Vallisneria turning transparent?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

goldfish1212

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
118
Location
NC, USA
I recently got some corckscrew vallisneria and after a few days their leaves have started to turn a transparent, pale brown. It spreads from the bottom of the leaves up to the tip. They are planted in sand with a T8 15 watt full spectrum light and I've used tetra florapride liquid fertilizer. I read some different articles about it, but I didn't see any issues that jump out as a possible cause besides the plants either settling in or needing fertilizer in the sand (maybe root tabs?). Has anyone had this issue?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
That's leaf rot. Vals will lose the oldest leaves, it's fairly normal for them. If it's happening to all the leaves, did you put the crown of the plant under the sand ? You can't bury the crown, it will cause leaf rot. Only bury roots, not any part of the leafy structure.

They are foot feeders, so root tabs may assist, provided they are not planted too deeply. Also, how far are they from the light ? 15 watts is not much light and while they are not high light plants, this is not much light. And if they were grown under stronger lights, they may lose most of their leaves, but grow new ones from the centre of the crown.
 
That's leaf rot. Vals will lose the oldest leaves, it's fairly normal for them. If it's happening to all the leaves, did you put the crown of the plant under the sand ? You can't bury the crown, it will cause leaf rot. Only bury roots, not any part of the leafy structure.

They are foot feeders, so root tabs may assist, provided they are not planted too deeply. Also, how far are they from the light ? 15 watts is not much light and while they are not high light plants, this is not much light. And if they were grown under stronger lights, they may lose most of their leaves, but grow new ones from the centre of the crown.


Ehhh?? That does not apply to vallisneria


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
Val's often melt when added to a new tank especially if the tank environment is a lot different than the tank they came from. I've grown Corkscrew Val's off and on for years and found them to be slow in acclimating to new tanks but after some time they took off. It was just a matter of being patient.

Val's are often quite sensitive to liquid carbons which can kill them. I don't know if you use Excel, API CO2 Booster, or Metricide 14 but if you do that could be an issue.

Personally I would leave them alone, add a couple root tabs around them, and wait to see if you see new growth. I have seen them melt before, much like crypts often do in new tanks, and in time begin to throw out new growth. Some plants are just take longer to acclimate to a new tank than others.
 
Ok, thanks. I'm going to be able to go to the petco this weekend and get some root tabs and a better light fixture so hopefully that will help. I think it's mostly the light that's bad, since I was told it would be enough light for low light plants but every single plant, including the moss, is straining for the light in the week I've had them. All the plants i bought were grown in higher light conditions than i have. The vals in the middle are doing ok, and i understand some initial rot, I'm just worried because all the vals on the edges have died down to the crowns and a few other plants have died completley or have lots of leaves melted. I did not plant the crowns in the sand and am using tetra florapride liquid fertilizer.
 
I'll grant you, technically they don't have a crown. But if you bury the growing point, they'll rot. So I used the word crown, thinking it would be easier to understand for someone new to the hobby. My mistake, sorry 'bout that.
But they do have stolons.. that's how they spread themselves around. And you might have simply pointed out the error about crowns instead of shooting down the entire post !
 
Ok, thanks. I'm going to be able to go to the petco this weekend and get some root tabs and a better light fixture so hopefully that will help. I think it's mostly the light that's bad, since I was told it would be enough light for low light plants but every single plant, including the moss, is straining for the light in the week I've had them. All the plants i bought were grown in higher light conditions than i have. The vals in the middle are doing ok, and i understand some initial rot, I'm just worried because all the vals on the edges have died down to the crowns and a few other plants have died completley or have lots of leaves melted. I did not plant the crowns in the sand and am using tetra florapride liquid fertilizer.

Just so you know the lighting most chain stores carry are really not suitable for plant growth. If you want to upgrade you lighting you should start another thread describing your tank, plants, and what you are wanting to achieve so the best type lighting can be suggested. Might as well spend money on a good plant fixture.
 
I'll grant you, technically they don't have a crown. But if you bury the growing point, they'll rot. So I used the word crown, thinking it would be easier to understand for someone new to the hobby. My mistake, sorry 'bout that.
But they do have stolons.. that's how they spread themselves around. And you might have simply pointed out the error about crowns instead of shooting down the entire post !


Will they come back if the crown is buried or is it better to pull them up slightly even if they have been buried for a few weeks? I accidentally put some too deep but have been away on holidays and just coming up to tank work this weekend.
 
First pic is narrow leaf val which I tried pulling up a bit as doesn't seem to be getting new growth. Second pic is a broader leaf val which is getting new growth but it has browned off on new plant edges (might be too high glut - not sure).
 
How big is this tank again? A 15w T8 isn't going to be putting off a ton of light, so that very well may be it, as you suspected.

Additionally, do you happen to know your nitrate levels? It could also be a macronutrient issue, nitrate being the easiest to demonstrate.
 
Back
Top Bottom