# Pilea problems - holes & browning



## MKF (Sep 30, 2017)

I seem to struggle with all my plants constantly, growing pains...

I have a moon valley plant (Pilea mollis) that had been growing new leaves, but the new leaves always develop brown edges, almost like they're burning, and now I have noticed a few leaves (older, full size ones) that have holes in them with or without black stuff around them. The holes are very small and impossible to photograph. I was thinking I might have aphids, but I'm not seeing any on the underside of the leaves. I do have some fungus gnats in the tank.

The tank doesn't have frogs yet. Sits around 85% humidity. No fan (yet, I have one on the way). One LED on consistently for 12 hours, another LED switches on between 12-3pm, then switches off again. Temps around 75-77 degrees. Soil is moist, not soaking, no water in the drainage layer. I mist the moss twice a day (hand spray since this is my only tank), but the rest of the plants I avoid spraying since the humidity is so high already. The tank is a 12x12x18 so the plant is probably 12"-13" away from the light. It was bleach dipped in a 5% solution for about 5 minutes before I put it in the tank.

Ideas?

This leaf was at the bottom of the plant, and I have one other on the bottom that look similarly.









Brown edges on new leaves. These pics weren't taken with the LED lights on, so they actually receive much more light than it appears...


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I find that plant impossible to grow in dart vivs, though I can grow it in gecko vivs that are much drier. I still get some of the symptoms you are seeing. I think it doesn't tolerate water on the leaves.


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