Holes in Amazon plant

LAKA said:

I suspect it might be my bristlenose.

Click to expand...

You are right - this is the culprit!

I have lots of swords and lot of BN and they dont bother any of them just suck on them getting the algae off

Great , two opposing views.
I feed the bristlenose zucchini every 3rd day.
Maybe not enough. I will go to feeding every 2nd day and
see how it goes.

LAKA

It does not look like a nutrient deficency. The leaf seems to be healthy otherwise.
It must be your BS. Feeding him more veg diet as you are planning,might wean him off your plant.

I've had swords do this for two different reasons.

1st.) Most commercially produced swords are grown in emersed set-ups. They grow faster and are algae free. When first submerged they will cast off the older foliage. Swords then grow new leaves which are slightly thinner and better suited to a full aquatic environment. Very normal behavior. As you also say this plant is newly purchase, a very real possibility.

2nd.) I've had my sword's leaves blister from too much Excel. (Or too long of a bleach dip.) Yet most swords have a healthy enough root stock that they do recover with all new foliage.

My pleco does this to any sword plant I try to grow. Sorry!

It's definitely your pleco. Hungry little guy! Try cucumbers on your off zuchini days!

I've heard that there are different types of plec's sold together as the same type (they look a lot alike) and some have different manners. Most are herbivorous and some are even carnivorous! Any of them would take advantage of weakened plants. I've done a lot of studies with plants in different pet stores for school, and I've noticed that most of the plants that are changing emergent leaves to submergent leaves, algae eater of all kinds will eat the dying leaves but usually leave the good leaves alone. This is just an observation, and I hope that it helps.