[ringram]

I have a good portion of Bolbitus that I added about two weeks ago, but a few days ago, I noticed that part of a couple leaves are turning brown and I'm not sure what's causing that as everything else is growing pretty well. Does it go through the temporary transplant shock like java ferns sometimes do? The Bolbitus DOES have some new growth that appears green and healthy, although it grows quite slow (expected). Should I just trim off the brown leaves and let it recover on its own? I'm not sure whether to treat this like java fern and just assume that it will recover with time.

 

[bharada]

Ryan,
You're better off trimming off the browning leaves as they'll just continue to deteriorate.

Sometimes they can be just like a Crypt with the existing leaves dying back when it's relocated. I've done two cycles of clipping it down to the rhizome and letting all new growth come out. It actally bounces back pretty fast for me.

 

[mrbelvedere]

Remember that it loves soft acidic water and lots of flow, give it both and it should prosper.

 

[ringram]

I have the ph around 6.4 - 6.5 I think. lol, I might test again...but I'm pretty certain Co2 levels are good. Flow is pretty good. I'm running an Eheim 2026 and a Rena XP3.

 

[ringram]

One more thing...Does it do well in direct light? ie, it doesn't need shade like Anubias usually does. Reason I ask is because the current location has several of the leaves almost touching the surface and the main portion of the rhizomes 12-16" below surface, but not really shaded. I'd like to train it to grow more compact if that's even possible.

 

[mrbelvedere]

It does well. Amano uses it frequently in his tanks, and we all know he doesn't skimp on light. It's much more compact in high light, with lighter green leaves.

 

[bharada]

Ryan, the tank the I took it out of has a pH of ~6.8, with 9° KH and 18° GH. But it has done well when the water had KH of over 14°, too. It is directly under the light and in the path of my 2028's spraybar.

 

[ringram]

Yeah, it's directly under the light in my tank and in the path of the 2026 spraybar. The only difference, really, is the water chemistry. Your ph, kh and gh are all a little higher. I wonder if it matters....