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Crypt Melt Causes

17K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Geomancer 
#1 ·
So what are some causes for a crypt to melt, aside from the usual of moving one?

I've had it for ~ 7 weeks and it has shown some pretty good growth in that time, it didn't melt after planting it.

But now, a few leaves have melted and it looks like several more are on the way. Three weeks ago I changed the light to something brighter (my custom LEDs. Two @ 5665K).

What are some likely causes do you think? Would it take it 3 weeks to respond to a different light?
 
#2 ·
That would be my guess. I have had people tell me that it melts for no reason, but in my experience its always after a change, even if they didnt realize it. It could be something as 'chaos theory' as the increase in lights caused another stem plant to increase its nutrient uptake causing a fluctuation in the water column of a yet unidentified hormone... Id believe it if I read it online :lol:
 
#4 ·
Yes, crypts will not melt for no reason at all. But they will melt--though not always, and some species are worse than others--if anything changes. Light (tubes diminishing can melt them, replacing tubes can melt them, increasing or decreasing light can melt them), pH, GH, temperature, disturbing the roots, changing fertilizers. Allelopathy (chemicals released by plants) may factor in to, this is an area that is not yet well documented.
 
#6 ·
I have 50+ crypt. Wenditti and I honest have no idea what causes crypt melt. Mine rarely melt TBH. Last time I moved the tank and uprooted them all my stargrass took the move worse then the crypts did. I normally cause a temp drop when I change the water and that doesn't bother them either. All my other inconsistencies with light, fertilizers and CO2 don't make them melt either. One thing I do is prune any leaves if they start decaying. There are always some damaged or decaying leaves amongst my crypts but they are a very random(new, old, high current, low current).
 
#7 ·
Crypts are weird like that. I've had a rollercoaster with mine.

First: Potted Lutea from petco, took right off after planted and was doing well for apx 2month, never melted until recently when I changed from an 8000k to a 6700k bulb
Second: Potted Lutea from petco (planted a week after the first one, I was so happy with it not melting I bought another one). Well this one melted right away and still to this day is only about a 1/2" tall with a few small leaves
Third: Wendtii (green) split between the 29g and the 10g. Turned the 10g into a forest, doing OK in the 29g, getting taller but not fuller, no negative effect from the light change at all.
 
#10 ·
That's actually not that bad, my one Lutea melted worse than that, seems to of stopped melting for now at least and is showing a few new leaves coming from the base. lol at the snails comment. My snail population has always been pretty steady at "just enough" but has recently nearly tripled in a short time. Wasn't sure if it was from the 10 ghost shrimp breeding like rabbits giving them more food but now putting two and two together it makes sense they are there for the melting crypt(s)...
 
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