Val Meltdown - Oh B*****

[tracytrout]

Trimmed and tidied plants in my 4ft tank after a bit of neglect over the last 3 weeks and as I hadn't done as many water changes during this time green algae had set in so after asking a few people I was advised to double dose the tank with Flourish Excel.

Now 8 days later just about all the lovely tall forest of Staight Val has melted :roll: . I have a couple of questions:

Was it the Flourish Excel that melted the Straight Val??...this is the only new thing I've done to the tank for months so I'm only guessing this is the cause.

Will the plants recover and grow again as I know Straight Val is one of those banned plants now so can't be bought anywhere?

[oO SKIPPY Oo]

i dont know if the val will regrow but i had heard that excel will melt val - im doing small doses of 5ml per 100L and my twisted val hasnt melted yet only putting that in once a week.

[antwan]

Yep I'd say it was the flourish that did it. It can be nasty stuff when using it to treat algae (can kill fish too), that's why I stay clear of it now.

[phoenix44]

yes. it is the flourish.

[tracytrout]

Thanks for replies .

If I cut back the val will it grow again or shall I just bin it all

[phoenix44]

cut it down eh... don't throw the roots and leave it be, in a few days you should see a couple of new leaves popping up if the damage was not done to the roots.

[tracytrout]

Thanks phoenix...hope it works as the tank looks quite bare now and not as many hidey places for fish

[Stella]

Careful, being a banned plant means it is not only banned from sale but also banned from being in your aquarium....

Just so you know.

[phoenix44]

Careful, being a banned plant means it is not only banned from sale but also banned from being in your aquarium....

Just so you know.

We have been debating that at the moment. I do not think it is illegal (/ they will catch you for having it) to have in the tank. the council is more concerned with curbing its spread.

[tracytrout]

OMG!!! Don't want MAf knocking on my door ...I thought if you'd always had it in your tank it was ok, have no intention at all of selling it either :roll:

I'm really disappointed that most of it has melted as it looked awesome and knowing it was my own fault made it worse plus knowing I can't buy more .

Time to get some more Dwarf Sag I reckon...why it's called "dwarf" has got me stumped when it grows so tall, some in my tank is 3/4 the size of the val .

[Sophia]

if you search on my name you will find my thread of a similar name

I cut back the brown and transparent leaves of my twisted val. It did eventually green up again and slowly produce new leaves but it took at least 2 months. Could have been my set up but they were very fast growing before that. If you want the cover back in the tank I recommend getting some new ones (if the plant police let you!) and leaving your stunted ones to catch up quietly by themselves.

[tracytrout]

Thanks Sophia