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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #261



     
     I have a beautiful specimen of the "red mellon sword" echonidorus 
     osiris red (I think) and it had been growing beautifully until I moved 
     it to the other side of the tank.  Since then, the new leaves still 
     look great, but the old leaves have become riddled with hundreds of 
     1mm holes--I'm not sure if its snail damage (I have almost exclusively 
     the malaysian snails but a few of the pond snails that hang out on the 
     floating leaves of the valeseneria) or if it's excess nitrate, old 
     water, or some other nutritional disturbance.
     
     I've just realized how difficult it is to fairly describe any plant 
     ailments--pictures do a much better job, but oh well.  Will a poor 
     substrate have this sort of effect?  The pH and hardness of the tank 
     have remained constant, only the light level has been increased and 
     the location in the tank (possibly less laterite in this location).  I 
     have increased the iron dosage and (Kent fertilizer) removed a whole 
     lot of excess duckweed from the tank (although this ailment happened 
     prior to that removal).
     
     The rest of the "black amazon" echonidorus parviflorus are also 
     suffering from this "hole" problem.  Their small green leaves are 
     riddled with 1mm holes and turning slightly brown around the edges of 
     these holes.  It looks more or less like someone's been sticking pins 
     through the leaves.
     
     By the way, no problem with the cryptocoryne wendtii, c. affinis, c. 
     wilissi, valeseneria asatica, rotala rotundafolia, hygrophila 
     polysperma or nymphaea (dwarf lillies).  Only the echonidorus seem to 
     have been effected.
     
     A friend suggested I add epsom salt once every few weeks because 
     swords are heavy magnesium feeders.  I haven't done this for a few 
     weeks, but the last time I did it was right before I did the big 
     transplant when all the problems started.  I have a feeling much of 
     these problems relate to the increased light level in the tank....must 
     have accelerated a dormant problem.
     
     Is this a common ailment with sword plants that is indicative of a 
     particular nutritional disturbance?
     
     What other details do you need to help solve this mystery?
     
     Thanks in advance.
     
     Dave.