Bought a decent sized sword six weeks ago, it dropped nearly every original leaf within ten days. New growth is coming but the leaves are half the size and a washed out yellow green, with the veins staying darker. Inert sand, one root tab pushed under it at planting, no CO2, seven hour photoperiod. Is it dying slowly or is this normal recovery?
Six weeks is still early for a sword. Mine looked like a disaster for two months and then put out a leaf the size of my hand seemingly overnight. They grow in bursts, not evenly.
Same experience. Nothing, nothing, nothing, then it tries to take over half the tank and you are trimming it monthly.
Small size on new leaves is often the plant matching the light rather than a deficiency, but combined with the yellowing I would go with the nutrient explanation first. Change one thing, wait four weeks, and judge by the newest leaf only. Old leaves never recover colour and people chase their tail watching them.
Also worth knowing that the old leaves being sacrificed is the plant doing exactly the right thing, and cutting them off at the base once they go translucent helps. Rotting leaves in the substrate do nothing good and they make the tank look worse than it is.
@krausen_line · 6mo ago · 3 replies
The melt was expected, it was grown emersed at the farm and had to rebuild every leaf for underwater life. The pale new growth with darker veins is a different story, that pattern is classic iron and general micronutrient shortage.
Swords are heavy root feeders and one tab for a big plant in inert sand is not much. I run three tabs in a ring about 5cm out from the crown and replace them every three months. Add a comprehensive liquid trace dose once a week as well, cheap and it fixes the interveinal yellowing within a month of new leaves.
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@film_fridge · 6mo ago
Ring of tabs rather than one under the crown, got it. How deep, mine is basically at the roots.
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@krausen_line · 6mo ago
Push them down to about 5cm, deeper than feels right. Too shallow and they leach into the water column and feed algae instead.
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