# Bucephalandra fail to thrive, just wither away.



## Clinton Parsons (Apr 11, 2016)

About two months ago I got several types (don't ask me) of bucephalandra, like $200 worth, they have failed to thrive start turning yellow and whither away. New growth, what infinitesimally small amount there is, is puny....

I am at the point now that I want to throw them all away and cut my losses, they are just polluting the tank. I use two solar I's over a 90-P, at a height such that PAR at substrate is `100. Temperatures are 80-85 (Ugh), I autodose the E.I. stock solutions , 10 ml micro and 10 ml macro per day. This just seems like a lot and I was thinking of cutting that in half since I have so much aquasoil a a reservoir. pH controlled, full one point pH drop, great filter plus additional powerheads, 

What's the deal? Is it the heat? That's all I can think of. I came home from a week's absence to discover the air conditioning was turned off instead of up, and the tank was 95F. Green and brown cesspool, so now I am working with actively rotting bucephalandra and I can't help but wonder if I should ever bother trying to safe them. They have been nothing but a disappointment. I am seemingly doing everything that I can think of correct. 

I guess I could put the stems, what's left at least, in a small emersed terrarium and hope for the best. No one else seems to have this chronic melting/yellowing/lack of growth problem. Phosphate deficiency? I did come home to some green spot algae in addition to the slimy green glass algae and the billowy masses of brown algae wafting in the current. FML. 

If it IS phosphate deficiency, how much extra would you recommend me spiking my macro solution with? Another question: I am dosing the 10 ml's of each solution together in the sump throughout the course of the day at intervals. Realistically, could I be precipitating anything out by accident doing this? Better one throughout the day and the other throughout the night? Or could it better to dose micro, macro, micro, macro alternate pattern ? Or am I just overanalyzing?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi Clinton Parsons,

If I am not mistaken Bucephalandra are a low light species. I find them similar to Anubias but slower growing (if you can believe that!). I found that mine just sat there attached to some Malaysian driftwood for a couple, three months before any new growth worth mentioning. The Buces can tolerate the temps into the 80's but the 95 degrees may have cooked them pretty good. Possibly trying any survivors in an emersed set-up would be the best course of action. Anything that still has a green stem/rhizome has the possibility of sending out leaves.

As for changing your dosing I would like to know what the water parameters, specifically Nitrates, are before commenting.


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## nel (Jan 23, 2016)

Melting at start is pretty normal. Mostly you get emersed ones and sometimes they need much time to grow nicely. I've read that dimming light completely and adding more oxygen for a few days helps "restarting" buce. The temp might be a problem too, but mine were growing nicely (1-2 leaves a week) and it was like 27 C. (So around 81-82 I guess). I would try this dimming method and then give them more time to grow.


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## Tinanti (Aug 25, 2005)

Nothing wrong with growing them under high light. I do that just fine. 

Temps probably too high, and I think they do better with good oxygen levels, though that's just an anecdotal observation of mine. I skim the surface and aerate at night, along with plenty of flow.


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