Amazon sword struggling.

[Jim Kelly]

I’m getting re-started in the hobby after many years and decided to try live plants, which I’ve never tried before. My newly planted Amazon Sword is developing brown spots, but is putting out a nice runner with a baby plant that looks very healthy. Are these signs that the mother plant is dying? Is the plant too close to the air stone?

Edited February 16, 2021 by Jim Kelly

[lefty o]

it could use some more nutrients.

[Will Billy]

Yes, the plant is having some nutrient deficiencies. Are you using any fertilizers? Root tabs should work, the old leaves wont repair, but watch the new leaves for further signs of deficiency. If the new leaves are looking good you are back on track. Just remember as the plant grows it will need more fertilizer the bigger it gets. 

[Jim Kelly]

Thank you for the responses. Yes, I am using root tabs. I will keep an eye on the new leaves. There is a new one sprouting at the base. Meanwhile, the propagation is growing nicely. I was wondering if the plant is diverting food and energy to it, causing the mature leaves to wither?

[Will Billy]

3 hours ago, Jim Kelly said:

I was wondering if the plant is diverting food and energy to it, causing the mature leaves to wither?

Not naturally no. Plants can grow new tissue, but can not regenerate dead tissue. If part of the leaf is alive it will continue to send nutrients to a damaged leaf. Here is a pic of my wife’s orchid we keep in our bathroom. That damaged leaf has been there since she first got it over a year ago. The green part is still photosynthesizing for the orchid, however if we were to remove it the plant would grow a new undamaged leaf that would provide more sugars than the current damaged leaf. In your situation i would wait to see good healthy new growth take over, and then cut the damaged leaves later to stop sending nutrients to the bad leaves and send more to your new healthy leaves. 

[Hobbit]

4 hours ago, Jim Kelly said:

I was wondering if the plant is diverting food and energy to it, causing the mature leaves to wither?

Yep! A plant can pull nutrients and energy out of old leaves to feed the new growth. But it will only need to do this if there aren’t enough nutrients to support both. If it has to choose, the plant will choose the new growth and the old leaves will die.

It’s very possible the old plant hasn’t yet grown enough roots to find the root tabs and take advantage of them. Then again, the newer leaves look good! As @Will Billysaid, the plant will never repair the damaged leaves but if the new ones look good and stay looking good, you know you’re on the right track.

[Jungle Fan]

Will Billy is absolutely right. Add some root tabs, maybe some Aquarium Co-Op Liquid Iron and your sword plant should start looking better. The air stone has nothing to do with it. I have an air wand behind some of my swords and they are growing like crazy and are healthy. I have had to trim them after eight months because they were spreading and had reached the surface in my 75 gallon tank, then again I'm also adding pressurized CO2.

[Jungle Fan]

Not one of my better shots because of the window reflection in the upper right, but just for illustration. The Green Ozelot Sword plant on the right was five inches tall when I got it, eight months later it is now about 16 inches tall with good substrate, root tabs, liquid iron, CO2, and all in one fertilizer. Make sure you place the root tabs fairly close to the plant and push them as far down as you can without stabbing your bottom glass. This Green Ozelot is right next to the air wand which I run at night when my CO2 is off and when plants don't produce but instead consume oxygen just like the fish and invertebrates. As long as you get them their nutrients, especially the iron, and the bottom rosette isn't rotten, which yours shouldn't be because it is producing a new plantlet, you should have no problem getting your sword on the mend.

[StephenP2003]

13 hours ago, Jim Kelly said:

I’m getting re-started in the hobby after many years and decided to try live plants, which I’ve never tried before. My newly planted Amazon Sword is developing brown spots, but is putting out a nice runner with a baby plant that looks very healthy. Are these signs that the mother plant is dying? Is the plant too close to the air stone?

 

Agree with others about making sure it has plenty of nutrients and to trim the bad leaves as you see new growth... However, aren't those dying leaves simply emersed grown leaves that are destined to die back anyway? 

[lefty o]

49 minutes ago, StephenP2003 said:

 

Agree with others about making sure it has plenty of nutrients and to trim the bad leaves as you see new growth... However, aren't those dying leaves simply emersed grown leaves that are destined to die back anyway? 

it is quite possible that is why the leaves are dying back. good observation.