*PIC HEAVY* Crypt problem... Need some expert advice please.

[philipraposo198]

I have been dealing with this issue for as long as I can remember (tank has been running for 10 months).

Symptoms:
- leaves are deteriorating
- first stage is the healthy leaves starts to show whitish or yellow or light green marks on leaves, see pic.



-from these areas, things spread and forms small holes.



- these holes keep growing and eventually the leaves die off completely.
- seems like "crypt melt"


I have not moved these plants in a long time and some have been in spot since day one. This is a slow process and generally doesn't effect ALL leaves or ALL crypts i have. I have very many crypt species.



Not sure it is related but my Cryptocoryne Balansae (Cryptocoryne crispatula 'Balansae') crows well but only a few leaves at a time. max maybe 5 leaves per plant. then as new one comes the oldest one dies off. sad.

The balansae leaves deteriorate much quicker compared to other crpyts. and it looks like more brown spots which start it off. then eventually the entire leaf goes really wilted and melts off. i don't have a leaf currently looking bad on these plants so i can't get a pic.

My crpyt spiralis crows nice and doesn't seem to be effected by either of these symptoms. instead the long leaves grow straight up and then the end wilt. not like a normal bending due to weight of the plant but rather a more stressed out look.

I hope some crpyt / plant experts can help me out.

I run no co2 or excel and if its simply a co2 problem than I will just deal with it as I don't plan to add any of the above. But in the case that its nutrient related I will work to correct it if I can.

I dose potassium, phosphates, and micros once a week at the following amounts.
k2so4 - 1/2 tsp
kh2po4 - 1/10 - 1/8 tsp
plantex csm+b micros - 1/4 tsp

i water change 50% a week and my nitrates normally read in the 10-20 range, I have never seen my nitrates hit that reddish 40ppm range.

temp is 80-81

lighting is finnex planted plus @ 24" above the substrate on for 10 hours a day.

if you look in my tank you won't find algae unless you looking with a magnifying glass and spot some gsa on the glass or the odd anubias. I don't have algae issues.

Flow in the tank comes from my eheim pro 3 2075 - g160. i removed the spray bar weeks ago. all plants still have a little sway and flow seems fine imo.

Substrate is safe t sorb, I always wondered if this could be the culprit. I do use diy root tabs and maybe I am not using them enough. Does this look like a nutrient deficiency?

Since crypts are my favourite plant and I have so many its important to me to try and grow them as good as I can.


Thanks for the help!!

 

[SpaceFish42]

It probably is a nutrient deficiency.

 

[Brookster123]

What's the temp Phillip?? Seems to be the topic of the week here.hiw often do you replenish root tabs?

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[Mattfinn]

I have a similar issue. Leaves grow fine and then just the odd leave goes like that and melts on me.

You saying its a temp thing Brooke? That could be it, the tank is unheated, was my bettas tank but he died recently so now I'm just trying to get my crypts to grow in for me. I have emersed walkeri in there and it hasn't grown at all and it's been setup for almost three months now. In fact a heap of it just melted completely on me and karked it.

 

[Brookster123]

I'm not sure it's a temp thing, worth ruling out though. I feel like we as aquarist push the limits of plants thresholds at times. Crypts are said to very hardy once established. I've watched an entire order of huge crypts melts to the substrate in my tank. They're coming back...4 months later...

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[Mattfinn]

In my main tank I've watched my crypts melt back completely too. That was due to a co2 complication....they're fine now.

Sorry to kinda hijack here. I'm just intrigued because I have a similar problem. Although the only difference between my two tanks with crypts is that one has constant high 26C -30C temps and co2....

 

[trennamw]

I'm not sure it's a temp thing, worth ruling out though. I feel like we as aquarist push the limits of plants thresholds at times. Crypts are said to very hardy once established. I've watched an entire order of huge crypts melts to the substrate in my tank. They're coming back...4 months later...

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That's good to know. I had big lovely crypts doing well for 9 months then *poof* all melted and a month later ... Nuthin. I move in a week, it'll be interesting to see if there are root systems remaining.

I've had crypts that went from a glut supplemented high light tank, to ziplocs with formaldehyde for a day, to a low light Un supplemented heavily aerated tank ... Then a higher light heavily fertilized tank ... With no melt.

But then if I have changes like, the water level drops and the power head draws in water and blows lots of bubbles ... I get a little melt. Then ONE day the filter got plugged with cabomba and the ammonia went up a teeny bit and the aeration went way down because the power head coincidentally got a snail stuck in it ... All the crypts disappeared.

Dunno.


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