RE: leaves turning transparent

["Lee Boon Chuan" <lee.bc at ellipsiz_com>]

Hello,

I thought that the post has been long forgotten.

I found that it could be my substrate.  My Echinodorus was rotting from the 
roots.  When I pulled it out and smell the roots...  H2S!!! The same happened 
for the few plants in that area.  I recalled that my A. reneckii and Hygrophila 
stricta died in the same spot before that.  I dunno whether it is the plant 
died first and then the roots smelled... or it is the substrate has turn 
anaerobic and killed the plant... or it is one of the plant die and fouled 
the substrate and caused the other plants in that spot to die...

I am putting my bet on anaerobic substrate.  I have planted a hardy plant, 
Hygrophila deformis on that spot so that the roots can "aerate" the substrate. 
After about 1 month, I have just replanted the Echindorus in the same spot 
yesterday.  So far, I have no recurrance and no sign that it will.  I will 
see how it goes.

As for my Lobelia cardinalis which was planted in another part of the tank, I 
figured that I have over trimmed it.  All of them melted away less the one 
that I did not prune as serverely.

I just visited one of the aquatic plant farms a couple of weeks ago.  Did not
hear anything about any diseases.  At that time they were packing a shipment
bound for UK.

BC (Singapore)