Anubias question

[angelcraze]

Idk if anyone can help, but I was trying to figure out what is going on with my anubias barteri.  This plant has been split at the rhizome months ago, and was doing fine until recently.  The new leaves are growing in weak and transparent in places along the edges.  Both pieces of the plant are doing this.  The older leaves of the other piece are also turning yellow along the edges.

Tank:              37g (L=30"xW=12"xH=21")
Lighting:         26w spiral florescent 6500k with reflection shoplight (recently added 12w 6500k LED
                      striplight)
Filtration:        Aquaclear 70
Inhabitants:   7 congo tetras, a few red ramshorn snails
Maintenance: 40% w/c weekly
Conditions:     N03= just under 10ppm
Parameters:   Kh=3 (was 2 before adding more coral in filter)
                     Gh=5 or 6 (not sure, light green at 5)
                     Temp=78 F
Ferts:             Flourish comprehensive, potassium and iron at w/c

Other plants: Brazilian Pennywort, corkscrew val, ludwigia repens, hygro, crypts, anubias nana and lanceolata, and christmass moss
All are doing well except the val does not thrive in that lighting.

I have attached a picture to try to show the poor leaf growth of the anubias barteri.  This whole section is new leaf growth since I split it.  I should add that I have them temporarily tied to a suction cup with thread, attached to the glass about halfway up the tank depth.  I don't think they are tied too tightly.  When I look at deficiency sites, I can only see calcium and magnesium as possibly being needed (which I will be adding)
Has anyone seen this or know what's missing, wrong, suggestions?

Thank you for reading, any input would be appreciated.

[wolfiewill]

Anubis needs to root into the substrate. I don't know if that's the problem, but try placing lower so the roots can grow into the substrate. Make sure the rhyzome is not buried though

[angelcraze]

Thanks for the suggestion, I can certainly try this.  It would hide the unsightly roots that have grown ridiculously too!  I didn't know that it mattered if the roots were buried or not, so this helps, thank you.

[blueknight0303]

roots do not like sunlight or any kind of light in general

[1macuser]

Not sure if mine is the exception to the rule...but i tied the rhyzome to a piece of wood and the roots are clinging to the wood and rock around and is growing like crazy. 

[sas]

Not sure if mine is the exception to the rule...but i tied the rhyzome to a piece of wood and the roots are clinging to the wood and rock around and is growing like crazy. 

I'm the same. my anubias all have their roots exposed and seem to be doing very well.
Although tied to wood some do twine around and attach themselves to the wood.

[blueknight0303]

roots will grow downwards to avoid direct light. if the roots are in direct sunlight, it will produce a color pigment( brown, red or black ) to protect itself if its growing white roots.

[exv152]

I love these plants, I have agustifolia, nana and petite. In my experience they can be tied to wood, stone etc, but wolfiewill is right, they do really well when allowed to spread their roots (not rhizome) into nutrient rich substrate. The root system will be a lot bigger than the ones tied to an object.

[angelcraze]

I will try moving it to a dirted tank, plant it low and allow the roots to dig into the earth if it's wants to.  I guess I had it 'growing out' for too long and should plant it low,shaded as it should be.  Thanks all for the comments!!!

[wolfiewill]

Oh, I just noticed that you have Congo tetras in that tank. They are alleged to eat Anubius if they don't get enough plant matter in their diet. Mine were eating the Anubius and Bolbitis in every tank I had them in. I read this in a copy on Practical Fish Keeping in an article on Congos available in the UK trade. Seems they are omnivores, and will get their veggies any way they can. I was blaming the damaged plant leaves on my SAEs in error. The loss of leaf edges continued after removing the SAEs. Could your problem be related to Congo's rounding out their salad needs?

[angelcraze]

Totally, yes, they could be lacking in veg matter, they are breeding like crazy, so I know they're not bad, but I wasn't aware that they needed so much veggies.  I noticed they ate some of the zucchini I put in for my snails.  I have started to feed them veggie flakes more often, since I also suspected the same after noticing the some new leaves on my crypt were looking 'munched on' too.

Thanks, awesome, good observation wolfiewill!!!!

[wolfiewill]

I now feed mine about a half a sheet of seaweed a day, and they scarf it down like teenagers on pot eating pizza.