why are my leaves spotting?

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fleeton
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:00 pm

why are my leaves spotting?

Post by fleeton »

My Anubias leaves are getting these weird brown spots. Tank is 20 gallons, been running for 6 months. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using Fluval Plant light, 8 hours a day. What's up with that?
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flumon
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2022 3:30 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by flumon »

Sounds like it could be a nutrient deficiency. Are you dosing any fertilizers? I had a similar issue with my Java Fern until I started using Seachem Flourish. Also, how's your CO2 setup?
scaledone
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:20 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by scaledone »

fleeton wrote: Tue Aug 05, 2025 5:34 am My Anubias leaves are getting these weird brown spots. Tank is 20 gallons, been running for 6 months. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using Fluval Plant light, 8 hours a day. What's up with that?
Brown spots on Anubias are often a sign of potassium deficiency. Try adding a potassium supplement like Seachem Potassium. Also, check your light intensity, too much can cause spotting too.
breamer
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 5:34 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by breamer »

I had the same issue with my Amazon Sword. Turned out my tap water was low in magnesium. Started adding Epsom salt, and the spots cleared up in a couple weeks. Maybe test your GH and KH?
Ryegrain
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:30 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by Ryegrain »

Yo, could be algae too. I had this weird vibe with my tank where the spots were actually algae. Cut back the light to 6 hours and added some nerites, cleared right up.
eagle9r
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 9:48 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by eagle9r »

breamer wrote: Tue Aug 05, 2025 8:25 am I had the same issue with my Amazon Sword. Turned out my tap water was low in magnesium. Started adding Epsom salt, and the spots cleared up in a couple weeks. Maybe test your GH and KH?
Magnesium deficiency is a common culprit. I'd recommend testing your GH first. If it's below 6, you might need to supplement. Also, make sure your pH is stable.
foxfire
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 5:10 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by foxfire »

Nerites are clutch for algae, but if it's not algae, could be a bacterial thing. Had a sketchy batch of plants once, spots spread like crazy. Quarantine new plants, just in case.
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Briteon
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Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2022 9:42 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by Briteon »

Check your substrate too. If it's inert, your plants might not be getting enough nutrients. I switched to ADA Amazonia and my plants stopped spotting. Also, how often are you doing water changes?
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jilly
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Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2024 9:32 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by jilly »

I'm new to this, but my LFS said spots can be from inconsistent water changes. I do 20% weekly now, and my plants look better. Maybe try that?
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fleeton
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:00 pm

Re: why are my leaves spotting?

Post by fleeton »

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll test my GH and KH, and maybe cut back the light a bit. Gonna try the potassium supplement too.
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