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It can be frustrating when you invest in an upgrade (it could be better food, more CO2, a stronger filter or light, etc.) and instead of better growth and coloration, things don't seem to improve (or even seem to get worse).
Of course, not all intended improvements are beneficial. In fertilization, less can be more, as we describe here. Improved flow is generally good.... unless overdone. And better equipment will not help if the water parameters do not match the needs of the chosen plants.
But even where the improvements make sense, the immediate result can sometimes be confusing - accelerated deterioration of older leaves, for example.
This is because, as plants adapt to the new tank conditions, they may accelerate the shedding of old leaves.
In this way, plants continually renew themselves by producing new growth that is optimized for the current environmental conditions, while letting go of older growth.
In the picture above, the decaying Anubias leaves would not improve, even with better nutrition, for example. Instead, the plant is likely to shed them more quickly and concentrate on developing healthy new leaves instead.
Even if the leaves do not deteriorate faster, older growth generally does not change for the better. This is illustrated in the picture above, where the part of the variegated Rotala macrandra grown under less than ideal conditions remains distinct from the newer part grown under better nutrition and tank conditions.
For fast-growing stems, the solution is simple - replant the healthy tops as they grow tall and discard the old stems and roots.
For swords and crypts, older leaves (especially those with algae) can be trimmed to make room for healthy new growth.
For very slow growers like Anubias and Bucephalandra, still healthy leaves will often improve, but leaves that are too far gone may continue to deteriorate. This adaptation process takes a long time - several weeks in a tank with CO2, several months in tanks without CO2 injection;
This is an incredibly long time, often beyond our patience!
The leaves of Alternanthera reineckii above are still fundamentally healthy and the algae can be quickly solved over a few days by spot dosing APT Fix.
However, they may not fully regain their luster and color. Some scarring would remain. In many ways, leaf damage is always permanent because the plant is focused on new growth, not healing old tissue.
In summary-
- Improving the tank environment may confuse you by causing old leaves to deteriorate more quickly. This is normal. If healthy new leaves appear, you are on the right track.
- Look for evidence of improvements in new sheets. The color, shape, and size of the new leaves will indicate if things have improved.
- Still healthy older leaves, especially in hardy species, may improve but generally will not fully rejuvenate. Unhealthy leaves may deteriorate more quickly.
For a deeper dive into managing older and/or damaged leaves, go to this article here.
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