# Stem Plants & Holes in Leaves



## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

I bought 2 different types of hygros. One is Hygrophila Corymbosa and the other is a Sunset Hygro. I have 108w of light over a 75g tank, no CO2. I just started regularly dosing micro nutrients one day and macro nutrients the next day, plus I'm using Flourish Excel. Some of the hygros have roots growing from them but some aren't growing roots at all, in fact the bottom of the stem is turning black. I'm really having a tough time w/ the bunched plants and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong. The leaves keep falling off as well. I put them into the substrate a little bit so that they stay anchored.

Also, I've noticed holes on some of my leaves. My bronze crypt wendtii have small pin holes and a couple of the leaves have larger holes. My swords have a couple of larger holes mostly in the center of the leaves (Red Flame Swords in particular, and 2 of my Amazon Swords). Is this a result of not enough nutrients, snails...or can my plecos be causing the holes? I've seen some snails in the tank, but not many so I'm assuming it has more to do w/ nutrient deficiency.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Usually, holes in the leaves is associated with a potassium deficiency, but your plecos could easily be causing the holes also. Could you snap some pics of the damaged leaves for us?


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## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

Here are some photos of the crypts, red flame sword and my sad sunset hygro:


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## josh1604 (Mar 31, 2008)

In my experience then plecs afre messing with plants it is usually the swords and crypts not usually stems. Also the holes usually look different than what is in your pic. Mines looked like the meaty part of the leaf was sucked off, but they left behind the veins/support ostructure of the plants. What are are some specs on your tanks? Size, K dosing, lighting ect.?


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## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

My tank is 75g, 108w fluorescent lighting, eco complete substrate, root tabs under swords & crypts, 6 angelfish & 2 common plecos. I just started using Flourish excel recently and I mixed up dry ferts according to the PPS Pro Solution Recipe from this forum (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/pps-analysis-feedback/30659-how-make-pps-classic-pps-pro.html). This is the schedule I planned on doing:

Sunday - PWC, dose macro
Monday - micro
Tuesday - macro
Wednesday - micro
Thursday - macro
Friday - micro
Saturday - no ferts, rest day


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Ah, you haven't had those plants in the tank very long, have you? Looks to me like the crypt and sword are still in emersed form (grown out of the water), and are in the process of transitioning to submersed form. Same with your hygro.....which looks a lot like _Ludwigia repens x arcuata_ to me.

Give all of the plants some time to acclimate and they should be fine.


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## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

Wow legomaniac89, what gave it away? Yesterday is 4 weeks since I've had them. The crypts melted a bit in the beginning, but then they started to stablilize. Now I understand. The hygros have only been in my tank for 2 weeks.

I'll give them some more time. Is my dosing strategy okay? 

THANK YOU for your time!!!


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

No problem. Your dosing strategy looks fine to me.

I actually grow a number of aquatic plants emersed, including a Bronze _C. wendtii_ and _L. repens x arcuata_ (which I think may be the ID of your Sunset Hygro), and both look identical to what you have. Don't be surprised when all the old leaves on the crypt and sword die away completely as new different-looking leaves grow in to take their place.


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## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

Thank you again for helping me and for id'ing the L. repens x arcuata!


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## anh (Jul 20, 2009)

when i first plant my hygro, few of them melted but the rest now grow like weed


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