Sophia Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 What causes this ? Holey leaves on the oldest ones, getting raggy and dying off at the sides. Is that just normal die off of older leaves? I 'think' I noticed this when I went back to doing Mon/Wed/Fri Excel dosage a couple of weeks ago. At same time the duckweed took off a bit and the ambulia was getting a bit too much shade for it's liking. Other plants happenings at the time: a few tiger lotus melted and some other plants not enjoying the shade of the duckweed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Bit hard to tell from that picture but it looks like the leaf is starting to melt. if it is just the older leaves then I would not be too concerned as it is probably just shedding them. If the duck weed if flourishing then it could be from changes to lighting conditions. Unless the whole plant is doing it then dont panic. How big is the plant in question? Pic of plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Plant in question is about 15-20cm tall in places and it was only the 2 older leaves that got the holes. You can see the main leaf to the left of middle has a couple of little melts out of the side too. With the duckweed it grows and then I cull some from time to time to let the light through. Maybe I should do this more often so the lighting is even. Other things I have done lately - put more gravel in but it didn't get disturbed, it just went around the top. Here are some pics Crypt Walkerii Crypt Supasii This one has done very well, didn't melt at all when I planted it. Looking a little sad at the moment. The other was doing OK then it got bumped by accident and a leaf melted. and in context in the 50cm tank with some other bits and pieces that should look familiar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 They are looking nice and healthy to me. I wouldnt be too worried at this point. I think that one I sent you is either becketii or wendtii, I cant remember :roll: The older leaves are probably just dieing back as they have served their purpose. Personally, I would loose the Riccia for the sake of the other plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 thanks for the info Simon. When the little crypts get bigger I will send you a pic to identify them . I might be able to cull the riccia later but at the moment the fish and their fry enjoy hiding in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 I decided to cull the duckweed in the end. Took about an hour to scoop it all out and disentangle it from the riccia. Wasn't as bad as people say, though I am used to threading very small beads, which was not unlike catching solitary floaters of duckweed on the end of scissors. That has helped as there are some quite good gaps between the riccia clumps for the light to penetrate. The only crypt that isn't really doing well yet is the retrospiralis. It can't seem to get more than 2 leaves before 1 melts. It did get disturbed initially but that was a few weeks ago now. In comparison, the walkerii that I got at the same time has grown obviously bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Retrospialis likes different conditions to most Crypts. They like hard water and they are very slow growers. I guarantee you will continue to find Duckweed over the next few weeks and wonder where the hell it is coming from. Its a long term battle, LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 C. balansai, wendtii, walkeri and petchi will all tolerate reasonably hard water as they come from places with water like that. Many in Sri Lanka are from hard water and balansai comes from limestone country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 lone duckweeds brave enough to venture into Fish World at my house will be plucked immediately to their death :evil: 8) Duckweed might be my new staghorn haha much easier to deal with but. I don't think my tank water is hard, it gets 1 tsp of tonic salt per 4 litres, it takes about 3 ppm or drops before it turns the test water yellow. I think that was the measurement last time. What do you guys call 'hard' water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Salt will not alter hardness as it is a measure of calcium and magnesium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 I didn't know that. I was meaning the Kh hardness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 walkerii crypt has not had any of the holes etc since I stopped the excel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 Excel at normal doses will not cause problems with most plants. I use it in all of my small planted tanks and the crypts (including C. walkerii) do especially well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 It seems that anything that was originally offended by my low bleach sterilisation at the beginning will go thin when I put excel in. The newer crypts etc don't mind, but the val and the lotus are visibly different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Ah, that is very interesting! Maybe try less time in the bleach and a lower dose of Excel at the start? I might have to do an experiment of my own. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 IME I find that the surface leaves of my tiger lotus deteriorate in a similar way if I add excel to the tank too close to where they are which has lead me to be believe that they are in some way burnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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