Bucephalandra SP. Kedagang, help needed

[Shinobi]

Hello Everyone.

About 4 Weeks ago i received some Bucephalandra from a online retailer, the plants all seemed healthy although a little bit of white "fush" was visible at some of the roots - I didn't however seemed like a issue and when i put them in my tank they looked like this:


now, a couple of weeks later, the rhizomes has lost almost all of its' leaves and is looking brownish. At first i thought that it was due to the plant adjusting to submersed state, but after contacting the retailer he told me that they were grown submersed and it was normal for the plant to get some melt after being introduced to a new environment. Even though i really would like to believe this, I find it difficult to believe judging by the current state the plants are in. They are in a high-tech tank with lots of CO2 and ferts, and at first i thought that the high light might have been too much for the plant to handle, however moving the plants to a more shaded area of the tank didn't seem to help. My question is, if anyone have had the same experience with Buces and if I Should expect a recovery as stated by the retailer, or if my VERY expensive plants have met their end of life before it even began?

 

[papa_c]

My experience with Bruce's is they often suffer from leaf drop when moved between tank. If the main rhizome is still solid leave it in the tank, and they will tend to recover, slow process but they do. From the last picture it looks like it may be ok, I have Bruce's in a small nano which grow from little more than a 'stick'!

I find that even thought they grow in most light conditions they do best with moderate light and CO2.

 

[Daveslaney]

I have found the same as above with buces. Best leave in your tank and it will prob grow back.
Takes a while though but they do come back. Once they do start to grow they seem to go from strength to strength.
Heres one of mine that has been in the tank since last august. Went the same as yours first off. Then started to grow.

 

[Shinobi]

I have found the same as above with buces. Best leave in your tank and it will prob grow back.
Takes a while though but they do come back. Once they do start to grow they seem to go from strength to strength.
Heres one of mine that has been in the tank since last august. Went the same as yours first off. Then started to grow.View attachment 104651

Thanks! Thats really comforting to hear. Really frustrating that a semingly hardy plant can take such a beat "just" by changing tanks

 

[rebel]

Classic buce melt. It's heart breaking. I've had similar size melt after I paid $60 or them. Eventually came back but I moved house and guess what.....

 

[Progen]

Better photos with flash on the rhizome might help. Maybe it's my phone's screen or my presbyopia but the one he's holding in his hand doesn't look that good.

I got 4 little buces 2 weeks ago. They lost their colour after being tied to driftwood and placed in my main tank. Some have shrivelled leaves and1 has holes but their rhizomes are looking fine and 1 with shrivelled leaves has a new leaf so I know it's fine for sure.

 

[roadmaster]

I think the plant's are still viable but maybe need to leave be and focus on overall growth and just let em do what they do.
I have some buce in low tech that are a few week's old and just now starting to produce new leaves here and there.
Geez, I thought my crypt Parva and anubia were slow .🙂

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

I have heard they are very susceptible to ammonia, is your tank cycled? I have a heap of buce I dumped into a fresh tank and they are not looking great, hopefully my tank cycles quickly and they bounce back.

 

[Shinobi]

I have heard they are very susceptible to ammonia, is your tank cycled? I have a heap of buce I dumped into a fresh tank and they are not looking great, hopefully my tank cycles quickly and they bounce back.

Perhaps it wasnt completely cycled when I put it in there a month ago where the tank was about 4 weeks with ADA Amazonia. So there might have been some amonia, but it's the first time I'm hearing this about Buce

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Perhaps it wasnt completely cycled when I put it in there a month ago where the tank was about 4 weeks with ADA Amazonia. So there might have been some amonia, but it's the first time I'm hearing this about Buce

Yes I cant find any info about ammonia being bad from them online, but I was told this buy a hobbyist I purchased buce of locally

 

[sgdiscus]

I have also experienced that in my tank and take at least three to four months to bounce back. Some never bounce back. In addition, buce do better in water below 28 degrees celsius. I have a few bunch of buce in my tank. They are not doing great. In my tank, buce grow slower than crypts and anubias.

 

[Progen]

I'm from Borneo but from the Malaysian half, not the Indonesian half where these beauties come from.

Anyway, regardless of how hot our climate is, the streams are always nice and cool with water close to the mid 20s most of the time so I guess that's how most buces like their water temperature to be.

 

[MrHidley]

I agree with what's been said above. Seem to melt when conditions change, but give them time and they'll grow back well.

 

[Daveslaney]

Prob due to in the natural habitat with changing water levels wet/dry seasons, They spend time growing emersed time submerged,This causes the melt habit?Like with crypt species only with buce it takes alot longer as they are so slow growing?
Seriously doubt its ammonia most plant will process ammonia?unless the amounts where huge.

 

[Mick.Dk]

I have been testing literally hundreds of types/varieties of Bucephalandra - and the 'Kedagang' type is really high up amongst the hardiest ones IMO.
- if there's any life left at all, it will spring back to original healthy plant, given time and care.
From my experience, the B. sp. 'Kedagang' do grow best in moderate light, not too nutritious water and does not need added CO2 at all. If roots are allowed to grow into substrate and a fertiliser capsule is added - growth will improve significant.
If growing well and healthy, B. sp. 'Kedagang' is one of those, that will achieve some metallic blue shade on leaves, which correspond very well with the dark ,leafcolour, tiny white dots and red-ish stems.
- hope your B. sp. 'Kedagang' will recover......it is really a nice little gem .

 

[Progen]

It's selling for around USD18 at my side and I'm getting more tempted by the day.

Very keen on this unidentified one too.

Cheaper at around USD12.