I have a couple of swords(not to sure what kind) they are getting a bit black and i was wondering what i could do to get these plants back in shape.

Hi Mooreman!

Could you say "Moore" about your plants? Did the leaves have a lot of brown on them before they turned black? Was the tank set up in the last couple of months? Do you see brown algae anywhere? Do you use fertilizer? Are your water params changing (like ammonia or nitrItes increasing)? Sorry to ask so many questions but it might help give you an answer!

Yes it's a newer tank set up in the last mounth but it is not brown algae and my ammonia is increasing a bit every day since i am stiil in that stage of the cycle

Hi,

Interested to know what the black stuff is as I get this as well. I take the offendinding plants out and wipe the leave with a sponge ( can only really do this with the firmer leaves. The Black wipes off quite easily. I tend to do this in a bucket with the tankwater in. My tank is completely cycled and I use Interpret Flora Boost.

Thanks for that info, will go and buy me some of that.

If its a fairly new tank it is proably in all reality brown algae/diatoms due to high silicate levels. One thing I have learned about algae is that it is not easily identified. If it wipes off your plants easily and your tank is fairly new I would lean towards brown algae/diatoms. Just my two cents

If it doesn't wipe off and is really bothering you a more extreme route may be a bleach dip. Mix 1 part common household bleach to 19 parts water. Submerse the sword for no longer than 2 minutes and immeditely rinse the plant with water. I use a ziplock bag to do this and just empty it of the bleach solution then fill it up with tapwater, shake the bag a little, drain and repeat 4 to 5 times. You could also use a dechlorinator in the rinses to help neutralize the bleach. CAUTION use this as a last resort. Some plants don't respond well to bleach treatments (although swords should be okay) and uprooting a sword is never a good thing.