Crypt Melt?

[Eleven13]

Hi everyone,

I have a crypt in my 3 gallon betta tank. I currently dose the water column with Nutrafin Plant Gro (soon to be switching over to Flourish Comprehensive), and I have an API root tab underneath the crypt. The lighting is just a stock 6 watt bulb that came with the tank set up.

I've had it for I'd say about 3ish weeks now, as you can see in the picture, some leaves towards the middle are bluish, and the other leaves in general are all kinds of shades of green.

Should I trim off the blue leaves, or should I trim off a majority of the leaves and just let it attempt to grow new growth?

Sorry for the bad picture quality, my betta decided to strike a pose regardless


Thanks for any help!

 

[Coursair]

Don't touch the green leaves. You can trim of any melting leaves, cut close to base of the leaf. Crypts hate change, it should recover.

Is your light a screw in incandescent ? If it will fit you could try a 10 watt mini CFL ?

 

[Eleven13]

Thanks for the reply Coursair, unfortunately it isn't, it is a mini (I believe) T8 Fluorescent bulb that is only 6 inches long. I think I heard that there are 9 watt bulbs for this size, but I have yet to find any unfortunately.

 

[mohican]

Crypts will go through periods of melting, its normal. Some may appear "dead". Just trim browned leaves and sit tight, they will come back.

 

[blert]

Just going by the algae growth on your Anubias, it does not seem to me to be a lighting issue, more of a nutrient issue. The API root tabs are really not all that great and Crypts are big root feeders. API root tabs contain nitrogen, potassium, phosphate and iron but absolutely no micro nutrients. You could try upping the PlantGro dosage a bit. PlantGro really isn't all that great either but will suffice until your Flourish Comp arrives. You may also want to try some Excel or DIY CO2.

 

[Eleven13]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I trimmed off the dead leaves and hopefully I start seeing new growth soon!

Just going by the algae growth on your Anubias, it does not seem to me to be a lighting issue, more of a nutrient issue. The API root tabs are really not all that great and Crypts are big root feeders. API root tabs contain nitrogen, potassium, phosphate and iron but absolutely no micro nutrients. You could try upping the PlantGro dosage a bit. PlantGro really isn't all that great either but will suffice until your Flourish Comp arrives. You may also want to try some Excel or DIY CO2.

I have heard that the API tabs weren't too great, I only got 2 packs (mostly for my 10 gallon planted tank), and the next time I need to replace them I'm going to try and make my own DIY tabs.

The anubias in that tank isn't half as bad compared to the one in my 10 gallon, one leaf is practically black with algae, it's a plague. I actually wasn't aware that it could be a nutrient issue, so I'm looking forward to making the switch from PlantGro to Flourish.

I actually did order Excel as well, hoping to spot treat the anubias like I had read about. Currently these tanks are set up in my college dorm room, but I'll be moving home next week and plan to set up DIY CO2 asap for my 10 gallon. However, I'm sort of afraid to set up CO2 for the 3 gallon because my girlfriend got me this betta for Valentine's day so if I screwed up and got him sick or killed him I'd feel awful (and be in trouble ) However, when the excel comes I'll certainly have enough of it to go around, so would you recommend dosing it in place of setting up a DIY CO2 for the three gallon?

Thanks!

 

[blert]

Yes, but since you have the issue that if you harm the Betta you are in deep doodoo, then start with low dosing the Excel and work your way up over a couple of weeks just to be safe. You can pull out the Anubias and treat it outside of the tank.

 

[Coursair]

I was leaving my light on too long and got BBA on my Anubias. I reduced photoperiod and feeding and it's almost gone. 1 Nerite Snail helped also. I did also dose my liquid ferts more consistently.

 

[Eleven13]

Yes, but since you have the issue that if you harm the Betta you are in deep doodoo, then start with low dosing the Excel and work your way up over a couple of weeks just to be safe. You can pull out the Anubias and treat it outside of the tank.

Will do thanks, I'll just skip the initial doses for now and treat it with the recommended dose every other day and see how it goes. Unfortunately, I also have Anacharis in both tanks (my 3 and 10gal) which I heard isn't a big fan of Excel.

I was leaving my light on too long and got BBA on my Anubias. I reduced photoperiod and feeding and it's almost gone. 1 Nerite Snail helped also. I did also dose my liquid ferts more consistently.

What did you reduce your photoperiod to? I have both of my tanks set to exactly 12 hours right now (7am-7pm) and I still have algae trouble on my anubias. Is that BBA though that is in that picture? I've been trying to figure it out, the images that Google brings up don't really look like that though

My anacharis in my 10 gallon also seems to have some sort of 'debris' looking algae or something on the leaves which makes them look sort of gross, but I have no idea what it is. Maybe if it persists for a while I can get some pictures up once I get access to a real camera as opposed to the built in laptop camera I've been using

 

[blert]

12 hours is way too long. Cut it down to a max of 8 on a normal basis and you may want to go even lower, or do a blackout, until the algae is under control.

 

[Eleven13]

12 hours is way too long. Cut it down to a max of 8 on a normal basis and you may want to go even lower, or do a blackout, until the algae is under control.

Oh wow I didn't realize I'd need to go that low.

With an 8 hour photoperiod, where is there any time to actually see the tank with the lights on?

I suppose I could do like 10am to 6pm....that would at least give me an hour after I got out of work

And if I did a blackout, would it literally be turning the lights off one night, and leaving them off the entire next day/night and then resuming an 8 hour photo period on the day after?

 

[blert]

Oh wow I didn't realize I'd need to go that low.

With an 8 hour photoperiod, where is there any time to actually see the tank with the lights on?

I suppose I could do like 10am to 6pm....that would at least give me an hour after I got out of work

My tanks are all split. Three hours in the morning, off for a few hours during the day and then back on for five or so hours in the late afternoon/evening.

If it's BBA a blackout won't help. You need to manually remove infected leaves and scrub down any infected hard-stuffs. Excel treatment/dips will help get it off of the plants and hydrogen peroxide treatment may help also.

 

[Eleven13]

My tanks are all split. Three hours in the morning, off for a few hours during the day and then back on for five or so hours in the late afternoon/evening.

If it's BBA a blackout won't help. You need to manually remove infected leaves and scrub down any infected hard-stuffs. Excel treatment/dips will help get it off of the plants and hydrogen peroxide treatment may help also.

Oh, I've never thought of splitting it. Is that safe for fish as well without screwing up their sleep/wake cycle?

And I have to look into it more to see if it actually is BBA, hopefully I can get a picture up later that may do it justice to see what you guys think.

Thanks again for the advice, I'm going to make those changes tonight!

 

[blert]

Oh, I've never thought of splitting it. Is that safe for fish as well without screwing up their sleep/wake cycle?
...

Nah, the fish won't care, so long as they have their eight hours of dark at night so they can "sleep".

 

[Eleven13]

Nah, the fish won't care, so long as they have their eight hours of dark at night so they can "sleep".

Alright awesome thanks, I'll definitely start doing that then, it's a win-win for viewing time and algae control

Here is a (bad) picture of the anubias in my 10 gallon tank, as you can see most of the leaves are bright green, however, the one in the middle is basically black on the top side (But green on the bottom) due to algae. Is this BBA?