Anubias plants turning yellow with black dots and holes

[Lexat]

Not had an issue with this personally.
Considering Fe and potassium deficiency as possibilities.
Any thoughts on this would be great, thanks.

[littleking]

Yellowing leaves and holes, those are classic signs of nutrient deficiencies for me.
I'm not entirely sure which specific nutrients are lacking though, Lionest.
Do you use fertilizers in your tank at all?
If not, I'd recommend trying a weekly dose of liquid ferts, but only the day after you do water changes.
I say wait a day because some dechlorinators can bind to the nutrients in the ferts, reducing their effectiveness in my experience.

[boomer]

I think it's crucial we understand what nutrients or fertilizers are currently being used. While light can be a factor, particularly for shade plants like Anubias, I don't believe that's the issue here.

Adding a single nutrient, such as iron or potassium, is rarely beneficial and can often cause more harm to plants, and even fish. Plants require a balanced mix of 17 nutrients, which comprehensive fertilizers are best at providing. Fish, fish food, and water changes do provide some nutrients, but they may not be enough.

I've had a bad experience with iron myself - I once added extra iron to my tank, as someone advised me to, and it ended up killing my floating plants. Iron is a micro-nutrient that's best left in balance with other nutrients in a good quality comprehensive fertilizer. Excess iron can also lead to algae problems. Potassium, on the other hand, is relatively harmless, but it's unlikely to make a significant difference if other nutrients are lacking.

[Lexat]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I used to add a quarter of the recommended potassium dose and about half the iron dose every week, but I stopped when this issue started. Now it's affecting my Anubias plants one by one, which is weird. My Sessiliflora seems fine, but it's not growing as fast as it used to. The tank lighting is pretty limited - the bulb's only on for about 5 hours a day when I'm at work, and it gets some natural light, but not directly. On weekends, the lights are on for around 16 hours total. I'm not seeing any algae growth anywhere in the tank, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

[bronze_shield]

I've had good results with the Tropica products, Pets at Home stocks them and they offer both tablets and liquid fertiliser - I've used both with no issues, probably even some benefits.

[Lexat]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
I've checked my local fish stores and none of them carry TNC Lite, they only have TNC Complete and TNC Carbon. I do already have Flourish, so I might look into using that for now.
I decided to do a water test and the pH was below the API pH range, which is weird because my pH is usually around 6.6. The nitrates were also extremely high, above 80.
I checked my tap water and it has a pH of 7 with 0 nitrates. I'm not sure what's causing the issue.
I also noticed that one of my filters was running really slow, like it was blocked. I did an 80% water change and cleaned the filter, which is now working properly again.
Thanks again for all your help.

[boomer]

Thanks everyone.
I will need to order tnc lite,as none of the lfs have it,they only have tnc complete and tnc carbon.I do have flourish.
I did a water test and the ph was below the api ph range.This is weird as my ph is normally 6.6 solid.
The nitrates were also through the roof,above 80.
The tap water has a ph of 7 and 0 nitrates.
One of the filters was also running very slow,like a blockage.
I did a 80% water change and cleaned the filter,which is now working full again.
Thanks again all.

If I can use the Flourish I already have instead, that would be great - I've been told it has very low nitrogen and phosphorus levels.
I'm a bit concerned about the high nitrates and low pH, could this be a sign that my tank is getting a bit clogged up with excess organics?
I'll make sure to keep a closer eye on my water changes and feeding schedule to prevent this from happening again.
Consistent test results are key, so I'll be monitoring my nitrate and pH levels closely to make sure they're staying stable.

[Lexat]

I'm thinking the substrate change might be the culprit, went to sand about a month ago, probably triggered a cycle.

[whetu]

It's a gamble with fertilizers, you hit the mark or you miss it. In your case, I think fertilizers might be overkill for your plants.

[flamex]

I've got an issue here that's got me stumped.
Anubias leaves are yellowing and have holes - that's a new one for me.
I'm thinking maybe it's a nutrient thing, like Fe or potassium.
Anyone have a clue what's going on? Much appreciated.