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As a budding plant keeper, what can you tell me about purchasing Crypts that are melting or in the same tank as those that are melting at the LFS? I know this is "normal" for Crypts to melt, but I'd rather not get something that's going downhill and can't be easily saved. I wouldn't like to buy Crypts and have them all die on me.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Crypts don't like to be moved. They tend to 'melt' in protest, IME.

Still, I've bought them tiny and looking very sad, so got them for almost nothing. I took them out of their little pots, gently spread the stems out a bit so they'd have room to grow, crossed my fingers and planted them in a flourite substrate. They're lovely now.

I really think that the nutrient-rich substrate was the key.

I vote! Do you?

What about Crypts that look all right but are in a tank with others that are melting? The LFS has a tank full of wendtii's, some melting and some not. Are the other ones in the tank melting a sign that the ones that appear healthy might not actually be healthy?

The part about the nutrient-rich substrate is noted, but I lack this. Would fertilizer tablets help Crypts handle a move?

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I use fert tablets and Liquid Tablets, And all of my crypts are very healthy. I just have regular pea gravel type substrata. So the ferts make all the difference.

mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
My Tanks at Photobucket

OK here is my two bobs worth (= 20 cents these days). They can melt down, this happened to me a lot in my early days of plants. What I do is float them for several weeks, this gets the food directly into the roots (which have been disturbed) then make sure you have a good feeding program for the plants. Just recently I pulled out a very long runner (Crypt) the plantlet was just over 1ins I replanted it straight away same tank and it never looked back. This might make some plant growers shake but I always trim the roots this removes any damage and encourages side shoots from the roots.
In fact this is encouraged in garden and potted plants.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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