# Why do my crypt leaves look like this?



## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Hey all I have my 20 gallon tank with highlight, pressurized co2, mineralized topsoil dirt with clay and root tabs, and also dose EI. My question is, why do my Cryptocoryne Pondertifolia and Cryptocoryne Wendtii "green Gecko" keep getting holes in their leaves? They are showing it the most. 

My suspisions:
1. When I dose fertz, I usually dose them dry directly into the tank. And when I do that, I aim for the filter outtake to spread it around, however, sometimes a portion will fall onto the pondertifolia, and the then the fertz that are in the jetstream get swept right onto the green gecko. Could the fertz be "burning" holes into the leaves?

2. OR, do I have a deficiency in K ?

Here's some pics of the suspects... 

Green gecko:


Pondertifolia




Plants come from this tank. You can see the filter outtake positioning here.


What do you think?
Joshua


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Potassium, maybe a little bit more.. but that's definately the big one.. maybe wrap up some more mts with added K in little wax paper packets, then stick them near the edges of the root balls.


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## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

I think its what you called crypt rot. Crypts usually do this whenever something change around them like stress. The holes can sometimes become larger and it can damage the whole leaf.


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## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

Definitely looks like a deficiency, could easily be K. You might consider adding some new root tabs! This tank has been running 3 or 4 months now with highlight & co2, my bet is that your plants plowed right through your existing root tabs, especially considering Crypts are heavy root feeders! I have been surprised how quickly my crypts suck up the root tab nutrients! Have you also considered dissolving your fertz in a small amount of tank water before putting them in? I used to use this technique with great success when I had high light over my 55


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

I've just started the dissolving method this week and I shall be adding more root tabs shortly. I have plenty leftover from the tanks inception. I will also start dosing extra K as an extra precaution. Should I be worried about dosing too much K?


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

pianofish said:


> I've just started the dissolving method this week and I shall be adding more root tabs shortly. I have plenty leftover from the tanks inception. I will also start dosing extra K as an extra precaution. Should I be worried about dosing too much K?


If your K comes as potassium nitrate, just watch that the nitrate level doesn't go too high. You won't have to worry about too much K alone.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

I use this as my for K and Phosphates, KH2PO4. and I use this for extra potassium K2SO4. Should I just go to town on the extra K2SO4?


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

Indian fern said:


> I think its what you called crypt rot. Crypts usually do this whenever something change around them like stress. The holes can sometimes become larger and it can damage the whole leaf.


I'd have to agree with what Indian fern said. I don't think it's a K deficiency. To me it looks exactly like crypt rot. I have had it happen before and that's exactly what it looked like. Crypts can be sensitive to changes. I would cut off all the affected leaves.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Right now, Ive been doing this:

1/8 tsp KN03 (N) 3x a week 
1/32 tsp KH2P04 (P) 3x a week
1/32 tsp K2SO4 3x a week
1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change

I also dose 10% chelated iron 3x a week as well, very small amounts. 

How much more K2SO4 should I be adding? fertilator says that I could go up to 1/12 tsp of K2SO4 and be in the clear. If I went up to 1/8 tsp 3 times a week, it would be about 1.25 of the max that they reccomend.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Not to say bunk to everyone else but yes the suspicion you mentioned is possible. You can burn plants dry dosing, it does happen and I've done it more than once to my crypts with K2SO4.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

pianofish said:


> Right now, Ive been doing this:
> 
> 1/8 tsp KN03 (N) 3x a week
> 1/32 tsp KH2P04 (P) 3x a week
> ...


If that's what your dosing then I find it hard to believe you have a K defiency. I still think its crypt rot. I would just cut off the leaves and let them be. They will recover just fine after all they are crypts.


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

Crypts are heavy root feeders. Feed them using root tabs. Find root tabs that don't easily break apart. I find some root tabs crumble in water before placing it under the roots. http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/plantabbs/plantabbs-plant-fertilizers.shtml

Do you have sand for a substrate? Sand doesn't have nutrients for the crypt's root system.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

I have Mineralized topsoil with dolomite, potash, with a layer of iron rich clay underneath the dirt. And, just to make sure that I had enough nutrients, I also put groSoil and groHumate root tabs all over in all the places that I knew that there would be plants. Then I covered it all with pool sand. I tried to go for the same substrate as crazyDaz. But if you think that after 4 months of hightech growth, the soils could be used up, i'll add some more of the root tabs.


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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

+1 for Crypt rot. Mine are doing this right now cuz I have been dosing a medication called enthromaracyn.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I vote for the burning of the leaves. It doesn't look like crypt rot to me. It looks more like something is attaching the leaves and leavings holes.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Thanks for all of the input everyone! Really much appreciated. I'll post back here after trying these methods out for a few weeks with the results.

Strategy:
As an extra precaution, I will up my dosing of K, and add some root tabs next to the plants with the affected leaves. I will also start mixing all of my fertz in water prior to dumping in tank. And I will prune all of the affected leaves. 

Sound like a plan?


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

Damaged leaves with holes and rot "bleeds" nutrients. It can also be an entry for bacteria that could hasten leaf rot. Just think about an open wound. Trim those damaged leaves with a sharp pair of scissors.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Does snapping the leaves off of the stems work as well or do plants do better with a solid cut?
I've noticed that a lot of times te damaged leaves have trails of oxygen bubbles coming off of them


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

pianofish said:


> Does snapping the leaves off of the stems work as well or do plants do better with a solid cut?
> I've noticed that a lot of times te damaged leaves have trails of oxygen bubbles coming off of them


For your crypts, cut the stem as close to the crown as you can. For plants with a rhizome like java fern and anubias, you would cut as close to the rhizome as possible. Of course stem plants such as rotala, ludwigia, etc. can be cut anywhere.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

i thought crypts were more medium to low light plants? it is possible to burn with to much light


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

That shouldn't be the issue. If too much light was a problem then crazydaz would be out of business


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

wicca27 said:


> i thought crypts were more medium to low light plants? it is possible to burn with to much light


Nah. You can grow crypts in higher light no problem. Some species become more compact and bushier with narrower leaves when you give them higher light. The only problems I had with higher light and crypts is an outbreak of algae when I didn't have sufficient CO2.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

FWIW if it was a K defiency then the Hygrophilia corymbosa would be showing signs of it too. The thought that the dry ferts burned the leaves while a possibility, I dose the ferts directly into my tank on water change day and have had the ferts land on the leaves of my crypts and it has never burned them.


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

pianofish said:


> Does snapping the leaves off of the stems work as well or do plants do better with a solid cut?
> I've noticed that a lot of times te damaged leaves have trails of oxygen bubbles coming off of them


A clean cut minimize tissue damage. The gas bubbles could also be CO2.


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## second (Jan 31, 2005)

Any update?


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

did anyone else see in the picture that the anubias on the left has similar holes?

OOPS thats not an anubias


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