"crypt rot"

[Adrian]

hello

What causes "crypt rot"? I have two crypts (wendtii & willissi) which never did well and I suspect that they suffer from this phenomenon.

ph:7.0
kh:6
gh:10
co2:20ppm

flourish 7ml 2 x wk
iron 5ml 3 x wk
potassium 10ml 2 x wk
phosphorus 5ml 2 x wk
nitrates 5ml 2 x wk

can any of you crypt lovers help me?! TIA.

[Jerm]

It's really not know what causes crypt melt. Moving them a lot seems to make it happen more frequently.

[Momotaro]

Crypt rot can be triggered by a change in water chemistry or a change in lighting. I have even seen Crypts rot when they were moved within the same aquarium.

If a Crypt "goes bad", just leave it be. Odds are the roots are fine despite the melted leaves. The plant should rebound after some time.

mike

[mrbelvedere]

Once all my crypts just up and withered for no apparent reason in my 15 high tank. They had been there for several months and were sending out runners and new leaves all the time. I think it might just be some weird physiological occurence, like when xenia in a reef tank just crash. But I have noticed that moving them seems to make them lose maybe 1/3 of their leaves. Maybe it's a virus or something. Just throwing out ideas.

[medicineman]

I have lots of crypts in my low tech 25 gal. In their journey settling into the tank, they have seen melting and transplantation. I agree that the more you disturb your tank, the higher the risk that those crypt melting. They seems to grow smaller after they melt. I'm lucky enough to escape serious melting when I re-scape the tank and moved and divided the crypts. I just lost a few leaves and once those crypts gets stable, they grow like crazy. Mine sends out lots of shoots and grows more than triple the initial size. They are steadily and slowly overtaking the small tank all right. Be sure to give them some roots supplement. In USA I heard that Jobe's stick does the job well. (We only have tomato Jobe's stick right here and I have no idea if they are good). Bury some into the substrate nearby your crypts. I do love crypts and I think I have 4-5 different species inside one tank.

[Adrian]

so it's not just me...thanks for the tips.

[Momotaro]

No, it is not just you!

Be patient and a bit persistent and you will be rewarded.

Mike

[quatermass]

The book The Natural Aquarium handbook by Ines Scheurmann on page 65 claims that Cryptocoryne Rot is caused by an excess of Nitrate.

Cryptocoryne plants are used to an environment which contains plenty of ammonium and so the plant are not evolved to break down and use nitrates. So they store the nitrate internally as waste.

When there is a sudden change in the aquarium water or substrate, the plants are shocked and release their stored nutrients (including the unwanted nitrate) and so these nitrogen compounds poison the leaves and can kill the entire plant.


ISBN 0-7641-1440-9
Published by Barron's 2nd Ed. 2000AD
Original German title - Das GU Aquarienbuch

[mountaindew]

Reviewing your tank specs, I would say you should have no problem growing most crypts. I would avoid disturbing them and be vary patient. I have never moved a crypt that didnt melt down to roots and then grow back. Most grow very slow under the best of conditions. Given time "years" they can fill huge areas. I have one that fills 50% of a 55 gal tank. You can up the water column dosing and they will grow a little faster and in general, be a more healthy plant.
hth md

[MarkMc]

Originally Posted by quatermass

The book The Natural Aquarium handbook by Ines Scheurmann on page 65 claims that Cryptocoryne Rot is caused by an excess of Nitrate.

Cryptocoryne plants are used to an environment which contains plenty of ammonium and so the plant are not evolved to break down and use nitrates. So they store the nitrate internally as waste.

When there is a sudden change in the aquarium water or substrate, the plants are shocked and release their stored nutrients (including the unwanted nitrate) and so these nitrogen compounds poison the leaves and can kill the entire plant.


ISBN 0-7641-1440-9
Published by Barron's 2nd Ed. 2000AD
Original German title - Das GU Aquarienbuch

That's interesting. I can't say what causes it but my crypts seem to do well and I'm dosing a lot of nitrate. When there are drastic changes in my tank such as a light fixture going bad or a CO2 tank runs out or general neglect which I'm guilty of during the summer months, then I have melt downs. But it always comes back and the ancestors of the crypts in my tank are probably 10 years old. It tends to like particular areas of the tank too.