Plant leaves turning brown

[JohnnyRaggs]

I have an amazon bio-tope set up which is planted. I have two Amazon swords, three pigmy swords, 3 rosette swords and 1 radican sword, along with a bunch of tall grass at the rear of the tank. My problem is that the plants are not growing as fast as they should be and the leaves are turning brown. I don't have a co2 set up (and am not planning on getting one) . But the substrate is set up for planted aquariums and I have a coral life bulb. Is my lighting not good enough?

[Michael Milligan]

Your first time with plants? I used to work in a garden centre and this question could just as well come up there! lol

Look at the plant and tell me a)if the browning leaves are the big old ones, and b) that there is new green leaves coming in. If so, you are fine. In all plants, a given leaf only has a certain life span. Especially if you change the plants location browning and foliage loss is normal. The new growth is the key. You fertilize?

Quasi-related story... Every autumn plant stores are flooded my people with "sick pine trees". That is when, like clockwork, the 3 year old needles die and fall. So, people who don't know that even evergreen needles don't live forever line up to help their dying trees :)

[JohnnyRaggs]

Its my first time with aquatic plants. I do realize that browning leaves are normal, and yes there is new growth. I just feel that the leaves are dying quicker then the new ones are coming out. I have not moved the plants since I planted them and I do not fertalize as I was told the undersubstrate layer was all the fertalizer I needed.

[Michael Milligan]

How long have they been there? Any fert that was in the soil was likely taken up or lost in water changes.

Too little light normally causes shedding or leaves and/or long weak growth. I would reach in and brake off any leaves that look really bad.

[JohnnyRaggs]

They have been planted for about 2-3 months now. What would be some good fert to use which won't harm the fish?

[Michael Milligan]

Oh.. some fert would give them a boost! Just get some plant food for aquariums from the LFS and follow the directions. Don't use any other kind of fert.

[Lady Hobbs]

Swords are iron hogs and they need pellets shoved in the substrate near the roots. They also can not be planted too deep. You didn't mention what you are using for plant substrate.
Lights are a whole different issue. What are you using for lights? You mentioned coralife lites but not the wattage.