Water Changes For Fish Health vs Plant Melt... Happy Medium?

[Nells250]

OK, so the other day I decided Betsy the betta (in Tank #1) NEEDED her gravel cleaned. So for her health and happiness I rinsed out the fish/snail poo and kept about half the original water. I didn't rinse out the sponge filter. Everything went back in the tank. Sure LOOKED better!

Thing is, the various bucephalandra are starting to look show signs of possible melting! One has completely melted away! They were doing SO WELL, too!! I thought that returning half the original water into the tank would help prevent this.

The fish need clean water, but the plants don't seem to LIKE cleaner water! I don't have a lot of money to spend on this hobby, so when I see one of my favorite buce's melt away (hopefully not dead) after FINALLY looking so pretty (slooow grooooow), I don't know WHAT to do in the future!

Spackle the betta in Tank #2 also needs some poo-removal... but HIS buce plants are ALSO doing GREAT!

HELP??

 

[CassCats]

How long have you had the buce?

I do weekly 75-90% water changes on my tanks, all planted, and the plants respond fine to the water changes....

HOWEVER, plants can react to sudden changes just like fish can, so sometimes it's better to gradually increase how much you change instead of doing a big sudden change.

 

[fishorama]

Sometimes smaller 30-50% water changes are better after a long while than a huge 1 all at once, like Cass said. I "try" for weekly water changes but sometimes it's a bit longer . I don't know what happened once, but ALL my plants melted, even java fern I thought indestructible, buces, anubias, crypts of course, everything! I think my water co. flushed the lines or otherwise changed some parameter. Slowly my tank has recovered, but since I have no fish in it, I don't pay enough attention.

I think your buces will recover, mine did. But it may take a while. Be patient & be better at water changing to avoid all heck breaking out. It can!