A quick question
A quick question
My tank's 6 weeks old and doing well, plants are thriving. One of my Zorchzom Sword Plants has lost a couple of its original outside leaves - they just sort of disintegrated, had to cut them off. This happened about a week apart. The other 6 outside leaves look perfect, and the inner leaves are good too. There are 4-5 new leaves growing from the center, all healthy. I'm dosing with Easy Green every 2 weeks and using SeaChem Root Tabs as directed. My substrate is ECO Complete. Is it normal to lose a few outside leaves periodically?
Re: A quick question
That's pretty normal, especially considering your tank is still relatively young. Transplant shock can cause some of the older leaves to start deteriorating, but as long as the rest of the plant is healthy and new growth is coming in, you're probably fine.
Re: A quick question
I believe the issue at hand is likely the transition from emersed to submersed growth. As you're dealing with Echinodorus plants, it's essential to understand their natural habitat. These plants are native to marsh or bog environments in South America, where they spend half the year in water and the other half as terrestrial plants. Nurseries often grow them in the emersed stage, with roots in wet substrate but leaves developing in air, as this method is more cost-effective and promotes faster growth.
As a result, the plants sold to fish stores have been grown emersed and have developed thicker, stronger leaves. When you plant them in an aquarium, they're submersed, and the plant responds by producing new leaves from the center of the crown. During this process, the plant utilizes nutrients from the older leaves to support the growth of new leaves, causing the older outer leaves to slowly die.
It's crucial not to be hasty in removing the outer leaves when they start yellowing. Although it may not look visually appealing, the plant is redistributing nutrients from the old leaves to the new ones. These nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are mobile and can be transferred. Two micronutrients, chlorine and nickel, also exhibit this mobility. As the plant moves these nutrients, the leaves will display signs of deficiency. I've found it best to leave the outer leaves intact until the base of the stem at the crown turns brown, at which point the plant can no longer transfer nutrients, and the leaf can be safely removed. Echinodorus plants are remarkably efficient at this process, making them wonderful additions to aquariums, in my opinion.
As a result, the plants sold to fish stores have been grown emersed and have developed thicker, stronger leaves. When you plant them in an aquarium, they're submersed, and the plant responds by producing new leaves from the center of the crown. During this process, the plant utilizes nutrients from the older leaves to support the growth of new leaves, causing the older outer leaves to slowly die.
It's crucial not to be hasty in removing the outer leaves when they start yellowing. Although it may not look visually appealing, the plant is redistributing nutrients from the old leaves to the new ones. These nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are mobile and can be transferred. Two micronutrients, chlorine and nickel, also exhibit this mobility. As the plant moves these nutrients, the leaves will display signs of deficiency. I've found it best to leave the outer leaves intact until the base of the stem at the crown turns brown, at which point the plant can no longer transfer nutrients, and the leaf can be safely removed. Echinodorus plants are remarkably efficient at this process, making them wonderful additions to aquariums, in my opinion.