[Em4angela]

2 year old plants, 30g, 24" T8 colormax 17 watt. Gets some southeastern morning sun (in Minnesota). No added co2 or ferts. 11 red serpae tetra and 5 Tiger barbs. 200 penguin biowheel.

Crypt tips curling and drooping, why? How to remedy?

Recently replaced all fish with 11 neon tetra and will be adding filtration.

LFS recommends adding liquid co2 and more frequent gravel vac and water change with Erase CLP.

Thoughts, ideas, insights, suggestions, criticisms?

 

[GrampsGrunge]

Some pictures would probably help, but in lieu of that, are these plants regularly putting out new leaves? At least one or two per half month?

What type of soil/sand substrate?

Do you know what type of crypt, do they require low or medium light? Have you changed your tank's fluorescent tube recently?

Sorry for the questions, but..

 

[Em4angela]

Some pictures would probably help, but in lieu of that, are these plants regularly putting out new leaves? At least one or two per half month?

What type of soil/sand substrate?

Do you know what type of crypt, do they require low or medium light? Have you changed your tank's fluorescent tube recently?

Sorry for the questions, but..

Thank you. Wendtii, consistent new leaves until recently. Flourite substrate. Have not changed tube, its 1 1/2 years old. Perhaps its time? Anubias nana still producing new growth. This is my first planted aquarium, still learning the basics!

 

[EChord]

You may want to give them some root tabs especially if you're not dosing any ferts, nor have a dirted tank. Crypts are rather heavy root feeders - stick a root tab in a few inches away from the base of the plant and they'll prob be happier.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

You mentioned morning sun from the SE, we ( the whole Northern hemisphere/temperate latitudes.) just had a big increase in daylight hours.

Is your tank getting direct sunlight, on the crypts themselves? Are they shaded by other plants when the sunlight hits the tank?

They are somewhat sensitive to big changes in their lighting, water levels and temperature, and this will sometimes initiate a 'crypt melt'.

Direct sunlight is very strong lighting. And most crypts don't see a lot of direct sunlight, at least in a jungle stream situation with jungle canopy on either side of the stream they are growing in. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but the more you know.

 

[Em4angela]

You mentioned morning sun from the SE, we ( the whole Northern hemisphere/temperate latitudes.) just had a big increase in daylight hours.

Is your tank getting direct sunlight, on the crypts themselves? Are they shaded by other plants when the sunlight hits the tank?

They are somewhat sensitive to big changes in their lighting, water levels and temperature, and this will sometimes initiate a 'crypt melt'.

Direct sunlight is very strong lighting. And most crypts don't see a lot of direct sunlight, at least in a jungle stream situation with jungle canopy on either side of the stream they are growing in. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but the more you know.

Yes we moved last summer, and the aquarium went from receiving no natural light to some afternoon sun out of the southwest. I recently moved it to another room, now it occasionally gets hit with some morning northeastern light.

Luckily an easy fix, just don't open the blinds every morning, we we're pretty bad at remembering to do so for out houseplants which is why I moved things around. Houseplants are much happier, unfortunately crypts not so much!

Shall I expect a complete crypt melt, or are there steps I can take to prevent further stress? Should I consider changing the tube at this point?

Thanks again,
Angela

 

[EChord]

I rarely ever get crypt melt. This might be because I have harder water, and crypts like that, or it could be because I make sure to feed the roots. Either way, no matter what light conditions/tank conditions they get - and I have some growing like gangbusters under direct high light and in shaded light, and I move them around from time to time (and tank to tank) as well, I typically don't have an issue with them. Ordinarily the most that happens is their growth slows down while they adjust to the new tank/location, and then they're off again. There are, of course, some species that are touchier, but wendtii isn't one of them. My money's on the lack of root tabs.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

Yes we moved last summer, and the aquarium went from receiving no natural light to some afternoon sun out of the southwest. I recently moved it to another room, now it occasionally gets hit with some morning northeastern light.

Luckily an easy fix, just don't open the blinds every morning, we we're pretty bad at remembering to do so for out houseplants which is why I moved things around. Houseplants are much happier, unfortunately crypts not so much!

Shall I expect a complete crypt melt, or are there steps I can take to prevent further stress? Should I consider changing the tube at this point?

Thanks again,
Angela

IIRC Wendtii are pretty hardy, I was loathe to mention "Crypt Melt", mainly 'cause it sounds so..yukky.. Not that it inevitable but it's in the realm of possibility.

It might not go that far, you might just have a rest period and some new growth. If new leaves are continuing to show, I'd call it good and recommend trimming the sickly leaves if they get worse. Problem with Crypts is everything goes rather slow with them. Some of them actually seem to like being neglected.

 

[Em4angela]

@GrampsGrunge and @EChord, thank you both!