# Why are my swords dying? :(



## Graceful (Apr 30, 2013)

I'm so frustrated. I have the right lighting - daylight fluorescent, 6500k. I bought four amazon swords and planted each in a corner of my tank. Their roots are buried in the gravel.

Their leaves are turning brownish beige. I keep pruning the bad ones, but more keep turning brown.

Why is this happening? I spent money on these plants; I don't want them dying on me!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

All swords are heavy root feeders so without any enhanced substrate or root tabs,they will die. Also I find that if you crowd them with other plants or against the tank like you have them, they tend to not grow and eventually wilt. They will also benefit from liquid ferts as well like SeaChem Flourish Comprehensive.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Get root tabs, spread them apart, don't clump them up.

Liquid ferts aren't that needed for them.

Also to encourage growth, you're supposed to pluck off the damage leaves and the old leaves, plants take awhile to adjust to new tanks.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Liquid fert's aren't the main fert that they should be getting but nonetheless it will help and increase growth. It takes from the water column as any other plant with leaves do, but it focuses more on it's roots. Here's a good article about swords: http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Decor Amazon Sword.htm


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## Graceful (Apr 30, 2013)

THANK YOU! Root tabs and space them out a little more, then?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yep, that should do it! Also pick off brown and dying leaves. Swords don't regenerate so pluck off the stem right from the crown and it will start sending out new leaves. I tend to pick off all the floppy leaves and then new, firmer leaves started to grow out after I started root tabs and SeaChem Flourish ^_^


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

With rosette plants like swords-be sure the crown is slightly above the substrate line-otherwise it will rot.

The way I plant my rosette like swords, vals, sags...etc....I cram the roots into the substrate-then give the plant a slight tug to bring the crown above the substrate line. IME it is better to plant the rosettes too shallow than too deep.

Also, depending on how the plant was grown at the nursery-you might be seeing a normal leaf change over. Most nursery will grow the rosette plants with leaves out of the water for faster growth, limit snails and algae issue. The sword leaves will change to underwater leaves over time once they are planted in the aquarium. As the leaves die off they will be replaced with the new underwater leaves. Keep pinching the dead/dying leaves as needed.

As long as the sword is planted properly, receives the proper color temp light, correct photoperiod and food-They should start to thrive within a few weeks of planting.

Can you post a pic, how old are your light bulbs and what is your PP on the 6500k florescent bulbs.


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## darkangel (Jun 11, 2013)

I don't own any swords but I read from forum posts, etc is that, swords don't do well when you have too many in a tank either. 

I believe amazon swords get extremely large, so I were you, maybe try to trade you swords for some other slow growing/hardy plants? Maybe keep 1 or 2 of your swords and trade them from anubias or java fern? They are also root feeders so they can go hand in hand with your sword


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