Erirku

So in my all planted crypt tank, some of the crypt leaves are having holes in them. Is this a nutrient deficiency? and what is the best fertilzer to give them? I use flourish comprehensive, DIY CO2, don't know H2O parameter. I also have baby-mid sized guppies and 2 platties, and was wondering if they are the cause of this? Thanks

Edward

Cryptocoryne melting is caused by fast changes in water chemistry, temperature and light. The plants can tolerate those changes if done slowly over several days.

Edward

HeyPK

If they are little holes that don't quickly result in the whole leaf melting, then they may be due to potassium deficiency.

Also, avoid any kind of plastic in the aquarium, which can give off substances that cause poor growth and a variety of deficiency symptoms in crypts, even when nutrients are at high levels.

Edward

This is an important issue. I wish the plastics contamination was investigated more closely.

Edward

HeyPK

Edward, you sound like you may have had some bad experiences with plastics in your aquaria or that you know of such instances that have happened to others.

It took me a very long time to figure out that the poor growth I was getting was due to my use of plastic trays for growing the plants. This was because the poisoning wasn't very obvious. It made many plants very finicky that should have been easier to grow. Some species did not seem very much affected and did pretty well.

Do you have any information about plastic contamination?

Sir_BlackhOle

This is something I would be interested in hearing more about also.

HeyPK

Briefly, I have learned that the black plastic trays used for microwave food are not inert, and they release something that makes many species of aquatic plants much more fussy, and hard to keep. A few species seem to do pretty well, but most seem to have a hard time getting nutrients, even when nutrients should be in good supply. Plastic soda pop bottles do the same to my emersed plants. Glass is definitely better.

Many years ago, I found that nylon window curtain material is also bad. When it is in the aquarium, it slowly begins to kill the plants. Here, too, some species held out longer than others, but eventually, everything died of what looked like severe calcium deficiency. The soda pop bottles and the microwave food trays are not that bad, and many plants can be kept alive in them for years, but then never do very well.

That is all I know. So far, it has been three plastic products found bad out of three tried. I would stay away from plastics, if I were you, although soda pop bottles seem adequate for keeping most species alive on the windowsill.