# What causes plants to melt?



## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Well, I think my Narrow Leaf Temple, and maybe a few others are starting to show signs of melting? They have small dark green patchy spots like what was on my Anubia nana. What causes plants to melt?

I did a partially water change yesterday, my pH is 7.8-8.0, gH: 3, kH: 6, temp 79*F. Water is treated with indian almond leaf, aquasafe, easybalance, and a little bit of aquarium salt. The substrate is Eco-Complete.

The Narrow Leaf Temple is a stem plant so I stuck the stem into the substrate, if the plants had roots such as the Chain sword and amazon sword I stuck it in the substrate shallower just in case they were like the Anubias nana.


I apparently, don't have a green thumb.:icon_cry:


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## mumushummus (Sep 16, 2009)

man you got all that stuff in one aquarium? salt don't go well with plants...


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## DavidZ (Nov 17, 2009)

Agree, what's with adding all that stuff, what a waste of money!


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## Scotty (Nov 15, 2008)

Yeah, ditch the additives, you will most likely have better results!!


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Well ok, the aquasafe is my dechlorinator and the indian almond leaves make my water softer. But I'll try it with just the dechlorinator.


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## Scotty (Nov 15, 2008)

Yeah, keep the dechlorinator.


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## tyler79durdan (Jan 23, 2010)

Loose the salt! It will dehydrate plants.


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

Loose the salt. Ph is a bit high too. Get to 7.5 if ya can without too much trouble.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

What can I use to lower pH safely? I'm already using 1 Indian Almond Leaf which lowers it a little bit, kind of like the Black Water Extract by Tetra. I don't really have room for a piece of driftwood. Can I dilute the tap water with 1-2g of bottled distilled water, I live in Colorado near the mountains, so the water is naturally kinda hard.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Using distilled and/or RO water (mixed with tap water) will bring down your pH. While your pH is a bit high, in my opinion, plants don't really care too much about the pH (relative to fish, shrimp, etc).

CO2 would be your best bet to lower the pH, though.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Ok I will try the water method, don't think I have the budget or brains for CO2.. yet at least. Thanks!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Keep the almond leaf! They are fantastic for bettas. I have them in almost everyone of my planted tanks and it only helps the fish, nothing bad has ever resulted. Melting is usually caused by things like no co2, too low lighting, overcrowding so the lower leaves cannot get enough lighting can cause it, emersed moving over to submersed, not enough nutrients, and more. 

I wouldn't worry about adjusting the pH just yet and give details like your lighting, size of the tank, co2 supplementation and nutrients added.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

RO/DI filters are expensive, but great to have.

It's hard to say why the plants are melting without knowing what lighting, fertilizers, etc. you are using. It is likely low iron if you aren't using fertilizers.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm expecting my florecent hood that comes with a 8000k bulb and Flourish Comprehensive and Root Tabs today. Using Eco-Complete substrate.


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## captain_bu (Oct 20, 2007)

Darkblade48 said:


> Using distilled and/or RO water (mixed with tap water) will bring down your pH. While your pH is a bit high, in my opinion, plants don't really care too much about the pH (relative to fish, shrimp, etc).
> 
> CO2 would be your best bet to lower the pH, though.


X2... Plants and fish will adjust to pH... better to leave it alone but if you feel you must lower it RO or DI water is the safest way to do it. CO2 will lower your pH while it is on, too. 

The only reason I would bother lowering pH is if I had fish I was trying to spawn that preferred soft water to do so, otherwise there is almost no reason to fool around with your water chemistry.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm not trying to spawn them, but I heard indian almond leaf have other good effect for the betta so that why I use them. Anyways, my entire bunch of Narrow Leaf Temple melted on me. I went out and bought a hood temporarily, and the hood was made for a 10g, but it doesn't fit my 10g.


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## captain_bu (Oct 20, 2007)

From what I know about almond leaves it doesn't seem possible that they would cause a problem. The salt and the easybalance seem like the most likely culprits... leave your pH alone, ditch those and see how the tank does. 

I just took another look at the photo of your tank and it looks like a number of the plants you have get too big to be in such a confined space. Plants need to have space to grow into to exhibit healthy growth. Try to find some plants that fit scale-wise and physically in a small area like that. It would be fun to come up with one unique looking mini-scape for each partition or one scape that encompasses all three partitions. If you give some breathing room to each plant it should help with circulation around each plant which may be at least part of the reason you are getting the melting.

Nice Bettas!


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

macclellan said:


> RO/DI filters are expensive, but great to have.
> 
> It's hard to say why the plants are melting without knowing what lighting, fertilizers, etc. you are using. It is likely low iron if you aren't using fertilizers.



I have 5 gal planted tank that have been doing an excellent growth for the past 2 years under 24w CF bulb, EI dosing and pressurized CO2.

Last July, upgraded it to T5 bulbs (4-18W, Very High light!) and re scape the tank. The plants started to melt. I cut down 2 bulbs (36w, still high!), 4 hrs photo period and do water change 2x a week. It didnt help. Finally, I switch back to the previous light fixture where I originally started (24w). Continued 2x water change and EI dosing. Few plants still melts and some seems to recover like Purple Cabomba. Rotalas have stunted growth.

Plants in this tank:

Ludwigia sp- mostly melted
Purple Cabomba- recovering
Rotalas -Stunted Growth. Some melted
Myrio Mat and Myrio Red- Stunted growth
Bacopas sp - Melted


Any advice?

My 20G have no problem so its not the water from the faucet.


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