[jw.cS]

This is getting ridiculous. My hoard of petite Anubias are melting one by one over the past 2 weeks. I have lost over 15 mother clumps...with no end in sight. Have there been any advances in the hobby in treating this dreadful condition? This hurts. :crying:

The rhizome literally becomes mush, and the healthy intact leaves detach at the petiole-rhizome connection. All my other plants are fine. No algae anywhere except some typical brown type on glass. Argh!

The only change to the tank is the addition of some active substrate almost 2 months ago. Tank has been set up and very stable for over a year. Heavily planted, medium light, non-CO2, glutaraldehyde supplementation. NPK fertilization without traces ever since new substrate addition (PITA) because any trace supplementation results in severe leaf-tip stunting. Dwarf shrimps, nerite and assassin snails aren't going crazy either.

Please help.

 

[Melika]

I haven't found any updated info myself. I bought some new coffeefolia and added it to my 10g anubias tank and within two weeks they started forming white fungus on them which alerted me to the rot that was happening. One has been lost, another affected (I trimmed off the rotted rhizome), and one still unaffected. Someone on a forum I found while scouring the net said they used Pimafix to get rid of the fungus (it is still unknown weather the fungus happens first or simply as a byproduct of the rot making the plant susceptible) and all their anubias recovered. So basically that's what I'm trying, since I really have nothing to lose at this point. So far the unaffected one is still fine and the affected one doesn't seem to show any signs of rot. I'm continuing the Pimafix treatment. Coincidence? Maybe. Who knows. It seems like we're all still left flailing when it comes to anubias rhizome rot.

So far none of my other anubias are showing signs of rot.

 

[mistergreen]

What's active substrate?

How much glut? What's the temperature?
My anubias melted when I forgot to plug in the heater. The tank's temp was 64F.

 

[Preeths]

Happened to me twice, lost almost 20 - 30 rhizomes each time. I cut off the affected part did a fairly large water change and over dosed glut 3X times. This seemed to stop it. On the bright side, each rhizome started developing 3 new plants where it was cut!

 

[klibs]

I am pretty sure anubias nana does not do well with glut

I saw melting on my nana petite prior to quitting using excel and it grew fine once I stopped. My larger anubias species were not affected as much.

 

[AquaAurora]

Bulletin of Russian Anubias Forum: Anubias plants rotting: facts, rumours and guessworks

 

[BruceF]

I lost a lot of anubias last year. I found the only solution was to cut out all the rot and spary the cuts with a little h2o2. Having done that I put the remnants in other tanks to recover. Whatever this pathogen seems to be I can only assume that it is already in the tank and the plants need to be removed from that environment.

 

[Sthovin]

i just lost a fair few anubis leaves from overdosing on seachem excell, similar to gult. Dosed less, solved the issue

 

[AquaAurora]

Was busy earlier so just slapped up a link. It sounds like you got 1 or more plants with the disease known as rhizome rot. It will spread to other anubias through the water, and can also effect crypts, swords, and buce.
Effects of rhizome rot include:
Rapid deterioration of leaves (looks like nitrate deficiency on fast forward)
Loss/lack of roots
Discoloration on rhizome or stem near base
Foul smell like garbage
Soft/mushy rhizome
Eventually it completely rots

Cutting the rhizome past the rotted part and into the healthy rhizome (cut end should have no discoloration) and dipping it can help but its not a 100% guarantee of saving the plant. However putting it back in the same tank just re-introduces it to the disease. Quarantine any new anubias for a period of 1 month in its own bowl or water with some light (next to a tank or by a window works) to make sure it doesn't come in with the disease. If you suspect one in the tank remove it and quarantine it. Leave sick plants in lets it spread, closest anubias to an infected one is usually the next to start rotting. A few species are resistant to the rhizome rot disease, I don't know all the technical details but what causes the red pigment in their rhizomes also helps resist the rot. True coffeefolia and I believe hastifolia are 2 of them.

I've tried twice to have large anubias collections and had sadly bought from sellers with the rhizome rot.. I lost a good $300.. probably nearer to $400 worth of anubias from the rot. Now I only have petite, micro, gold in tanks.. and 2 nana (tossed in a black worm culture bin). I won't buy any more after the disasters..

 

[jw.cS]

Okie dokie. 6 more rhizomes bit the dust today, with 7 more showing signs of transparency that should melt in the coming days. I need heart medications tbh.

Trimmed what I can since most of my petite Anubias are well established and attached to driftwood and rocks. Did the obligatory daily water changes (oh good lord! don't die please annoying shrimps!). I feel so helpless.

Thats strange, I rarely get melt on my Anubias. Usually Crpyts and Buce get more melt, but thats only when first introduced. Can you specify what lighting you have? Even though Anubias can get by with very little lighting, that may be a reason for the melt if they're not getting any light at all.

30" Finnex Fugeray Planted+ mounted 6 inches above a 12" tall, 20 gallon long. The melt is indiscriminate: plants growing directly under the surface to ones in the deepest shade under driftwood are all melting with equal intensity. None of the 6 other Bucephalandra spp. (or any other plant really) are affected.

I haven't found any updated info myself. I bought some new coffeefolia and added it to my 10g anubias tank and within two weeks they started forming white fungus on them which alerted me to the rot that was happening. [...] So far none of my other anubias are showing signs of rot.

I may have introduced this pathogen via some new Anubias a few weeks ago. But it has spread all over the tank by now. Both year-long established rhizomes and newly introduced rhizomes are affected. Nobody is safe. I will also try the Pimafix. I am leery of antifungal products as they are also phytotoxic; but at this point, what do I have to lose? The other plant species are doing quite well so I hope they don't mind some temporary poison.

What's active substrate? How much glut? What's the temperature?

Uhm, in short: an active substrate (e.g. ADA Aquasoil) is a substrate that actively changes the water chemistry (e.g. buffering). Mine is Controsoil, now known as Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinVolcanit. It lowers KH and, in my case, drastically reduces GH...the latter of which annoys me to no end.

Standardizing to Seachem's Flourish Excel, anywhere between 2-5 mL daily to a net water volume of ~15 gallon. This regiment has gone on for over a year to no noticeable ill effects. In fact, everything (Rotala spp., mosses, liverworts, Bucephalandra spp., frogbit, DHG 'Belem', Hemianthus callitrichoides, Marsilea spp., Ludwigia spp. and yes even the Anubias spp.) are actively growing. The dumb dwarf shrimps are interbreeding.

The temperature fluctuates anywhere between 71-75 degrees F, depending on ambient room temperature.

Bulletin of Russian Anubias Forum: Anubias plants rotting: facts, rumours and guessworks

In other words, cry, get inebriated, eat a lot of ice-cream and revel in other hobbyists' miseries while waiting for the condition to stop whenever it feels like it. I can deal with that.

 

[WaterLife]

Sorry didn't read the whole thread, but if this may be of any help, look up "Anubias disease"

Pretty much it's some infection of the plant and is contagious to other Anubias. It's a rare case and I don't think a cure has been found. People have said to separate all Anubias showing rot, in attempt to keep the other Anubias from getting infected. Then it's best to observe both groups of anubias, especially checking the uninfected anubias in case they turn up getting infected. Some commercial growers have lost a ton of money to that disease. Separating sooner rather than later is best.

Again, I haven't read the thread, but might be worth looking into if this may be what you are experiencing.

 

[jw.cS]

Savage. Just savage.

I don't know what happened within the last 24 hours but something accelerated and I woke up this morning to utter destruction: all the rhizomes are now showing tip death. The antifungal medicine doesn't even have a chance to get shipped and used. SAVAGE!

I've tried twice to have large anubias collections and had sadly bought from sellers with the rhizome rot.. I lost a good $300.. probably nearer to $400 worth of anubias from the rot. Now I only have petite, micro, gold in tanks.. and 2 nana (tossed in a black worm culture bin). I won't buy any more after the disasters..

You wanna to grab some liquor, throw shade and talk sh%$ about people because I am in that kind of mood right now? In all seriousness, I have spent more than that over the past year (in Anubias alone :icon_redf) in an attempt to have a slow-burn, chill aquarium. Oh well. Better this than getting stabbed in a bar while picking a fight with someone bigger than you and spend thousands on medical bills. *shrugs*

I am going to remove every single rhizome from the tank and leave it be for a month to hopefully get rid of any remaining vestige of the mysterious pathogen. *sobbbbbbbs* The entire aquascape's structure is anchored by the Anubias, from which everything else plays a supporting role. *cries* But, at this point, there is just no way to save any of them. And even if I can, I don't think I would enjoy waiting for the remnants to regrow into its former glory. Rather save the money to purchase more Anubias. Love 'em!

Hopefully this is a one time deal with the seller because I don't know of anyone else that sell large quantities of big size pots of lush petite Anubias. How can one aquascape when the basic raw materials aren't readily available? I am not a collector! I just want a nice looking tank that stays put. :crying: Tropica needs to move their operation to the States tbh! I hate having to piece-meal a plant here and a plant there from numerous sources over a long period of time. So salty today.

But I sincerely thank you for everyone's help and research. Maybe in another 10 years, we can just throw in a tablet and call it a day instead of having to resort to liquor and having a knife fight with some Amazonian named Big Freida in order to deal with our problems.

 

[mistergreen]

There's no mysterious pathogen. It's environmental.

 

[Melika]

D: A terrible loss. That was basically my conclusion: flail around a while and accept inevitability.

But... those pics are from the only blog that has literally left me falling out of my chair with tears and laughter.

 

[jw.cS]

There's no mysterious pathogen. It's environmental.

Hi mistergreen! Will you kindly look at my previous replies and provide some insight in what I may have done to change the environment to favor Wicked-Witch-Of-The-West type death?

The only thing I can think of is the glutaraldehyde. But I have been doing that for over a year. I'd think even the slow-growing, slow-to-react Anubias would show some kind of aversion symptom(s) before hand. I even stopped dosing the glutaraldehyde (Metricide 14) for 7 days now. Is it too little, too late?

Regarding temperature, as noted earlier, the tank has never had a heater/cooler. My house is maintained a constant 75 degrees F 24/7. The little color changing thermometer sticker always hover around the 71-75 marks so the actual temperature should be somewhere around there.

I honestly and desperately would like to learn something from this experience before I place another large order.

Thank you very much Sir.

But... those pics are from the only blog that has literally left me falling out of my chair with tears and laughter.

*laughs* You are so sweet. Misery sure does love company. :grin2:

I do love me some random, exaggerated non sequiturs.

 

[mistergreen]

There are variables that you can't account for. That does not lead to some mysterious plant pathogen.
Plants need light, water, CO2, nutrients, and temperature it loves. Try starting there.

 

[BruceF]

Right an ick is not a pathogen either it is just a temperature problem.

 

[Kathyy]

Just because usually aquarium plants perish due to poor care doesn't mean they cannot get disease.

I've had my Anubias nana maybe since before 2000 and lost a short bit of rhizome that never sprouted new leaves. Never has any rotted like OP's and it's been subjected to horrific neglect on occasion.

My new to me 'Petit' is quarantined in a different tank, this disease is a horrible thing.

 

[WaterLife]

LOL just noticed the drawings.

Just use this as an reason to buy Bucephalandra collections instead
As far as I know, Anubias rhizome rot disease is only subject to Anubias and does not infect rhizomes of Java Fern or Buces. (someone please correct this statement if wrong)

 

[jw.cS]

OH LORDY! It's happening again. My other tank is now showing symptoms of this rot. *cries* For the past week, I have been collecting at least 2-3 leaves daily, off of the water surface. It must have been contaminated from the original patient-zero tank that I didn't want to tear down since it is so well-established. Does this mean I have to throw everything in the trash and buy everything new: new tank, new filter, new girlfriend, new plants, new everything? Or just never keep any Anubias spp. again? *cries*

Today, I discovered one tip of my main Anubias ball disintegrating. OH GOD. It is only going to get worse. See below. I have also attached a photo and video of surrounding plants that show absolutely no freaking symptom of deficiency...except for the Ludwigia sp. 'Red' that has some leaf curling but no stunting and grows like a teenage boy. No algae to speak of, on tank glass or otherwise. Welllll....maybe a little bit of Marimo-type Cladophora that will reliably multiply if I ever zero out on nitrogen/phosphate for a while. Annoying, but it’s the best algae in the world--controllable. Give me that any day. Otherwise, no other algae present anywhere. No diatoms, green spots, BBA, green dust, whatever…Haven’t cleaned this tank’s glass in months and months.

Please change the resolution to 720p HD so you can see the videos' proper rendition of the plants' color and other details. I don’t know how to edit so please forgive.

Anubias sp. 'Petite' showing the first tip death. In the next few weeks, everything you see will have melted away...the leaves will have shed like a caterpillar's chrysalis...but instead of a beautiful butterfly, you'll just get this: me, after doing one push-up.
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgoshQOBTlnsaU9eM5g

Ludwigia sp. 'Red' showing curling, chlorosis but still growing like a weedy, annoying teenager. Ignore the filmy surface. I'm trying to get some nerdy fish to eat so there's 4 different types of food in the water right now. Live Daphnia is apparently too big for their mouths apparently. Conservative amateurs! :icon_roll
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgoskUn2zVJnPEqCn5g
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgosiq_dZIVIIy0h7Kw
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgosj0rFFg364oA6AQw

Driftwood is fairly nice and clean, despite being right under the surface. *fingers crossed*
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgosYAJlDxPqwCGJ1MA
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgosXuYf1vWUvH4jc2w

The tank is doing pretty well...except for the fish ignoring all 4 different types of food clouding the water surface and the camera doing some weird thing, making the tank's lighting all dark and angsty--which is just fine with me, since the aquascape is a piece of "last night's attempt at cooking dinner."
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjuZsMc6teYrgosc6CldYNjeEYQgQw

Read some literature on Manganese and Aluminum toxicity this week…that would explain the weird behavior in Anubias root rot and Ca/Mg-deficiency (but shouldn’t) Ludwigia chlorosis/curling in otherwise extremely healthy plants. Maybe it’s my super soft (0 KH), acidic (pH 6-6.5) RO water, reconstituted with Bee Shrimp’s Mineral GH+ to 6 dGH. I have no gosh darn idea if GH+ has Mg in it. Manufacturer won’t respond. Google has no idea. So I ordered some GH Booster from GLA and will start (1) adding 1-2 dKH and/or (2) stop Plantex CSM+B and dose only Fe-DPTA. I hope it works out because I am not ready to substitute the Anubias…NO I AM NOT…I AM A FAITHFUL BASTARD!!!! NOT BECAUSE THERE’S A LACK OF CHOICE OVER OTHER PLANTS THAT LOOK LIKE ANUBIAS!!!

But seriously, please help. I really don't want to lose all my Anubias sp. 'Petite', especially the mother plant. :crying: