Swords...



## kris_41 (Aug 3, 2011)

Ok so I have an Amazon Sword in my tank. I have had it for about a week and it looks like it is dying. The leaves are turning brown and colorless and I'm worried that it will start messing with my water quality. I have 2 watts/per gallon for lighting and Flora Max for substrate. I also feed the plant with liquid food, and put in liquid CO2. I do not have root tabs. Should I get some? Any help would be appreciated.


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

Most plants are grown emersed in water, only half way. To adapt to being fully submersed it must shed it's old leaves and grow new ones. Possibly this is what is happening. Cut the dead leaves off.

On the other hand it could be a nutrient defenciency. With the flora max substrate you shouldn't need a root tab so I'm not sure what would be causing it.


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## kris_41 (Aug 3, 2011)

Ok thank you for your help.


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## kris_41 (Aug 3, 2011)

Oh and another thing. How deep should my Swords be planted in the substrate? Mine might be planted to deep.


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

3-4" is fine


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

plant your swords just deep enough to cover the top of the roots...no deeper or the leaves will rot..


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

err yeah thanks for clarifying Ioha.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

Where was the plant before a week ago?

A lot of plants don't like to be moved and will melt when put in a new tank. Extremely common with crypts and swords. Usually you wont notice nutrient def for a while. With Nutrient def, you will notice the leaves getting holes in them and decaying. For swords that usually mean low Fe. Red plants and Swords love Iron and should be dosed with a concentrated FE solution over top what your reg multi purpose fert is offering. Sounds to be like a new tank melt. Give it time, they will grow back. Be mindful not to overdose during this recoup time, as you will get GSA as a result, and that will suffocate the new growth and out compete for light and nutrients.


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## kris_41 (Aug 3, 2011)

I bought it from the store a week ago and put it in my tank. I was wondering if the iron was low. I will try to does them with some extra iron. Also I think they were planted too deep. Thanks!!!


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## CalvinKE (Mar 17, 2011)

Amazon sword leaves dont groe back when they start to melt, what i did with mine, you are supposed to tear off the leaf when its melting but i cut the bad part off until the stem part and i rip it when that starts to melt, i had to rip off about 4/5ths of the leaves on my first amazon sword and thought it was going to die but they grew back better than ever and now i have 5,


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## kris_41 (Aug 3, 2011)

I cut the dying leaves off and raised it up in the substrate and now it looks like it is doing a whole lot better. Yay!!! Thanks for all of the advice, it really helped


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## CalvinKE (Mar 17, 2011)

Anytime


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