My amazon swords are turning yellow. I am using Seachem ferterlizer plugs and florite liquid ferterlizer. I have Marineland daylight bulbs, which do not show watts. What do I need to do?
How long do you keep the lights on? What's the dosing of ferts? Leaves turning yellow sounds to me like too much fertilizer. You might have to invest in new bulbs so you'll know exactly the watts per gallon you're getting.
You may not be doing anything wrong. Amazons constantly lose leaf. It is part of its growing cycle. They require constant pruning. I do recommend you get new bulbs so that part of you question is answered.
Lighting is a big issue with sword plants and it is possible they are not getting enough of it even if you do leave the lights on for ten hours. It is important to know the wattage on the bulbs so you can figure out exactly how much they are getting in the line of light. These plants are also big root feeders and require a lot of nutrients in the water and around the roots of the plant. I think root tabs are a good idea with this kind of plant. This plant also needs to be pruned quite often. I have to trim and prune mine almost on a weekly basis since the leaves just get old and tattered looking.
My hood on my 55 gallon tanks has 2 18" bulbs. Can I buy lights that short with the proper wattage or do I need to look at a different hood? My wife is on the verge of killing me over the cost of my hobby, but I love it. How many watts per gallon do I need?