Newbie here...need help on melting plants..

[alph]

Hi all! i just started my planted tank 3 weeks plus ago, almost a month. The plants were doing ok until the last 2 days when the crypts started melting like crazy. At first i thought it was only some random melting so i just cut off the affected leaves, but more and more leaves keep melting...i really don't know whats wrong. i read that crypts melt when planted but mine didn't and until the last 2 days was putting new red leaves. near the melted leaves is some webby thing..like white thread..is it fungus causing the melt? anyone has a solution for it? i really really like the crypts



tank size is 2 feet(i think)
temp is 29-30 deg constantly
no ferts given
2 tubes of t5h0 lights (6500k i think)
and one dolphin filter
water quality and stuff i didn't check..should be ok because all the fish seem fine


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sorry for huge/weird sized pictures!

and thanks for helping

[alph]

oh and i also attached a picture of some weird black thread think stuck to the leaf that got bigger and bigger. what is it? the leaf seems fine though

and here's a pic of the whole tank20130322_222005.jpg

thank you!

[alph]

oh and my e.tenellus is browning, although it has new growth. anyone knows why?20130322_221726.jpg

thank you!

[Shadow]

that the emerge leaf, normal, just trim it

[alph]

thanks shadow! the small crypt leaves that are melting are also emersed? and the tenellus also? sorry for noobie question haha

[Shadow]

I was talking about the tenellus.

Crypt was know to have melt when they have sudden change in environment. Does it have new leaf grow?

[alph]

the crypt had new leaf growth and the old leaves seemed fine for a few weeks but now both old and new leaves are melting/starting to melt. i don't think got change in environment because since day 1 i put them in that spot till now..

[Shadow]

do you inject co2? or dosing carbon supplement like seachem excel? how many watt is your light? which substrate brand you are using?

I heard some sensitive crypt melt if change water too much

[alph]

no co2, no carbon supplements or ferts also, the substrate is ANS planta soil with black sand(on top so the plants won't float), the lights is 2 tubes t5ho 16w. so far i havent changed any water yet..only top up once a week with old water when the water evaporates away.

and i just cut off all the melting leaves, because i realised that if a melting leaf touches another good leaf the good one starts to melt too!!!!

sorry forgot to say its really low tech tank

[milk_vanilla]

It's advisable to drop liquid carbon and ferts ( min dosage) even you're going under low tech. Especially if majority of the tank are flora and very minimum fauna.

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[alph]

i read around the forum and the most popular is seachem flourish and seachem flourish excel so i shall get those to try...

my tank isn't really minimum fauna..there's 8 cherry barbs, 8 glolight danio, 8 gold ring danio, 8 galaxy rasbora..i think it's overstocked but so far fish are ok..

and the crypts continued melting..even after i cut off all the affected leaves 3 new ones started to melt.
first a dark green spot or line will appear on the leaf and it will melt outwards until the whole leaf melts. anyone can help



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thanks guys

[Urban Aquaria]

my tank isn't really minimum fauna..there's 8 cherry barbs, 8 glolight danio, 8 gold ring danio, 8 galaxy rasbora..i think it's overstocked but so far fish are ok..

I noticed in your first post that your tank is currently only 3-4 weeks old, if you are using nutrient rich soil substrate and no established media from another tank, then your tank should still be cycling and going through fluctuating water parameters and extreme ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes at the moment.

Ideally, fishes shouldn't be added to new tanks that are still cycling as their long term health and immune system would be greatly reduced in the harsh toxic environment. But since the fishes are already in, it'll be best to do more frequent 20-30% water changes to moderate the toxic spikes and help protect your fishes.

It'll also be highly advisable to get a freshwater test kit to monitor the tank parameters during this cycling period too, so that you can track its progress... otherwise you'll just be guessing alot.

[alph]

Thanks!

i put one old used filter sponge from another tank (non planted with guppies) with 2 new sponges in the filter when i first started the tank, the starting water was also not new, i used water change water from the guppy tank mixed with old water, then i left it for a week, after that i put in 8 barbs, then i added the danios just last week..to be safe i shall get a test kit to test the water..

and my crypts are still melting..soon it'll have no leaves if i have to keep cutting leaves off everyday

[horst]

My thoughts:
1. I see floating plants: Blocking vital light to the crypts at the bottom. No photosynthesis- plant leaves will start to turn brown (chlorosis)
2. No CO2 gas (Not the liquid type): Plants need CO2 with light to start photosynthesis. CO2 is like "air" to plants just like O2 to fish. No CO2, plants "suffocate" and will slowly die off.
3. I see fishes: The ammonia from fish waste and rotting fish food residue will cause spike in nitrogen levels. With the plants slowly dying off, excess nutrient in the water is left. You will soon see algae growing. To prevent algae , you probably might be changing your water often. This will cause "crypt melt", owing to leaf cell rupture from different water concentration inside and outside leaf.

[alph]

Thanks!

i removed half the frogbits so now more light is reaching the plants..and i got flourish and flourish excel, will be adding with next water change...im not going to add co2 gas though, because its costly, unless i manage to diy one because my plants should not be unable to do without it right? (water sprite, marselea, rotala, wisteria, staurogyne, pennywort, potamoegeton gayii all should be low requirement plants)

and im having a slight algae bloom already(brown algae spots on tank walls)...should i get a bigger filter that can handle more bioload? or should i buy snails/oto(but a lot of fish already...)

so far i havent changed any water yet...only topup, but im going to change tmr before i add the fert/liquid co2) so i really dont know what is going on with the crypt which is still melting and going to be leafless soon

and crypts are same lighting requirements as anubias plants right? i had containers fully covered by frogbits but the plants below were fine..

sorry for lonnnnggg post and thank you

[mo sheng ren]

just dose flourish and flourish excel and see how your plants goes, if you can afford co2 gas is a plus point for your plants..
do some water change help on algae problem, can buy 1-2 oto in if you want.. the number of fishes in your 45cm tank is still okie..
crypts is low light plant..

just my 1 cent thought.. hope the pro here can advice you more..

[alph]

Thanks!

i dosed the flourish/excel with my first water change and after 1 day the tank is looking more green(algae)...i also put in 3 otos, 3 nerites, 6 ramshorn to eat the algae. hope they can clear it..

and the crypt is still melting...ive decided after worrying about it for the past few days...if it decides to melt away and die then so be it!!! i shall replace it with something else!! although suggestion on how to keep it is still welcome

Thanks!

[milk_vanilla]

How long your light period?

Did u do water change regularly?

You wouldn't see immediate result after use the fertz / liquid carbon, give some time. Around 2 weeks.


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[milk_vanilla]

And i don't know much about dolphin, could you find out what's the volume capacity / hour.

Does the tank cycle already?

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[alph]

Thanks!

the dolphin filter box states its 185L/Hr..i think its much lesser though because i dont see plants moving from the water flow except for right below the filter outlet..so it should be quite weak...the tank is almost like still water..

my lights are on from 6am to 2pm then 8pm to 12mn.

so far i only changed water once, but before that already starting to have algae so it isnt the fert's fault

im not sure if the tank is cycled already but the fish are ok so i think its cycled or getting there..will only know once i buy a test kit