MU stem rot

[Darkkon]

My bunch of MU (not Man Utd lah... Micranthemum umbrosum) stems rot off at the base near the root area... some are now hanging by a single root in the soil... anyone knows what are the likely causes?

Sorry due to my fighting of a greenwater problem all test kits are not accurate anymore due to daily changing of water so cannot provide any stats. Thanks all.

[budak]

I would say it's lack of light that's the most probably cause, but since no other data is available, that's all the help that's possible, unfortunately.

[PeterGwee]

Green water...daily water changes would not cure the problem. Do a 3-5day blackout or UV filter if you have it. Ammonia is the trigger of green water..did you disturb the substrate alot? Add a lot of fishes? Add jobe sticks?

On the base of your plant leaves rotting, are the lights reaching the bottom?

[Darkkon]

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On 8/11/2003 8:36:23 PM

Green water...daily water changes would not cure the problem. Do a 3-5day blackout or UV filter if you have it. Ammonia is the trigger of green water..did you disturb the substrate alot? Add a lot of fishes? Add jobe sticks?

On the base of your plant leaves rotting, are the lights reaching the bottom?
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I am doing the blackout routine on top of daily 30% water changes... today is day 3. Open up the 3 trash bags to change water then i saw my MU stems many rotting or rotted away already. Since blackout of course no light reach bottom, and maybe that's the cause since i noticed the leaves at the bottom also dying. []

[Darkkon]

And forgot to add i quite the greenwater problem was caused by my adding of 50 shrimps (now left 44) one shot. I did notice that the water became blur then green from then on. No fishes in the 3 week old tank when i added the shrimps in. I thought it was better not to add fishes and shrimps together cos of nitrate spike, guess even the shrimps should not have went in so fast so much.

[PeterGwee]

How big is your tank by the way? Adding a huge amount of critters to a small tank will cause lots of problems. If possible, try to reduce the bioload.

1)Do a large water change 50% or more to get the ammonia down
2)Cover the tank with cloth or trashbag and aerate the tank for the entire blackout period. 3-5 days and make sure no light gets in or else it won't work well
3)Ensure no presence of green water before doing another big water change after the blackout period. If green water remains, the blackout period is either not enough or you let in some light during the period.
4)Add lots of fast growing plants...I mean lots!!!
5)Crank CO2 up to 20-30ppm and ensure that the N,P,K and traces demands are met.

You are doing blackout couple with water changes? No light should be allowed to get to the tank and doing water changes during the blackout period has defeated the purpose.

[Darkkon]

Tank is 60*30*45 cm.

So far already got Ludwigia sp., drawf hairgrass, java moss, MU and another plant which i haven't been able to ID... told this tanned guy at Teo's i wanted MM but he gave me something else instead Don't really think got space for more plants, unless i get floating ones.

This tank gave me many problems already... at first my driftwood grow white fungus out... even boiling doesn't help. After it went away overnight the greenwater came in
[]

[PeterGwee]

Just do what I told you and see if it helps.... Remove the rest of the critters and keep about 5-10 shrimps should do. High bioload will always cause algae issues due to occasion spikes in ammonia if the plants are not growing well or could not cope with the amount produced.