Crypt lovers, share your secrets for promoting submersed growth

[bossteck]

Seemed like I need to upgrade my lights.
Thanks folks for all your inputs.

Hi Folks,

An update. I could not splash out on a new set of HOT5, so I ended up getting a second hand 4x55W PL from a kind hobbyist here. It's been about a week since I added the lights.

My tank now has 2 x 4 x 55W PL running for 8 hours a day. The changes I noticed are that my plants seemed to be a bit redder can see red 'veins' on one of my crypts (don't know what name though). I also see new leaves sprouting. So happy!

[peterkoh]

Rich substrate. I use JBL ball shaped root fertiliser and it works well for me. In fact, I hope they don't grew too fast and tall at the foreground as it covers the rest.

[bettarism]

I am currently growing my Crypt in a 1ft tank. Observation by me is that whenever i change about 50% of the water or directly pour water over the area where the crypt are, they tend to melt off easily.

Recently, i tried another method, i pour fresh water into the area of the canister water outlet slowly, mixing fresh water with the current tank water. And now they stop melting. Just my experience.

[valice]

I seemed to have this problem too, but the melting only occur at the tip of the leaves, and then they stop melting. Does yours melt that way too? I have not tried pouring at other location to test if the crypts still melt.

[StanChung]

Chlorine in tapwater can do that IMHO.

[bettarism]

I seemed to have this problem too, but the melting only occur at the tip of the leaves, and then they stop melting. Does yours melt that way too? I have not tried pouring at other location to test if the crypts still melt.

Mine melt totally. Maybe you can try out mixing the fresh water with the tank water first before pouring? Less quantity change each time but more frequently. Maybe Crypt melt when there is large changes in water condition. Anyone can verify this?

[|squee|]

Maybe Crypt melt when there is large changes in water condition.

Yes, crypts are known to melt when there are large changes in the water.

[Aquaculture]

Yes, crypts are known to melt when there are large changes in the water.

Does it melt if I'm administrating the EI method? As in 50% or more water change each week?

[Sleepy_lancs]

Hi Aquaculture,

Yes initially. However, with frequent water change (same amount each time), the crypt will adapt to it and stop melting.

[Kai Witte]

In my experience you don't have to be too weary to have "very stable conditions" when you have healthy, vigorously growing plants. I almost always do very large water changes (90+%) but only rarely (in tanks with few fishes) - like once or twice a year. I can't remember when I had my last crypt completely melting-down as a response to any kind of water change - must have been decades ago. And that includes many blackwater species and other rare crypts...

[Ah_ZhaN]

kai:
Do you mean once a crypt get stablised, it won't be affect by changes in water parameters leading to melting ?

I had my submersed Cryptocoryne wendtii "green gecko" for more than 2 months. Recently, there are a small "hole" on a couple of matured leaves, and the "hole" will widen with each day passed and the whole leaf will melt eventually. I can't think of a reason behind it and it has pretty sadden me alot...making me damm worried because I really love this crypt. It is so stable for the past two months but now then it starts to melt ?? Oh god, please save my beloved crypt!!

[Kai Witte]

Hello Zhan,

I was more thinking along he lines "A healthy crypt can take quite a beating" (without responding with a full melt-down) - you don't see crypts melting completely after every rainstorm in nature...

I assume you already changed the water to a large extent?

Maybe add a little potassium to see wether this helps avoiding the tiny holes to start with.

[Ah_ZhaN]

Kai,
So you mean occasional melting do occurs, but not the whole entire plant specimen(i.e to say that few leaves may melt, but things will get better?)

I perform 50% water change weekly in conjunction to EI. And I think that it might not be a case of nutrient deficiency too because all other plants and crypts are doing great. Only the "green gecko" are affected as far as concerned. I am not sure what causes the "holes" and agitates the melting of my 'green gecko'.

Nevertheless, I observed that their roots are grewing out of the substrates, which is not seen from other cryptocoryne spp.

[Quixotic]

Nevertheless, I observed that their roots are grewing out of the substrates, which is not seen from other cryptocoryne spp.

I thought this is common for some crypts (can't remember where I read this), or at least, this is the case for those suspected to be C. undulata in my tank. Sometimes, they even attach themselves to the driftwood or rock.

[eagleray]

Just planted some crypts (beckitti and petchii) into my tank ... as expected some of the leaves start to melt ...

would anyone advise if I should cut off the melting leaves ... or following the first principle which is to leave it alone, as cutting it will disturb the crypt acclimiating and cause it to melt further ?

I guess there should be no harm/side effects in leaving these rotting leaves in an aquarium right

[StanChung]

Should leave it to float as per Cryptyman Roland's advice. Try as i might to do differently, it melts. The reason i don't like to float it is it looks gnarly. My suggestion is to tie root base to a weight and let it float so that leaves don't curl up.
The duration should be till you see new roots.

[bryan]

It totally hates untreated tap water. Over the weekend, I had to swap a 2FT Juwel with a 5 plan. I could not keep the old water (wife already angry), and had to use water straight from the tap. I let it run a day before replanting. This is the third day and I see a tankful of mush. My 6 months effort of converting crypts down the drain.

[leeruisheng]

Will the crypts grow if there is a difference in room temperaure? I'm intending to setup a crypt tank in my room and will only switch on the aircon in the night.
So I guess the temperature of the tank will be like 22 degrees during night time and 27 degrees during day time.

And how long after melting will new leaves start to grow?

Thanks.

[Kai Witte]

Sure, 22°C is no problem, especially for a few hours. If the tank has a reasonable size and is covered, chances are that it stays well above the minimal night temperature of the air...

If only some older leaves melted, growing can continue immediately. For a complete melt-down, it depends on the severeness of the damage:

If the growing point got killed, it may take several weeks (or longer) for new growth to appear (depending on the health and size of the remaining rhizome). Letting it float can speed up the process (and development of new growing points can be noticed earlier); it's main advantage is that continued rotting of the rhizome is less likely though!

If the growing point survives the melting, new leaves will appear much faster (several days- few weeks).

[leeruisheng]

Hello Kai,

What's the rationale behind covering the tank?

I have done as most would advise to have the crypts floating in the tank before planting. But after a few days, the leaves started to melt too. Is this common?

Can recommend some good crypts websites too? I have a few crypts but still can't identify them.

Thanks.