Crypts - Rust On New Leaves

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daizeUK

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What does it mean if new growth on crypts is rust-coloured or covered in rust?  I have beckettii and balansae and both are doing it.  Is it a kind of algae or an indication of deficiency or unhappy plant?  The older, established leaves are fine.  They've been in the tank for four weeks.
 
Yes, I was beginning to suspect that I may have confused everyone so I got some pictures today!  :)
 
I took the plants out of the tank for closer inspection and I think I was wrong about it being rust, in fact I think it's a different thing on each crypt now.
 
This is the balansae, it has three brownish leaves.  It just looks like they are dying/decaying.  I'm a bit worried because it looks like the new young leaves are dying.
 
balansae_zps2a4a7d67.jpg

 
 
This is the beckettii.  I cut off most of the discoloured leaves thinking they were diseased.  Then I realised that the undersides of these leaves were red and remembered that beckettii is supposed to have dark red leaves!  So maybe it was just producing its first red leaves and silly me cut them off!
 
beckettii_zpsfa02acb9.jpg
 
can you give some information about your tank                                           

1. what size tank is it
2. what lighting do you have
3. what ferts are you using
4. are you using co2 ?

 
 
64L, really rubbish lighting 1WPG, a bit of Flourish (plain not Excel) whenever I do a water change currently every 5 days or so.  No CO2.   Tank has been set up about a month.
 
The balansae was a bit hidden so I'm moved it to the front of the tank now.
 
are you 100% sure its rust and not the natural colour of the plant? there are some plants in my tank that are wired in colour can you rub it off?

missed the middle post haha ye you sused it it will have been the natural colour of the plant coming through as plants are grown out of the water for sale, so they have different leaf shapes and colours when in the water they usualy colour up all my beckettii are completly purple in colour shows they are healthy to i believe
smile.png




green crypts in picture are nevellii and the purple one is beckettii
smile.png
 
Haha yes I suspect the Beckettii is fine. 
 
I was fooled because in the water both plants look like they have rust on their leaves.  Once they're out of the water it's more obvious that it's something different.
 
Shame that the balansae is losing some leaves, I hope it doesn't get worse.  I like that plant.


Thanks for your picture by the way, now I can see what it is supposed to look like!
 
Just remember all old crypt leaves will die, it doesn't matter how much c02 you throw at them. They don't have the ability to photosynthesise the same way as the submersed leaves. All the plants are grown out of water and the old leaves will eventually drop. I suspect tis is what is happening here.
 
Thanks Ian.  It would probably help if I didn't cut off any more new leaves then!  
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Seems to be the newer leaves on the balansae that are suffering though.  Maybe they were just damaged.  I'll see how it gets on.
 
Seems to be the newer leaves on the balansae that are suffering though. Maybe they were just damaged. I'll see how it gets on.
 
When new leaves die, then the plant is lacking something in the new enviroment. Plants melting is normally lack of CO2 and possibly too much light for the availability of CO2 if it's a low tech tank.
 
Hi Snazy!  I think you are absolutely right.
I have another thread about my vallis and elodea melting and we're thinking that's exactly why - too much light and not enough CO2.
 
I was warned I would have problems if I put my fish tank right next to the window and here I am :/
 
Well the Beckettii is still producing red leaves and the old green leaves are starting to look really tatty so I think it wants to shed those leaves and go red but it's basically doing fine.
 
The poor Balasae is struggling with just a few green leaves left, it lost most of its biggest leaves and a few small new ones, they simply turned brown.
 
By the way - I have two new sunset platies in my QT tank - we called them Spicy and Snazy :D
 
By the way - I have two new sunset platies in my QT tank - we called them Spicy and Snazy
 
He, he
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I too have cryptocoryne beckettii pink and from green and oval leaves it changes to pink/wine coloured and wavy in my tanks but it does grow better with liquid carbon, as any plant would I suppose. It is actually one of the crypts that does like higher light providing there's CO2.
 
That's interesting.  My new beckettii leaves still look oval but perhaps they will get wavy when they're bigger.
 
I think I've got two options, either start dosing liquid CO2 or move the tank somewhere less sunny.  I'll experiment with Excel first and see what works.
 
Mine start growing wavy leaves from the start. Initially when I bought it, the plant had green oval leaves with red/purple stalks.
I think crypts can grow differently depending on conditions.
 
Aha I've just had a closer look and the biggest red leaf is a bit wavy.  Hadn't spotted that til now!
 

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