Crypt Leaves Splitting

[Mark Z.]

Hi all,
 
Two weeks ago I purchased my first live plants. All seemed to be doing just fine until I came home today and found a few of the leaves of my crypts were split down the middle and basically destroyed. I cut them off.
 
Is this normal? I have read about "crypt melt," but it doesn't seem to be the case here. All the other leaves look fine except one that has a small split in the end. I imagine this one will split all the way down also.
 
I am not sure what type of crypt they are. They are maroonish in color.
 
Any suggestions?
 
Thanks,
Mark

 

[l_l_l]

Hi Mark and welcome to the planted side of the hobby, you will see, it is a wonderful world!! Crypt are very hardy. Best thing to do has already been done; remove the leave!
 
Crypts will lose leaves every now and then.
You can help your crypt grow by giving it root tabs, as they like to take nutrients from the roots.
 
This crypt you have right now in your tank will be very different in a month or two, most of the leaves you see will die, then you will see new leaves with a different look.
I have a tank that I like to experiment with, I added crypts in a lot of areas, including a crevice, and it grows there, but really slender, and just besides is the same crypt, growing fat. Crypts are probably my favorite aquarium plants.

 

[Byron]

I agree.  This is most likely crypt melt.  Some species are less prone to this than others, but generally speaking the plant may quite suddenly "melt" which means that all the leaves will turn into mush and usually fairly quickly.  It is caused by any change in the environment...lighting intensity and/or duration, temperature, pH, GH, some medications/chemicals, etc.  It also usually occurs when the plant is moved, even if only within the same tank; try not to disturb the roots.
 
Re the environmental changes, you don't need to worry about a couple degrees in temperature change as during a partial water change, or similarly changes in GH/pH from water changes, but if the temperature rises or lowers more than a few degrees or the shift in pH is significant it can occur.
 
Siphon out the "mush" and leave the roots alone and new leaves should appear.  Normally this occurs within days, but I have known of situations where it took weeks and read of even months.
 
Byron.

 

[Mark Z.]

Thanks guys!
 
I haven't checked in for a while, sorry.
 
So far, I have only lost about four leaves total on three crypts! And it has been a few months now. I did lose a few leaves on one anubia, and I have a few small maroon arrowhead-shaped bulb plants that lose leaves frequently.
 
Been having trouble in my betta bowl now; I will post that separately.
 
Mark