Crypt melt

[deranged chipmunk]

Anyone who has read some of my threads may have noticed me mention crypt melt. The cryptocoryne genus of plants are amazing plants and my favorite aquatics, however, they do have a quirk. They sometimes melt. Sometimes it's because their leaves are touching something. Sometimes they were moved from another tank. Sometimes water chemistry changed and sometimes, they melt for no apparent reason. I wanted to show an example of what it looks like. A week ago, this tank was filled with crypts. Both common and rare. Some were over 18" tall. Well, I drained the tank to move it 3 feet last weekend and all my crypts melted. The horror!!




On the upside. They will eventually grow back. If this happens to you, just be patient. I have had crypts grow back after 6 months. And this behavior is not limited to the crypt genus. My bucephalandra genus also melt. If you ever wondered why I am deranged, it's because I have been growing these suckers and dealing with melt for about a decade now. It's enough to drive the normal person mad!!! Mad I say!! Lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Strider18]

Aww that sucks. And that would drive me insane and I would rage quit right then and there lol. It's good that you have the patience for it haha I never would :P

[DigitalPunk]

Bill, it's because you have mentioned this several times before that when the crypts you gave me were planted and then melted I didn't think twice about it. 2 of them are now showing new growth! Thanks for continuously sharing your knowledge with all of us!

[deranged chipmunk]

No prob Paul. I'll grab a pic of this tank tonight. I added the dwarf saggitaria to it last night and a pair of lobelis cardinalis. I'm hoping the cardinal plant takes to being aquatic ok.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[chibikaie]

Oh, that must've been a pain, the whole tank!

I have two species that don't seem to melt, even though they really ought to: spiralis and pontederiifolia. I don't know if they're maybe just more tolerant than my other specimens or if they are just less likely to throw temper tantrums.

[DigitalPunk]

Bill, did you get a pic of the tank? I am on pins and needles here lol.

[Carisab]

I love that you have a tank with just plants.

[deranged chipmunk]

C. ponterdifolia and c. Spiralis will melt. I have kept them both in a 125 and have had them melt. In fact, the tall skinny plants in the back of this tank are c. Spiralis. I have yet to find a species that is more resistant to melting.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[deranged chipmunk]

Paul, here ya go. The "grass" is the dwarf sag I procured for you and Amy.




And to sidetrack my own thread, some pics of the plant I find most impressive of them all, lobelis cardinalis. This plant is so versatile, I am growing it:
Submerged

In a Viv

And in a container in front of my house


Combine that with the fact that it's a native plant and it becomes one of my favorites of all time.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[deranged chipmunk]

I love that you have a tank with just plants.

I actually keep 2 plant only tanks. One aquatic for growing out species and one Viv that is just plants.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[flybyferns]

Paul, here ya go. The "grass" is the dwarf sag I procured for you and Amy.




And to sidetrack my own thread, some pics of the plant I find most impressive of them all, lobelis cardinalis. This plant is so versatile, I am growing it:
Submerged

In a Viv

And in a container in front of my house


Combine that with the fact that it's a native plant and it becomes one of my favorites of all time.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

I love that little propagated violet (photo #5 at 12 o'clock ) Looks like a Heatheranne cutting?

[deranged chipmunk]

Sorry Lynn. That's one of my miniature violets. I forget which one though lol want a leaf when I send your plants out?? I also have a second mini.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Awesome Bill! Setting up an aquatic grow out tank and a large terrarium to propagate clippings in. Thank you for sharing! The D Sag is looking good! and the lobelis cardinals is pretty amazing! Does it flower?

[deranged chipmunk]

It does!! I'm not sure what this particular cultivar's flowers will look like. This is an uncommon dark leaf cultivar. The standard looks like this:



Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[chibikaie]

C. ponterdifolia and c. Spiralis will melt. I have kept them both in a 125 and have had them melt. In fact, the tall skinny plants in the back of this tank are c. Spiralis. I have yet to find a species that is more resistant to melting.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

They do?! Wow. I'm basically cruel and unusual punishment for plants (I kill weeds by trying to grow them), so I thought for sure they must be tough if I can grow them.

I keep trying to convert my aquatics to emersed growth, but they get all crispy.

[deranged chipmunk]

You need to increase the humidity. Crypts require a minimum of 80% humidity to grow. Some require higher.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[chibikaie]

Apparently I tempted fate. I did a 50% water change and two days later all of my "never melted" crypts have huge, necrotic holes in their leaves.

[deranged chipmunk]

Apparently I tempted fate. I did a 50% water change and two days later all of my "never melted" crypts have huge, necrotic holes in their leaves.

That sucks. I do feel for you. Just be patient. They'll grow back. Mine are slowly making a comeback. I think I may have saved a few of my rare ones. Only time will tell now.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

I don't know how I missed this thread! The crypt I bought has not melted at all so far (got it about a month ago.) Granted, I got a clump that was only about 2 inches tall. It looks very healthy yet though. I love the lobelia, I actually have some Lobelia cardinalis blooming in my garden right now! Hummingbirds love it!

[deranged chipmunk]

That's probably because you are growing it emersed Amy. I found that emersed crypts melt far less than submerged ones.

I love the l. Cardinalis!! I have a sneaky suspicion that mine are the blue cultivar, which is fine by me. I just love a plant I can grow any way I want. Lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela