Crypt Melt In Dsm

[r.w.girard]

Quick question. I've been growing Cryptocoryne wendtii var. red for almost a week in a new DSM tank. Starting yesterday, although there had been some previously, it has been "melting" pretty seriously [I took off 4 leafs today alone]. I know that "cryptocoryne disease" can be triggered by changes in water parameters, ie. pH, temperature, light, and I was wondering if this is normal in emmersed growth as well. It are in a 2.5 gallon tank under a 9w fluorescent bulb for 12 hours a day, growing in potting soil, covered with tahitian moon black sand. [Also, as a note, I trimmed the roots when planting it.] Because the substrate is not uniform in depth [the cryptocoryne is planted highest], I have a small amount of water where the Hemianthus callitrichoides, to make sure that everything is plenty hydrated. But this "attack" of "cryptocoryne disease" started after I added some water from my established tank to replenish the water supply. And because the cryptocoryne is at the highest level, I added the water directly to the its local.

Was that a bad idea? Or is all of this normal for emmersed and submersed growth? [The Cryptocoryne wendtii var. red that I am growing in my other tank are doing great in my water and have never melted more than one leaf at a time.]

-Robin

 

[ian]

i would say this is completely normal, and nothing to worry about. Have you completely submerged your plants yet?

 

[r.w.girard]

Have you completely submerged your plants yet?

No. I intend to give them a few weeks, so the Hemianthus callitrichoides can take root and fill in a bit more, before adding water to the tank. Unless you were referring to the "other tank," in which case, yes, they have underwater for months now.

But, Ian, thank you for the response.

 

[ian]

just remember the HC will also change when it becomes submerged, it will get smaller leaved. I have just had a look at your journal, Robin and it's looking good. Have you thought about dosing some Easycarbo when you do submerge the plants. HC seems to love Easycarbo in nano tanks. I kept CRS in a nano with a good spread of HC, only dosing easycarbo and a product called Floranaxis.

yes it needed trimming, but seem to take off all of a sudden. It seems you HC is spreading already.

 

[r.w.girard]

Have you thought about dosing some Easycarbo when you do submerge the plants. HC seems to love Easycarbo in nano tanks. I kept CRS in a nano with a good spread of HC, only dosing easycarbo and a product called Floranaxis. Yes it needed trimming, but seem to take off all of a sudden. It seems you HC is spreading already.

Ian, thank you for the vote of confidence. I think it looks pretty nice as well. I had planned on planting Hygrophilia corymbosa but it looked a little too wild for either of my tanks and so I plan on getting rid of it, so I am looking for a replacement, if you can make a recommendation. Otherwise, I might just plant a second Cryptocoryne wendtii var. red, being I am a big fan.

I was hoping to make it without any sort of supplements. We will see though. I've been using API CO2 Booster in my other tank and it seems to have helped with some algae, ie. plants being better able to compete with it in the corners of the tank.

As for the Hemianthus callitrichoides, I planted it rather densely, instead of breaking it up, because I ended up with a lot more than I was originally expecting. Was that a bad idea? But, yes, it is already showing some signs of growth, so that it good. But I want to be sure that it really settled before I do anything. It would be a shame to lose the batch for being hasty.

As per your comment about trimming, I am not sure I understand. When it goes submerged, I should trim it down? I don't actually "know" what I am doing. But slowly we learn, thanks to people like you [and Liz and the rest of the Planted community].

And by the bye, what is FlorinAxis? It is another carbon source, no? How does it differ from a product like EasyCarbo or Flourish Excel?

 

[ian]

i would leave the HC for a couple of weeks before trimming. Personally, i would trim it when submerged, it would be easier that way, as all aquatic plants theres not many that actually grow under water all year round, when they do get flooded the can often change a little, this applies to HC, it's leaves tend to get smaller, it doesn't melt though. As for the denseness, it could be a little more spread apart, as this will help it send out its runners, rather than growing in a clump and upwards.

as for Florinaxis, have a read here, i'm still using this in my lounge tank and can't fault the product in any way.