joonkun

so i have red wendtii crypts. i recently upgraded my lighting on a 17gal tank from a single 20who t5 toa double 24watt ho t5. they are 6700k bulbs. but my crypts seem to be melting now. i know they dont really like high direct light. its 2.8 watts per gallon but the tank is only about 13inches deep. i doubt its a deficiency from nutrients. im useing eco-complete with flourish root tabs and dosing with trace as well.
anything i can do or is the light now just too high for them. i did just move them a few days ago some of the crypts were getting really big and i split them up into smaller plants. i know generally you should wait for runners but with the tank being so small i just broke them in halfish and moved them. but this was several days ago and they seemed to do fine. i added the light and they perked up for a day or 2 showing more red coloring, but now are melting. should i just for-go crypts with this kind of light? its a small tank so what else can i use in its place? i have slightly acidic and soft water naturally from tap.

thanks.

Fishguy10

I'm not an expert on crypts, but I may be able to help. I do not think that the light itself is causing your crypts to melt, I think that it is just the fact that you changed the lighting. Crypts generally like stable environments, and when you change something, they will sometimes respond by melting. Some sensitive crypts will even melt if you just move them around within the same tank. I think that the melting might just be them adjusting to the new environment that they have been placed in.

Usually crypts will melt and lose most if not all of their leaves before starting to regrow new leaves and recovering. Your crypts will probably be fine, they may just need some time to adjust to the new light level.

As for crypts preffering low light, I'm not really sure. They may prefer low light, but I think that they will still grow just fine with higher light. I have a bronze wendtii crypt that has gotten huge in my 29 gallon tank and I've got 96 watts t5 ho 6500k (~3.3 wpg) directly over it.

Hopefully your crypts adjust to the new light and bounce right back.

barclaya

what is this.