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Re: Crypt melt down... it's kinda a long story... just stick with it



I thought I would just post my observances on crypt meltdown.  I've got a 20
gallon high that's a pseudo-asian setup.  Mostly crypts,
aponogetons,anubias, java +ACI-stuff+ACI- as in moss and fern, and a bunch of
anabantids.  I had this beautiful forest of wendtii in the middle of the
tank. However i've negelected water changes for the last month, finals came
up and their prerequisite group projects and stuff.  I usually do water
changes every two weeks, the water was quite tinted.  During the month long
negelection of the tank, I didn't really have the time to look and admire at
it (or notice if anything went wrong), I just threw in fish food and hopped
off to school or to a group meeting.  Anyway... by the time the water change
came about last weekend, the majority of the crypts melted away, just a
bunch of crappy looking slime that sorta looked like leaves.  I did a fifty
percent water change and took all the crud away, I also trimmed the
humongous mass of java moss.  Did a quick inventory of my fish and inverts,
thankfully they are still all there... but I have this extra Amano shrimp
which I'm sure I didn't buy... and it's a bit on the small side too....
hmmmmm.  Today I did another water change, the water was still a bit tinted
after the water change last weekend.  After staring for about two hours, I
noticed alot of things.  One, my really big snakeskin gourami is such a
chicken, when she was a small little cutie (which really wasn't that long
ago) she swam all over the place without a care, now... that chicken fish...
freaked out by me, hiding all the way in the back... I doubt I look that
bad. :) Two, all my crypt wendtiis are sending out and starting new growth.
New leaves and plants are starting to emerge.  I'll be keeping with regular
water changes until next the finals period.  Looking back... during my
mid-terms I neglected my tank for about three weeks.  When I looked at the
crypt forest I noticed a little meltdown and pin holes that had developed
all over the leaves.  This was negligible since as soon as I started with
again with my regular water changes, the crypts recovered... without totally
melting down.