Bacopia Carolina loosing lower leaves

[Linda4fish]

Not sure why my bacopa is losing its lower leaves, it was doing OK for a time. Using easy green and root tabs in the tank alternating weeks. The root tabs are for the Amazon sword fern and Cripts but seem to help out the whole tank as well.

It is a highly stocked tank and the when I add more fertilizer I need to do more frequent water changes….which I don’t have the time for right now

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Linda4fish
Took a picture off post

[FlyingFishKeeper]

Hi, at least to me it looks like your bacopa's growing "leggy", where it looses it's bottom-most leaves as they're farther down than the ones towards the top, and can't photosynthesize enough, so it gets cut. (Similar to how a single store in a chain store franchise may get closed down if no one purchases from it, as it costs more for upkeep than it produces.)

You can prevent this with some pruning to prevent the plant from shading it's own lower leaves out, as well as make sure you have enough light (which you appear to have as the pearlweed (I think?) looks really vibrant). I would replant the top of the current plant, as (at least if I remember correctly) the plant can't generate new leaves from the areas where it's already shed them, then trim the new plant as it grows to prevent the leggy-ness. Love the tank! 

[JoeQ]

As plants grow you need to find ways to get more light to lower leaves, either by rearranging your scape, trimming or increasing the intensity of the light itself. 

[Kurt Brutting]

I had the same problem trimming definitely helped. Eventually I added a extra light to help light up the whole aquarium. 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @Linda4fish

Do you have any water parameter information please? pH, dKH, dGH, nitrates (ppm)