Should i remove Leaf?

[Dan OB]

Hello,

My Tank is about 9 weeks old and all has been going ok so far, it's an ADA 60p (Low Tech) with a Twinstar light dimmed to 30%. I have been dosing ferts weekly and doing a 50% water change every week without fail. I have just noticed this on the leaf of one of my crypts, do you recommend I remove the leaf?

 

[Tim Harrison]

It's entirely up to you. It looks like an old emersed growth leaf which might not be doing so well now the plant is immersed and may explain why it's attracting algae. The plant looks like it has plenty of healthy immersed growth so it won't do any harm if you decide to remove it.

 

[Edvet]

Also don't think you can avoid algae by removing 'infected' leaves. Algae spores are all around us, you can only restrict their growth.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I agree with the others, plant health looks really good so it won't effect the plant if you take the leaf off. Personally I'd probably leave the leaf (for the reasons @Edvet gives), but you could try pinching the BBA tuft off very carefully with your finger nails, you need to avoid damaging the leaf surface.

I would take the yellow and brown leaves off the Java Fern, once they gone yellow they aren't helping the plant. If they have a lot of new plantlets growing on them, you can easily just leave them in the tank loose.

cheers Darrel

 

[Dan OB]

All thanks for your help, I'm going to leave it and just try and remove it with my fingertips!
Thanks for mentioning the Java fern, it's the only plant that hasn't seem to have done well since I started really! I have removed quite a few leaves already, do you recommend taking all these off to encourage new growth then?

Cheers Dan

 

[Tim Harrison]

I would, but then I'm pretty ruthless. There's no room in my tank for ugly plants

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have removed quite a few leaves already, do you recommend taking all these off to encourage new growth then?

I'd take the yellow leaves off. Any that are green you can leave on.

Once you taken the old leaves off, I'd carefully detach the new plants. I usually <"staple the plantlets"> back on (just with an ordinary stapler), the advantage of this is that you can staple a square of old leaf to the wood, even they don't have a lot of root. The staples rust away fairly quickly but by the that time the plant should have attached.

cheers Darrel