C. Becktii

jcali10 · Post by **jcali10** » Fri May 01, 2009 1:06 pm

I planted some of this in my newly set up mineralized 29G Sunday, and I noticed yesterday that it is melting.

Should I remove the leaves or the stems that have melted leaves?

It's not dead is it?

chris_todd · Post by **chris_todd** » Fri May 01, 2009 1:15 pm

Joe,
Every crypt that has melted on me when I planted it (and that seems to be the majority of them) have recovered nicely, though sometimes it takes a while. I think crypt melt may be more prevalent with newly setup tanks, but I'm not sure I have enough data to be sure. It certainly varies by species, and beckettii was one that melted on me.

I would go ahead and remove the melted leaves, just to avoid unnecessary organic buildup.

Then again, there are about a billion people in the club with more crypt experience than me, so take the above with a grain of salt.

jcali10 · Post by **jcali10** » Fri May 01, 2009 2:01 pm

It's a new set up as far as substrate goes, but the XP1 has mature media in it from being used on another tank.

So I will remove the melting parts only.......and wait. The tank is still too young to notice any changes in the other plants.

gmccreedy · Post by **gmccreedy** » Fri May 01, 2009 2:48 pm

Hi joe,

Not a gwapa member, but I will chime in anyway.

Cryptocoryne melt, from my experience, will vary from species to species. Some are more sensitive to environmental changes, for instance, submersed to emersed or vice versa, different water parameters, different substrates, etc. Some just don't like being touched or moved!

That said, it is not necessarily a bad thing. From my understanding of it, its a defensive mecahnism of the plant to withdraw all nutrients from the older leaves to the root or rhizome of the plant to begin the process of generating new growth.

Ghazanfar had a great analogy at your last meeting regarding how a tree will withdraw the nutrients from leaves in the fall to "store up for the winter", thus the change in coloration of the leaves.

I am sure others will chime in here, but at least this gives you an idea of whats going on.

Either way, its normal. Leave it be and you should not have a problem. Root tabs do help a little bit here to give it a little blast of "go go juice".

chris_todd · Post by **chris_todd** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:08 pm

gmccreedy wrote:Root tabs do help a little bit here to give it a little blast of "go go juice".

I would avoid using root tabs with a mineralized soil substrate, though.

halak · Post by **halak** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:23 pm

I have used root tabs (Jobe's sticks) with mineralized soil and have seen no problems with it. I think Sean advised me to do so with crypts and swords.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:38 pm

A SMALL piece of Jobes stick (1/8 ) is what I recommend under crypts that are struggling with a new mineralized soil substrate. It helps them get established while the bacteria colonize the soil and the nutrients will start to be released. When the leaf has completely melted the crypt is done with it. you can remove it from the plant.

btw Tree leaves turn color because the chloroplasts have died and the green is no longer reflected from the leaves. What you see is the color of the leaves apart from the chlorophyll. In order for a tree to reclaim the nutrients from the leaves, the tree drops them and the decomposers of the forest floor go to work breaking the leaves down, and fertilizing the soil around the tree.

chris_todd · Post by **chris_todd** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:41 pm

I stand corrected!

Thanks for the clarification Viktor and Sean.

gmccreedy · Post by **gmccreedy** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:47 pm

Thanks Sean! I stand corrected as well.

jcali10 · Post by **jcali10** » Fri May 01, 2009 5:25 pm

I learned a lot too. I guess I need to buy a jobe stick or two. Last time I was at the Big Orange Box Store they only had one type of jobes sticks. I assume that would be okay.

C. Becktii

C. Becktii

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