Amazon Sword plants going black and rotting please Help meeeee please

[Orandalover]

Please could somebody help me/ advise.
So I moved my 2 Sword plants from a tropical set-up and repotted in half old substrate and new- with root tabs.
Put into a brand new fancy goldfish set up ( temp was 28 old - new is 26.5 )
In 5 weeks they are going black spot to rust to black hair - just looking totally rotten ! 😩🤯.
I used the old Filters and media and at least 30ltrs of the old water.
I have used plant feed in the water and also dosed with Algumin. But No change ??
Do I cut out all the rotten ones? What do I do?
Lighting: 2 led Juwel tubes
White and PlantGrow.
I did think the light was too bright to begin with so I did defuse with reflectors for a few weeks.
Help appreciated 😐😐👍

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

I think (and please wait for others to confirm) that's filamentous diatoms. It’s on the weir and the filter outlet as well as the leaves. Water changes and siphoning should reduce it. I wouldn’t cut anything off yet as those leaves look otherwise healthy.

 

[Orandalover]

Thank you for such a speedy reply!! Well I’m sort of taking that as Good-ish news at the moment? I thought maybe something to do with the new set up🤔 as they were really thriving and looked almost perfect in their old tropical fish tank.
They didn’t look too bad when I first moved them across with the Orandas.

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi @Orandalover
Firstly I would remove the plants from enclosed tubs.....Amazon Sword plants will not appreciate that enclosed space!
Remove/Cut any discoloured roots then replant in a deep substrate!
Poor leaves can be removed....but not enough to compromise the bulk of the root.

 

[Orandalover]

thanks GH Nelson. Well I think your Answer has sort of disillusioned me a tad and I was thinking maybe I can no longer keep Amazon swords. ☹️☹️
They were in a tropical tank with maybe 2”MAX substrate so I thought by putting them in 5”Deep x 10” pot would have really benefited them ☹🙁 pretty gutted I was wrong. Just another head wobble in reference to your advice buddy, I had an Amazon Sword in a 6” Terracotta flowerpot in a small Beta tank for years that did really well ?? Was I just lucky ?
I really don’t want to go down the deep Bed road for my Orandas hence why I have them in containers. Are you confirming they WILL DIE in my containers if so I’ll just have to go Plantless …. Which I am gutted about.
But you know better than me so thank you

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi @Orandalover
You can keep Amazon Swords but not in containers long term....try planting them in a 2-inch substrate with lots of heavier stones/smooth cobbles about the stems!
They are heavy root feeders.....if they don't have sufficient nutrients they will wither away and die eventually!

Regular water changes will help establish the Amazon Swords!

 

[Orandalover]

Thank you - appreciate advice- I’m giving root tabs in those pots aswell.
I think I’ll persevere until they have had it 🥺 my Orandas total dig up roots and will Chuck the stones everywhere 😩 for some reason the totally leave them alone when potted.
Out of interest is their Any Plant you could recommend in pots before I decide to go plant-less 🙁👍

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi
If you are going to have the plants in containers/pots.....get open messed pond pots or similar for your sized tank!
These will be far more beneficial for the plant roots.

 

[Orandalover]

Thank you

 

[G H Nelson]

Look at Java Fern..... it is not suitable for planting...but you can attach it to cobbles and rocks!

Microsorum pteropus - Javafarn

Microsorum pteropus, der Javafarn, auch bekannt als Schwarzwurzel-, Stufen- oder Etagenfarn, wächst an unzähligen Orten im tropischen und subtropischen Asien. Meistens kommt er auf Gestein oder Holz festgeheftet an und in Bächen und Wasserf...

www.flowgrow.de

 

[Orandalover]

thanks Nelson. I’ve actually got a huge Java fern attached to a piece of driftwood in another tank. But I’ve also just ordered a few 6x4x4” black pond planter baskets. So I will repot in the week with a couple root tabs in each. For the Amazon Swords. 👍👍 I’m assuming it will be ok to trim roots out the basket if they go mad?

 

[G H Nelson]

Indeed.....if you trim the roots some of the new growth will be diverted to leaf growth!
How much depends on a lot of variables ......
That's what I found.
Cheers

 

[Orandalover]

Thanks for all your input buddy

 

[PARAGUAY]

I think your problem will be established Amazons develop big root systems ,as Hoggie, @G H Nelson says. I have them in just sand with no root tablets but feed a good liquid fertiliser. Take off any bad leafs ,,should encourage new growth, agree about fast growing stems and floating plants and regular water changes

 

[hypnogogia]

I think your problem will be established Amazons develop big root systems

I once had one whose root system took up half of a 120cm tank...

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS. How is your emergent plant growing? And, can we have a FTS?

I have used plant feed in the water

Which one? It might seem a strange question, but bizarrely a lot of <"Aquarium fertilisers"> aren't really plant food.

I think (and please wait for others to confirm) that's filamentous diatoms.

I'm not sure, I think it is mainly <"Stagshorn"> algae (Compsopogon). @Orandalover could tell by feel, strands of filamentous diatoms are fragile, <"but gritty">, and Stagshorn filaments are really tough <"The Ultimate Algae Guide">.

Amazon Sword plants will not appreciate that enclosed space!

If you are going to have the plants in containers/pots.....get open messed pond pots or similar for your sized tank!

Good advice.

my Orandas total dig up roots and will Chuck the stones everywhere

Could you just put some bigger pebbles / small cobbles around the base of them?

I used the old Filters and media

What filter media do you have? and <"what does it look like">? I appreciate that Goldfish are messy eaters.

cheers Darrel

 

[Orandalover]

thanks for your input guys.
So I have a Eiheim Canister filter (ECO300)
Loaded With noodles/ media balls /1fine floss pad. AND the large internal Juwel filter with pads & wool.
I feed with root tabs every 3wks & API Leafzone added with a 20% water change every 3 weeks. ( I do 20% water changes weekly and Add leafzone 2-3 weekly )
Bear in mind that this has only been set up and running 4 weeks.
I have 5” square Pond baskets arriving today and will be transferring ONE Sword plans to Each basket.
I thought it might be too much light So I blocked the lite directly over the swords by turning the reflector on the led tube above them since setting up🤯 YESTERDAY I turned the reflector back round so the Swords are now in FULL LIGHT.

 

[G H Nelson]

@Orandalover
API Leaf Zone only has Potassium and Iron in the bottle!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So I have a Eiheim Canister filter (ECO300)
Loaded With noodles/ media balls /1fine floss pad.

Personally I'd take the floss pad out of the Eheim. I've used a <"couple of Ecco filters"> and opening them is always a worry, mainly because of <"the handle design">. You can get an Eheim <"pre-filter for them">, although I prefer a <"big sponge block">.

AND the large internal Juwel filter with pads & wool.

I'm going to assume that that is easier to get at?

We think that Staghorn algae might be associated with <"higher levels of dissolved organic compounds"> and fine mechanical media in the filter body is a prime site for retaining organic material.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

@Orandalover
API Leaf Zone only has Potassium and Iron in the bottle!

Not a fertiliser............

I thought it might be too much light So I blocked the lite directly over the swords by turning the reflector on the led tube above them since setting up🤯 YESTERDAY I turned the reflector back round so the Swords are now in FULL LIGHT.

You could try a floating plant as <"net curtain">. I know that Goldfish love Duckweed (Lemna minor), but they don't eat Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), although they might "worry" the roots.

cheers Darrel