Crypt Rot, Nymphaea

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Crypt Rot, Nymphaea
From: Erik Olson <olson at phys_washington.edu>
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 10:03:55 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <199504070739.DAA06988 at looney_actwin.com>

David Webb Writes:
> I have found that my crypts stopped melting regularly after I
> began CO2 injection and increased my lighting.  I found that they
> would melt if I broke the leaves or bent them over too much while 
> cleaning algae off.  Before I added CO2 and more light, I had to
> remove red algae on a weekly basis.  I no longer need to do this, 
> and my crypts still have the leaves that they had when I made 
> the change (along with a few newer, longer, more colorful leaves).

This is more or less the same effect I've seen.  I used to have meltdowns
every time I did a water change, before I injected CO2.  After CO2
injection it all stopped.  Now I get the occasional melted leaf (except
for this last occasion).  I like the theory that the city ran something
through the water.  One thing I didn't say in my first message was that
I'm not worried about the long term effects because, as Peter Konshak
pointed out, the rhizomes are probably OK & will throw out new algae-free
leaves in time. 

Interestingly, you talk about cleaning algae off the leaves.  I used to do
this in one tank, but never with Crypts because they're so delicate.  Now I 
just pinch off the offending leaves a la Dorothy Reimer (see her article in 
FAMA 5 or so years back).

> BTW, I was reading in your setup description about your Nymphaea.
> Have you had any more success with them?  I purchased two african
> water lillies (red) a few weeks ago and they haven't done a lot
> yet.  My aponogeton crispus, on the other hand, are flowering.

Nope.  Nymphaea is one I've had a big total of ONE happy plant and 
nothing but failures since.  The stems either get nibbled off by the 
fish, or the leaves die on their own.

Peter Konshak writes:

> I'd be interested to know how your C. pontederifolia is doing.

This one will take a few months, because I got them as bare root rhizome 
end-cuttings.  All leaves melted after 2 weeks, but I'm looking over at 
the tank right now and there are two new leaves at each node now.  This 
is a new species for me; I'll certainly update my progress with it.

    - Erik