[Tropical Trav]

I have a few questions about these plants.

First, can you identify the 2 sword plants? They were sold as "assorted swords" at Petco.

Second, did i tie my baby java ferns to the driftwood correctly? I tied the roots to the driftwood with cotton thread and they seem to be growing but just making sure. Ive never done it before.

Third, did i plant the Anubias correctly? I tied it with cotton thread to a piece of slate from Petco that i broke up.

Fourth, my Java Ferns are getting some brown spots on them and one is looking a little washed out (grayish) on a couple leaves. What is that from?


Some background-This is a brand new 29 gallon tank. Life-Glo 20w 6700k light. API plant food once a week. I just got another water sprite yesterday so I will now have more shade than i've had the past 3 weeks. The tank is cycling. Ammonia has been at 0.50 ppm for 3 weeks since its in my tap water but yesterday it was 0.25 for the first time so its going down finally. Nitrites were 5ppm and nitrates were 20 ppm. I did a 50% water change and will do that daily until nitrites are down.

 

[Boredomb]

As long as the rhizomes of the Java fern and the Anubias are above the substrate they are fine. If those get buried they can rot and then the plants will die.
The sword just like a common Amazon Sword to me but could be wrong.
The Brown spots on the Java fern might be from too much light as they do best shade. The same can be said for the Anubias.

 

[Byron]

I would suggest that the swords might be Echinodorus osiris or a related variant. This will be more obvious as they grow the submersed leaves.

I would change your liquid fertilizer though. API Leaf Zone only has two nutrients, potassium and iron. Plants need 17 and in proportion, so I suggest either Seachem's Flourish Comprhensive Supplement for the Planted Aquartium or Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti. Either or both of these are usually availalbe locally. You use very little, by comparison to the other products, so don't worry about the slightly higher cost.

The two swords can manage with the above liquid, but will be better with substrate tabs. Swords are heavy feeding plants. I use Seachem's Flourish Tabs, I'm not sure if BA make a tab or not.

Byron.