# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Need help : Cryptocoryne Rot

## taz

Hi guys,

I'm new here. Wondering if you guys can figure out this problem. I'm having this rot on my glossos and ludwigia arcuata for some time already, like 4 months. Made a search and find out probably due to excess nitrate. Did try combating with water changes 50% of the 2fter weekly and trimming the affected leaves. But doesn't seems to help much. Also did a nitrate test, readings at 5 ~ 10 ppm.
What could be affecting it? BTW lighting at 72W.

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## lorba

which is rotting exactly?
Cryptocoryne, glosso or ludwiga?

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## budak

I don't think your NO3 level is excessive. Lighting is fine too. Glosso for one is a hungry nutrient feeder. Is your CO2 level sufficient? How about base and liquid fert?

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## taz

The rot is called crytocoryne rot. Its starts up with tiny holes at the margins of the leaves glosso and the ludwigia. It will slowly spread till all the leave rot. Hope this will clearifies you. Thanks.

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## vinz

Pssst... Crytocorynes are plants. Cryptocoryne Rot refers to the tendency for these plants to almost completedly melt away due to changes in water conditions and then grow back again.  :Wink: 

Checked your PO4 levels? Are you fertilising? CO2? I concur with Budak, your NO3 levels are fine.

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## taz

Yup I know crpto are plants. Just so happens it has the same name as the rot. Ok. Thanks. I will go check the PO4 level. CO2 running at 1-2 bps and with dennerle base fert. Dosing Florish/Florish Iron every 3 days.

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## wynx

Hey..me no crypt expert but I think crypt rot will happened due to water condition but the crypt will make a comeback by growing new leaves which in my opinion look more olive-intensive in colour.. Crypt rot is normal? Happened every crypt that I introduced to the tank...

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## CK Yeo

erm... maybe I'm blind or super blur, but what did you say your tank size was ? I am guessing maybe light not enough...

ck

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## budak

unlike German measles, which also infects non-Teutons, crypt rot only affects crypts, but the rhizomes will regrow new foliage if left alone. For stem plants, such rot usually signals a severe deficiency of some vital nutrient. Can you test your pH and KH to get a CO2 level reading? 1-2 bps doesn't indicate much. What about other plants/fish in the tank?

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## DEA

i only thought of one thing
what base fert are you using, if any?

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## vinz

Taz, I get what you mean now, but the term crypt rot is only applied to crypts (as Bubak stated). Using the term &amp;quot;crypt rot&amp;quot;, you're only cofusing ppl.

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## taz

ok sorry about that. I made a search and the description fits my situation. BTW the pH about 6.8 ~ 7.0 with kh 5. Using stick test Pharmaceutical aquarium brand I think.

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## sherchoo

What's the temp like? The crypts are melting is probably due to water condition change (as mention b4). It should sprout out new shoots soon.

Other reasons could be due to the plant you planted was an emerse form and they are converting to submerse form. 

More info will be appreciated.

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## YES

> ----------------
> On 2/26/2003 12:13:15 AM 
> 
> Cryptocoryne Rot refers to the tendency for these plants to almost completedly melt away due to changes in water conditions and then grow back again. 
> 
> ----------------


also if u have shifted ur cryto.. mostly likely it will rot for the first-two weeks and after it stable down.. it will grow back.. cheers 
 :Smile:

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## wks

Er Sherwin and YES, taz is referring to his rotting glosso and ludwigia, not cryptocoryne. 
He used &amp;quot;cryptocoryne rot&amp;quot; because he thought that condition applies to his plants. :Smile:

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## sherchoo

Jason (wks),
You're rite..... ok.... what's the temp anayway. Did the plants grew at all or it melted after you planted it?

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## wynx

High nitrates level causes plant rot..like in my case..the MMs all melted away... :Sad:

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## bclee

Wynx, how high was your nitrate?

I can have only experience as high as 40ppm without problem. My NO3 have not gone over that.

I find that plants suck up N really fast. It is not so common in a well planted tank to have NO3 much higher. It could be due to other limitations which cause the plants to stunt resulting the buildup of NO3.

Just curious.

BC :Wink:

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## Allen_1971

Taz,

how big is your tank? typically I only encountered stem rot under situations of insufficient light, nutrient deficiencies, or overpruning... 

Wynx,

I'm not sure where you got the info about NO3 causing Rot... could you provide the link? Would like to read up.

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## taz

Sorry late reply. The tank as mentioned is 2ft. The glosso is rotting at the leaves. Only the older one got affected. Even after trimming it, it start again. Nitrate 5 ~ 10ppm. PO4 last measured 0.1ppm. Temp at 28~29deg. I now suspect is the spotted algae on the leaves that causes it. But is it possible?

Regards.

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## sherchoo

Looks like deficiencies to me with such low PO4 and NO3. Maybe you can try feeding your fish more food to increase N and P.

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## bclee

> ----------------
> On 3/9/2003 9:38:19 PM 
> 
> Sorry late reply. The tank as mentioned is 2ft. The glosso is rotting at the leaves. Only the older one got affected. Even after trimming it, it start again. Nitrate 5 ~ 10ppm. PO4 last measured 0.1ppm. Temp at 28~29deg. I now suspect is the spotted algae on the leaves that causes it. But is it possible?
> 
> Regards.
> ----------------


I don't think so. Usually, it is the other way round, the algae will grow on an already weaken or dying leaf.

What traces are you adding? How often?

Maybe you can consider uping the trace.

BC

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## vinz

Errr... the NO3 looks fine. You need to push your PO4 up to 0.5 to 1ppm. Feeding more should help. Or consider dosing PO4 either by KH2PO4 or Seachem Flourish Phosphorus. Since you tank is small, the latter may be a affordable and convenient choice.

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## taz

I'm currently loading 3x36W to the tank. Plants like rotala rotundifolia ludwigia inclinata, ludwigia arcuata and tiger lotus grew wonderfully red. I guess the intake of N and P is high due to the light. I do feed bloodworms to my tetras and puffer. High in P? Fertilising is like 2.5ml twice per week with Florish,2.5ml Florish Iron and daily dose of K. Anyway, I will try to increase the P and see how it turns out.

Many thanks....  :Wink:

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## taz

Just stumble upon this interesting ratio relationship of N &amp;amp; P

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertil...sphorus.html#8

maybe you want to check it out...

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## PeterGwee

MMMmmmmm..the ratio is actually 10:1 (N:P) as mentioned by Mr Tom Barr.

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## vinz

Ah yeap, which is why I asked you to push you PO4 up to about 1ppm.

My experience so far is that you don't have to get anal about the 10:1 ratio. If you have high NO3 and control your PO4, you should have much trouble with algae. Just maintain your PO4 consistently at about 1ppm. Higher NO3 is actually preferred by some plants.

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## michael

I have a problem in my 230 lt tank. Ive been running my tank for 5 weeks now. Although the fish seem healthy, my live plants are rotting away. They start with little holes, and then they rot away. All my plants are affected. Until few days ago, my annubias seemed fine, but they also got affected. They have little holes and black spots on their leaves while all the other plants are rotting away.

I have removed one plant completely because it just rotted all together. At the roots there were some black dirt (and smelled very bad).

Im usuing FLOURISH SEACHEM substrate in bottom..and then covered it with gravel.

Recently i had problems with high ammonia and high ph. I just managed to regulate that to about ph.7.5 and ammonia about 0.2mg.

However my phospage is very high at the moment.

Im also using IRON supplement by SEACHEM and EXCEL.

My light stays on for about 8 hours per day. Using T5 bulbs.

Water temperature: approx 27-28 celcius 

Can you help? I have done research on the net , and i found some possible causes: cryptocoryne rot, high phosphate.

I would appreciate your help.

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