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Just would like some advice on taking care of crypts.friend brought them to me the other day before she went off to college and just need some general advice.oh yea it's a 29g with 2 watts/G.

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

To be honest, they don't like being moved, however if you plant them they will come back, you just gotta give them time.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
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ok,Thanks man.i just planted them today,i know theres something called crypt melt,what's that look like?

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

The old leaves seem to just rot away and it looks like the plant is going to die .
But they will return if your conditions are right . 2wpg is medium to low light
which should be ok but you may need to look into some ferts to get the best
out of them .
Do you know what type of Crypt they are ? Maybe post a pic if you not sure
and someone here can help you identify them.

Garry

It would be a big help if we knew which Crypts they are.

I would take them OUT that is correct, have a good look at the roots to see if any are broken if so cut using very sharp cutters just above the break. Then toss them back into the tank and let them float for at least 3-4 weeks this will then let the new roots establish and build up strength. If you use plant fert now is the time to use it and follow the fert instructions.
I have use this method for years and usually have a very good success rate. It is a very old method not usually practiced today. I also do this with all plants.

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Keith

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Their cryptocoryne cordata,how do you trim the dead leaves?Or you just let them rot till the plant comes back?

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

That's an easy one: You cut them at the base of the plant with scissors. Do not allow them to rot in the aquarium as this will negatively affect water parameters. The meting is easily discovered, basicallythe leaves are disintegrating turning into a thin whitish mass that disintegrates (melts away)

Thanks cat!i'll remember that.i don't think their melting yet.because their all still green and look pretty good.

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

Crypt melt can be pretty much prevented by soaking a crypt in a fresh bucket of water for half an hour or so before planting. Soak them, then rinse them off before planting. You can also soak them, dump the water and resoak for another half hour or so.

Crypts release what is basically a specialized poison that only effects crypts, from what I understand. When a crypt is disturbed (transplanted, roots messed with, etc), it releases this substance that tries to kill off any neighboring crypts that would compete for nutrients, space,what have you. It doesn't harm anything else, but it creates the infamous crypt melt or crypt rot.

I forget who here on FP shared the info with me (perhaps bensaf? I have a wretched memory...) but honestly, I've done this every time I buy a new crypt or have to rearrange or move my tanks... Most times I wind up losing only a leaf or two to melt after presoaking the plants. Before using this trick, I've lost 3/4 of the leaves on a plant.

Oh... crypts LOVE iron. I had crypts in a tank with an iron rich substrate and they grew like mad. Once the substrate was changed out, they grew much more slowly. Fertilizer tabs near the roots do a decent job, too. Just be sure not to disturb the roots too much when inserting the tabs.

(And wow, I just tried to use my cell phone - which is sitting next to my laptop - as a mouse. I'm sad. )

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Thanks kitten,that's very very helpful.hopefully others read this thread and learn as i have.thanks to everyone for giving me advice it's helped alot.

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

Sorry,

but this poison that is allegedly released by crypts to make the own species melt does not make any sense, it is like a snake being sensitive to its own venom. Can you elaborate on this please to clarify it?

I'm no expert, and indicating it was "poison" was a misnomer on my part. It releases SOME chemical compound of one form or another that causes the melt. I don't understand the scientific aspect of it, I just know that the soaking works.

Like I said, this info was passed to me by another member of FP who undoubtedly understood the process better and could describe it more accurately. However, I'm here and they're not and I hope I helped!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

The melt can actually help the plants survive. After melting, they can re-sprout. When the plant is in poor conditions, they can rapidly protect themselves by dropping their leaves, where they are most vulnerable and most of the surface area is. Then when conditions stabilize/improve, the plant can grow again. That's my theory anyway.

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Hi
"Alleopathy is the release of chemicals into the local
environment that act on other organisms.^1
What you are refering to is "auto-inhibition"
where (in our case) plants release chemicals into the water
to limit their own population denisity.

The melting of the plants seems to be a reaction to
unfavorable water conditions. This can be actual water
quality, or even temperature. It is temporary, and the
as the plant recovers from the "shock" it will send out
new leaves and roots and reacclimate to its new environment.

Frank

1. Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, Diana Walstad,
Vol 2, Ch3, pp 33-52.
2. http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/plants/Xema_Cryptocoryne.html
3. http://www.greenchapter.com/article.php?id=19

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