Hello,
im keeping various crypts in my planted tank and have repeatedly suffered minor crypt melt which suggests they are being continually troubled by something.
Recently i ran out of c02 gas so the tank was running without c02 injection for about a week and a half, c02 being substituted with liquid carbon. The crypts during this period noticably increased growth and melting stopped. I have since had my c02 refilled and have began injecting again over the last week or so, and alas today all of my crypts have started melting again. The ph fluctuates from ph 7 before injection to ph 6 at the end of injection.
It seems logical that the c02 injection is the catalyst but is it likely to be the resultant ph fluctuations that are affecting my crypts so badly or the gas itself? Has anyone else suffered the same fate?
I daily dose 10ml tpn+ and 2ml tpn, ada aquasoil substrate system, 2 x 39w ho t5 8hrs/day. 180l tank.
Also 5 days ago i removed the glass covers from my tank (between lighting and water) to try and get more light into the tank, pearling increased notably (including from the crypts), however evaporation was an issue so 2 days ago i refitted them..... could this lighting difference also have contributed to crypt melt.
I know they can be sensitive to change but to what degree? Will they acclimate to ph fluctuations or will this always be an issue for me? This melt seems quite bad and even my balansae which has taken 6 months to settle properly has been affected. Im a bit disheartened by this reccurrent problem and need to know if my suspicions as to the cause are realistic or what, if anything else could be causing it.
Help would be much appreciated.
Ady.
im keeping various crypts in my planted tank and have repeatedly suffered minor crypt melt which suggests they are being continually troubled by something.
Recently i ran out of c02 gas so the tank was running without c02 injection for about a week and a half, c02 being substituted with liquid carbon. The crypts during this period noticably increased growth and melting stopped. I have since had my c02 refilled and have began injecting again over the last week or so, and alas today all of my crypts have started melting again. The ph fluctuates from ph 7 before injection to ph 6 at the end of injection.
It seems logical that the c02 injection is the catalyst but is it likely to be the resultant ph fluctuations that are affecting my crypts so badly or the gas itself? Has anyone else suffered the same fate?
I daily dose 10ml tpn+ and 2ml tpn, ada aquasoil substrate system, 2 x 39w ho t5 8hrs/day. 180l tank.
Also 5 days ago i removed the glass covers from my tank (between lighting and water) to try and get more light into the tank, pearling increased notably (including from the crypts), however evaporation was an issue so 2 days ago i refitted them..... could this lighting difference also have contributed to crypt melt.
I know they can be sensitive to change but to what degree? Will they acclimate to ph fluctuations or will this always be an issue for me? This melt seems quite bad and even my balansae which has taken 6 months to settle properly has been affected. Im a bit disheartened by this reccurrent problem and need to know if my suspicions as to the cause are realistic or what, if anything else could be causing it.
Help would be much appreciated.
Ady.