melting plants

[benkho]

I just set up my 4 ft tank and I've planted some valiseneria and 2 other species of red plants. I'm not too sure about the names of the other 2 just that one's a crypt.

They all came from my recently decommissioned 2ft tank and were doing fine then. The 4 ft tank is low tech...with 2 54W light tubes on 4 hours a day. I've only added aquarium salt and dosed iron. However, after returning from my CNY trip, they seem to be melting and most already dead.

Anybody have any ideas why?

[Laconic]

All the plants?

Crypts are notorious for melting when transplanted into a new environment. So the melting crypt is no surprise. With the valiseneria, I'm not so sure why the melting occurred. It could be due to the aquarium salt. Salt and plants just doesn't go together unless you are growing brackish water plants.

[benkho]

hmmm...is that so? I did dose salt into my 2footer when they were previously in it. Perhaps the amount of salt??

[Shadow]

In my experience Vallisneria will melt the outher leaves if you plant it to deep but new leave will grow. Did you see any new leave?

[benkho]

not that I can see...could it really be the aquarium salt?

[benkho]

Do rocks affect the water quality? I've 3 lava rocks in it which were previously used when the tank used to be for cichlids in addition, when laying the substrate, base fertilisers were added along with some MgCl2 powder.

Anyone see anything that might have caused the onset of such extensive melting? My crypts seem to be fine, it's just the valisinera that seem to be adversely affected for reasons I do not know.

[blue33]

Lava rocks no problem, the salt may be the problem though. Using any CO2 for both tanks? Lighting period for both tank? 4hr may be too short for it to create photosynthesis also, especially when move to new place.

[benkho]

I did use CO2 when they were in my 2ft, but I decided not to use it for the 4ft tank to reduce the plant trimming and maintenance. As for the lighting, the 2 ft tank had 6 hours, the 4 ft as stated has only 4 hours; decided to reduce the duration owing to no input of CO2. With regards to dosing, I add in seachem iron and NPK.

As for the salt, I did put some into my 2ft tank as well...the difference being the amount since this is a bigger tank.

Trying to find out the root of the problem, I worry about introducing fish into an environment where plants don't seem to be able to survive in

[blue33]

This is a transition period from high to low, certain plants will be affected, such as melting or so, lighting can go for 6hours for a low tech tank. Unless you are using PH reducing soil, if not the faunas shouldnt be affected much at all.