RE: [APD] Bolbitus bleach damage/ red river clay

["Eric Wahlig" <ewahlig at earthlink_net>]

Candy asks:

 My question is on the bolbitus fern, most of 
> the leaves are blackend or blackening, it has been in the tank now for 
> several days (tied to a piece of malaysian driftwood) and shows no signs
of 
> *perking up*. If I cut the leaves all off and leave only the rhizome tied 
> (with thread) to the wood will it eventually come back and put out new 
> leaves? I don't really want to leave them on if they are just going to
melt 
> away.


I had the same question except my Bolbitis had stalled out for a year after
initially attaching to the wood somewhat and growing a few new shoots. And
the answer is yes, the rhizome of the plant can withstand a lot of abuse.
The wood was so covered with brush algae, hair algae, etc. that I had to
look really close to remember there used to be a fern attached to it. So I
picked off the large pieces of algae and cut off any old blackened leaves
and soaked it in a 1:20 or (possibly stronger) bleach solution for 8 or 10
minutes thinking: "Well, this will probably kill it if its not dead already
but at least the wood will be clean". I then rinsed it off with tap water
and also some heavily de chlorinated water and, since most of the roots had
decayed, I reattached it to the wood using rubber bands and tossed it into
a bare bottom tank that gets only ambient room light and is at a
temperature of about 75 deg. F. I wasn't expecting much after nearly a year
of abuse but within a week it had sprouted new leaves and appears to be
growing again.
  
---Eric


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