Crypts melting!

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Codefox

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
520
Location
Tampa, FL
I just noticed that several of my crypts are starting to melt. I'm wondering if it has to do with the dense plant growth I have now as I don't dose any ferts. I've been trimming my Rotala and replanting it quite a bit and I've added a couple swords. Is this possibly causing the crypts to not get enough nutrients?

I have a bottle of fertilizer and I'll try dosing with it every couple days and see what happens unless anyone here has any thoughts.
 
Might want to try to add root tabs. I believe they are a heavy root feeder, so it may help. Could also be that you need to dose ferts. The swords will definitely need root tabs.
 
If you have high light, 2-3 w/g then all of your slower growing plants will start to suffer if you don't start dosing soon. If you have lower light or even the high light, root tabs will absolutely help the crypts. Just be sure you want them to be there before adding tabs or they can make a real mess. Have you moved them recently or done anything different?
 
No, I haven't touched them :( I'll try the root tabs and dosing and see if that helps. Thanks!
 
I use these . I dont think the fizz ones are as good. You can also make your own, I haven't tried it yet, but I may this winter when there is nothing better to do.
 
Thanks, Rich..... I remember reading a DIY thread a while back. I added the Flourish tabs to the cart instead. How long do these last before you have to put new ones in?
 
Okay, thanks.....I'll try these. My crypts have been doing okay, but I'm sure they would look much better with some supplemental feeding.
 
Ok, I got the flourish tabs and put them in tonight. I also got a bottle of flourish and will try dosing with that. Hopefully that will get everything going again.
 
The flourish ones are better. I've ordered the Jungle ones before and some of the tabs were crushed. And when trying to push them into the gravel, sometimes they crush in your fingers. Never got them since. The Flourish ones are solid, and very good. I also got some from another site as well, the bag of 300 I believe it was, and they are solid as well, and very easy to place in the substrate without crushing.
 
They were definately solid. So since I've never done this before...I basically put a root tab next to every plant. I'm not sure exactly how deep they are. Deep enough that I don't see them anymore.

I also got a bottle of Flourish to do dosing with. I really think it might be time to step up and get that pressurized CO2 system when I go down to S. Fl in a few days. I'll be right by Big Al's...
 
FWIW....crypts can melt from a large water change where some parameter changes, like maybe hardness. They will also melt if you let the tank conditions go south. It does not always mean nutrient deficiency with these plants.
 
I had done a 33% water change the night before I noticed it and pondered if that was the reason. But I doubt it. My water parameters are stable and that's my weekly wc. I've been very hesitant up to this point to even dose my tank with ferts in fear of a algae outbreak so I'd say there's a good chance that, especially with the addition of 2 swords and the ever increasing density of my Rotala, that they were just running out of nutrients. Time will tell.
 
Just an update...its been about 6 days since I put in the root tabs and started dosing Flourish (though I only used it once until this morning). When I got back from being away this weekend I was so relieved to see that all of the crypts were once again healthy and actually looked even better than before. Those Flourish tabs did the trick.

The rotala also exploded while I was away as usual so I'll be doing some pruning tonight. Water sprite also is looking really good too. I think that was what I needed :)
 
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