Any ideas why my crypt(?) is shedding leaves?

1537 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by thelub, Apr 11, 2014

thelub

Discussion Starter · Apr 10, 2014

This is in my low light, low tech 80g tank (supposedly perfect for crypts). If this is a crypt. I'm notoriously terrible with my plant names. Any clue on what could be going on? All other plants are doing well. Other crypts are doing just fine (I know those one are crypts

)

pH is about 7.4
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrates are as of tonight about 40ppm. Scheduled water change tomorrow.
Temp is about 78

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lauraleellbp

· #2 · Apr 10, 2014

Yep, those are Crypt leaves. Look like probably a C. wendtii to me?

How long have you had the Crypt, and has anything - at all - changed with your tank recently? Crypts are notorious for "crypt melt" - aka throwing a temper tantrum any time anything changes. LOL

Most of the time they'll grow back just fine as long as you leave them alone.

A picture of the actual plant might help us identify if there are any nutrient deficiencies occuring, however.

Zapins

· #3 · Apr 10, 2014

Are the tips of the stems where they detached rotting or soft? If not it is likely damage from something in the tank. If they are then it could be the start of crypt's being finicky, though they usually reabsorb the leaf rather than detach it entirely so that is a bit odd.

thelub

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 10, 2014

The only change in the aquarium is I added an air stone to get rid of the protein film on the surface. And about 2 weeks ago I changed out my bulbs from old worn out T12's to new 6500k T8's. I would get a leaf about once a week or so but I attributed that to a natural shed. All these appeared this evening. Not sure if there is a plant left.

I have been dealing with a BBA issue, but this is nowhere a new development.

I'll go get some pictures

lauraleellbp

· #5 · Apr 10, 2014

Shedding all those leaves all at once is a little odd. Any chance you have a nibbling fish or snail in there?

Zapins

· #6 · Apr 10, 2014

Or insect larvae. Some can munch plants at an alarming rate and destroy a planted tank. It is springtime after all, plenty of insects around.

pianofish

· #7 · Apr 10, 2014

Alot of times, crypts can just shed a few leaves for no apparent reason, especially older leaves as new ones sprout up. Usually I just those leaves off when I notice them starting to shed.
Joshua

thelub

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 10, 2014

lauraleellbp said:
Shedding all those leaves all at once is a little odd. Any chance you have a nibbling fish or snail in there?

The only snails in the tank are ramshorns and they don't live long in this tank for some reason. I've never seen rams do this before.

As far as fish go its angels, gold and bolivian rams, kribs (maybe they're the ones?), otos (zebra and regular), elegent goby and apisto hongslois.

Zapins said:
Or insect larvae. Some can munch plants at an alarming rate and destroy a planted tank. It is springtime after all, plenty of insects around.

Its spring time, but I don't have any bugs around the house right now. Especially larvae. While we get into the 70's during the day, it still hits freezing temps at night. Very good suggesting, but I think I can safely rule that out.

pianofish said:
Alot of times, crypts can just shed a few leaves for no apparent reason, especially older leaves as new ones sprout up. Usually I just those leaves off when I notice them starting to shed.
Joshua

Maybe I'll chalk it up to springtime shedding? The stems aren't rotted, they look like they have been almost cut. So either its shedding, or one of my residents have decided they like crypt stems. I was looking at a few plants around the tank last night and I can see some broken/cut stems but there are new leaves on the plants.

Here are some pictures I took last night. BBA FTL

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jrman83

· #9 · Apr 10, 2014

Wow, how deep is your substrate?

I would consider the Krib causing your problem, but then again Crypts can be finicky at times.

You have an African cichlid in the middle of all your other fish and no other fish problems?

jmf3460

· #10 · Apr 10, 2014 (Edited)

Oh my gosh my crypts do this too. Every day I come home from work to 2-3 leaves hanging at the top with no signs of deficiency. I think its something in the tank, what are your inhabitants and we can compare to see what we both have. Do you have amanos??

thelub

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 10, 2014

jrman83 said:
Wow, how deep is your substrate?

I would consider the Krib causing your problem, but then again Crypts can be finicky at times.

You have an African cichlid in the middle of all your other fish and no other fish problems?

Yes it is a little bit of a strange mix, but they all get along fine. The kribs keep to themselves. I'd say 80-90% of the inhabitants are captive bred so they're not super particular about natural water parameters.. The only 'issue' is the kribs are complete hogs. Like goldfish level hogs. But I've never seem them doing anything with the plants.

*edit*
Substrate is about 3" deep. It looks abnormally deep in the photos, but its not as deep as it looks.

jmf3460 said:
Oh my gosh my crypts do this too. Every day I come home from work to 2-3 leaves hanging at the top with no signs of deficiency. I think its something in the tank, what are your inhabitants and we can compare to see what we both have. Do you have amanos??

No amanos. Just angels, gold and bolivian rams, kribs, otos (zebra and regular), elegent goby and apisto hongslois.

jmf3460

· #12 · Apr 10, 2014

ive got a gbr and otos, maybe one of those???

thelub

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 10, 2014

Are your crypts showing new leaves? I have a bunch of new leaves on the plants around where there are broken/cut stems. I haven't had crypts for too long so I don't know if this is a natural progression of things or not.

jmsaltfish797

· #14 · Apr 10, 2014

it could be the kribs causing your problems. i kept them for awhile and they destroyed a huge sword in a matter of weeks. chewed it so bad that it never came out of it. keep an eye on them. being cichlids theyre omnivores so plants are part of their diet normally.

thelub

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 10, 2014

I've been considering getting rid of them now for a while. Maybe this is the final straw. They're great specimens, they just don't fit with the tank and the rest of the inhabitants. If I had another tank I would think about doing a krib biotope, but I'm out of space.

pianofish

· #16 · Apr 10, 2014

Don't throw the kribs just yet. I have very peaceful tank inhabitants, and my crypts do this from time to time too, lol. Its just part of crypts. And yours look like you are having good growth. I would only worry if they start shedding all their leaves
Joshua

lauraleellbp

· #17 · Apr 10, 2014

I think the BBA may be the source of (or at least contributing to) your crypt issues - most of those crypts seem like they're struggling with various levels of BBA-infestation.

Something in the tank is out of balance; light, CO2, ferts, or all of the above...

You dosing Excel on this tank?

thelub

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 11, 2014

I was dosing excel up to about a month ago but I quit due to the expense. I'm saving for a CO2 setup at the moment. Then its more lights. I do have a fert mix but stopped using them because of an algae outbreak. I was trying to get back to the low tech scenario because I don't have nearly the right stuff to go high tech or even medium tech. I never had a problem with algae in my other tank that I never really touched.

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