# Why do my plants have holes in them?



## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

ammonia, deficiency, co2
could be of, but reason your plants are getting holes is they're dying and not getting fed.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Soil can feed rooted plant's once roots are placed in the dirt.
If root's are only barely into the cap,then push em deeper so root's contact the soil.
Sometimes new plant's must transistion to being completely submerged, and this can take a few weeks.
Holes in leaves could be sign of deficiency (potassium),or damage by snail's?
Might would also want to add something like flourish comprehensive a couple times a week for low tech ,lower light.
If much more than moderate light, then plant's may need more in the way of nutrient's than soil alone can provide.
Soil too must go through biological process to produce nutrient's that are readily available for plant's.
This could take a few week's as well.
Just be stingy with lighting for first few week's(6).
Flesh inside corys gill's (other fishes also) SHOULD be blood red.
Brown or grey color is sign of ammonia and or nitrite poisoning.


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## gaurav (Jun 19, 2017)

Excess of fertilizer and low light might cause holes on leaves, but these ones are looking different.


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## Watercrayfish (Apr 21, 2016)

gaurav said:


> Excess of fertilizer and low light might cause holes on leaves, but these ones are looking different.


Care to explain this theory...

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## kamryn.alaina98 (Oct 13, 2017)

So if pushing them into the soil doesn't work then it would be a deficiency or lighting is what I'm getting from this? I'm sorry for being so ignorant, this is my first planted tank.

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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Lack of lighting is rarely the issue.
Too much light for too long is more common.
Would keep lighting on no more than 7 hours for first 6 weeks.
Either supply the afore mentioned Flourish comprehensive at twice a week for low tech, or purchase dry fertilizer's (macro and micro nutrient's ) from someplace like Planted Aquarium Fertilizer - Home (cheaper,last longer)
Can add the dry fertilizer's as needed in small increment's once a week for low tech.
High tech,CO2 injection is another animal,but I would want firm grasp on low tech method before venturing there.
Growth in low tech tanks is measured in week's/month's.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

kamryn.alaina98 said:


> This is my first planted tank that I have actually put any effort into, and it was doing great, until about a week ago. Suddenly, my plants seem to have a few holes through the leaves. I got the only pictures I could really get of them. I have soil with a sand cap.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi kamryn.alaina98,

Welcome to TPT!

I think a little more information might help. Could you tell us about your light (including photoperiod), fertilizer dosing, and any water test results please. Also, those are nice close-up shots but a picture of a new leaf, recently matured leaf, and older leaf on a couple of your plant species would possibly give us an idea of what the issue may be. It seems obvious that some nutrient has 'run out' but without more information I am unlikely to be able to determine which nutrient it is.


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## kamryn.alaina98 (Oct 13, 2017)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi kamryn.alaina98,
> 
> Welcome to TPT!
> 
> I think a little more information might help. Could you tell us about your light (including photoperiod), fertilizer dosing, and any water test results please. Also, those are nice close-up shots but a picture of a new leaf, recently matured leaf, and older leaf on a couple of your plant species would possibly give us an idea of what the issue may be. It seems obvious that some nutrient has 'run out' but without more information I am unlikely to be able to determine which nutrient it is.


My lighting is just whatever florescent bulb was on a 40 gallon that I found at the dump (no broken glass! just no seal). I have the whole 40 gallon hood on the tank (20 long) with the light and filter from it (adjustable flow). I also run a small sponge filter. My current stocking is 3 white cloud mountain minnows and 3 bronze Corydoras. In the attached pictures you can see that I had 5 male guppies in the tank for about a week before their tank was set up. I am unsure of the types of plants I have, all I know is the Java moss. I got all the plants from a neighbor who was trimming and gave them to me. All he used was regular gravel and somehow all of them looked amazing in his tank. The smaller leaved plants seem to be doing great, but they have great root systems that grew incredibly quickly.



















































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## kamryn.alaina98 (Oct 13, 2017)

Here is the link to my original thread on the tank, with as much information as I have.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1204058

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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi kamryn.alaina98,

Definitely nutrient related. Most of the plants have signs of chlorosis (yellowing). In addition I see signs of calcium deficiency (leaf tips curling downward) and some signs of magnesium deficiency. The pictures you first posted in this thread showed dead leaf tissue (necrosis). Do you live in an area with really soft water? Also, are those stems planted deeply enough to reach the dirt where they can find nutrients?

If you live in the U.S. I would suggest you start by dosing Seachem Flourish Comprehensive per the dosage on the bottle 3X per week. Also I would suggest adding Seachem Equilbrium, about 2 teaspoons 2X per week. Don't change anything else. Let the plants grow for two weeks and then I would like to see pictures of the new leaves that have emerged during that period. The old leaves will likely change little if any, the new leaves should be greener and straighter and the stems should grow faster.

If you live outside the U.S. let me know and I can suggest alternatives.

-Roy


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

+ one ^ 
for the tall gangly looking stem plant's I might cut below a node with sharp scissors and plant the top portion deep into the substrate and either leave the stem that you cut planted,or trash it if the root's are mush.
The soil is becoming more active as we speak,and nutrient's will be more readily available soon.
Just need to get the root's on the dirt.
In the meantime, the flourish comprehensive will help plant's along.
This might be all that is ever needed with fish stock,regular feeding's.
Everything get's turned up (plant need's) once the light energy increases so moderate is better for low tech and a bit easier maint IMHO


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