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Re: [APD] VALS MELTDOWN



>From: ajit athale <ajitathale at dataone_in>
>Subject: Re: [APD] VALS MELTDOWN
>To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
>
>Recently, I had complete meltdown of all the vals in outdoor 20gallon
>open tank, for no reason know to me. I shifted whatever residue was left 
>to another
>large tank, and am waiting to see if they recover.
>
>There was none of these-"Typcal Val stressers include rapid changes in
>temperature, pH or alkalinity"

I have only had Val losses under three conditions:
(1)Extremely low calcium levels which came from insufficient water changes 
or Ca supplementation in an already soft water tank (GH & KH<1-2). I later 
used val as an indicator plant to tell me when to add CaCO3. In my 
experience, Val died when the available copper dropped below a critical 
level. Other plants in the same tank were not affected. This was due to a 
gradual change.
(2)Exposure to copper. Val is sensitive to even low copper concentrations 
(but not trace levels which all plants need). Sometimes supply water 
changes, so this is something to investigate.
(3)Exposure to the algicide Simazine, which I observed 2 decades ago when i 
was experimenting with different BBA cures. Val may also be sensitive to 
other chemicals.
YMMV.
Val doesnt have a lifetime.... but.... unless replenished, aquarium 
nutrients do!

--Neil 

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