Why are my anubias dying?

[Rita]

Hey guys, any thoughts why all of my anubias in my tank are starting to rot? I noticed my mystery snail munching on the rhizome of one and I started inspecting and low and behold… all of my anubias have some sort of decay. They were all purchased at varying times starting about 2 years ago.

ph 8.0

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 20

temp 78

I dose easy green twice weekly, water change ~50% once a month, fluval aqua sky lights are on 11 hours with 1 hour ramp up and 1 hour ramp down. 

thanks guys!

Edited July 26, 2022 by Rita
added lighting schedule

[Mmiller2001]

What size is the tank? What's the GH and KH?

[Rita]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:14 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

What size is the tank? What's the GH and KH?

20 gal long, unfortunately I don’t have test strips/kit for Gh and Kh. When I did have them it was high coming out of the tap, but I know that doesn’t tell you much.

[Mmiller2001]

How many pumps each week of easy green?

[Rita]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:18 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

How many pumps each week of easy green?

4 pumps, 2 on Sundays and 2 on Wednesdays

[Mmiller2001]

Probably what's happening is that the iron is getting locked out from the high pH. The high pH is a result of a higher KH. I would grab a bottle of Seachem Iron, it's in a ferrous state and should help. Dose per directions along with the EG dosing. I would dose the iron on alternating days from EG dosing. 

If you can, I would increase water changes. Example, 50% per week or 25% per week. This will help with just keeping the tank fresh and a balanced nutrient load from dosing versus NO3 from the live stock. You want to make sure that potassium and phosphorous are in good balance. Your live stock can not cover all the Macro and Micro elements needed.

[anitstuk]

How long have you been dosing easy green? Did you only start recently or start dosing it when your anubias was melting? 

[Rita]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:39 PM, anitstuk said:

How long have you been dosing easy green? Did you only start recently or start dosing it when your anubias was melting? 

Have been dosing since the beginning ALSO I’m a dufus and forgot to mention I dose 5 ml flourish advance twice a week along with the east green.

[Patrick_G]

Here’s some info on Anubias rot. I’m not sure this is what’s affecting your plants, but it’s possible. 
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/anubias-rot

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:08 PM, Rita said:

It would help you to monitor issues if you removed the old / dead leaves.  Essentially the plant is wasting energy trying to hold onto those leaves instead of all of it's energy into new ones.

1.  Make sure it's not too close to the light
2.  Make sure the rhizome isn't fully covered which would result in the anubias rot mentioned above.
3.  Remove the algae covered leaves or remove the dead ones and try to pull off the algae.

Focus your attention on the new growth and those leaves and keep an eye out for more or if the plant is stagnant and rotting away.

Red = leaves I would consider removing, blue = leaves I think are healthy.  When the part of the rhizome that is "dead" and doesn't have any leaves anymore has served it's use the plant will likely focus it's energy on growing new sections of the rhizome and letting the old rhizome appear rotten.

 

On 7/25/2022 at 7:20 PM, Rita said:

On 7/25/2022 at 7:18 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

How many pumps each week of easy green?

4 pumps, 2 on Sundays and 2 on Wednesdays

 

On 7/25/2022 at 7:53 PM, Rita said:

Have been dosing since the beginning ALSO I’m a dufus and forgot to mention I dose 5 ml flourish advance twice a week along with the east green.

I think you're overdosing if the only plants are anubias.  Anubias responds very well to lean dosing. It doesn't require much light and it grows at it's own pace.  For an anubias only tank, depending how much is there, I would suggest only having the light at ~40-60% power and dosing 1/2 dose once a week.

If you see new growth, steady growth, you're doing well and can try to increase things or adjust things as you see deficiencies.  What you're seeing right now is the algae and potential rhizome issues causing damage to the plant.

Edited July 26, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Patrick_G]

I agree with @nabokovfan87. Doing a little pruning of dead leaves might help. If nothing else they’ll look better while you figure out the rot issue. 

[Rita]

Thanks guys, I have a handful of plants besides anubias… Java ferns, cryptocorynes, dwarf aquarium lily, dwarf sagitaria, and a stem plant which I’ve forgotten the name of (maybe rotalla).