# Problem with Nymphoides hydrophylla 'Taiwan'



## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I have this plant. What is your substrate and what is in your root tabs? Generally, plants will shed leaves when low on nutrients, but that does not appear to be the case here.

I am assuming this is not a single leaf with a bent stem. Are the leaves turning yellow / light green? That happens to mine that are shaded. The margins on mine will start to melt if exposed to air. The only other thing that got my eye is P at 5ppm, which is a bit high, but still should be fine.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

I thought I had responded to this. I'm new to this forum sorry.

Root taps are API and the substrate is a coarse white sand. 

The leaf is still attached to the plant while it slowly goes clear but it remains intact till eventual it gets soft and floats off or I trim it. It's happened to many leaves. The plant still puts leaves out just at a slow rate and they all go transparent from the edges inward.

I've attached a pic of the whole tank. The plant is on the right hand side.

In addition to those plants there is a piece of porthos growing in one of the hob filters


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi @[email protected],

First of all welcome to TPT!

I have grown Nymphoides hygrophylla (aka sp 'Taiwan') for eight years and have seen that occur many times in my tanks. Why? Because here in Seattle I have very, very soft water with practically no mineral content to speak of (dKH<1.0; dGH<2.0). What you are seeing it the effect of a lack of available calcium. Nymphoides hygrophylla is great for me because it is usually one of the first plants to show that 'gelatinous' look to the new leaves and let's me know that I need to add more GH Booster. Pick up some Seachem Equilibrium which contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and a little iron and manganese. Initially add 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Thereafter, when you do a water change add 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of new water added. Those leaves that are already effected will not change but as soon as you start dosing the Seachem Equilibrium you should start seeing any new leaves that emerge looking their normal green.



> I. Symptoms appearing first or most severely on new growth (root and shoot tips, new leaves)
> 
> A. Terminal bud usually dies. Symptoms on new growth.
> 
> ...


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

@Seattle_Aquarist - great iinfo. That would have never occurred to me as the OP's stared kH is 5 and I personally have never bottomed out on calcium. I have learned something new and I thank you for that.


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

I'm in California and it does that in hard water too. My experience with water lilies, when I was a student and had to wade around in a huge pool cleaning them up for 8 hours, is that their older leaves start to dissolve. This is true of Nymphaea cultivars, Victoria amazonica, Euryale ferox and Nymphoides. Even when moved to a tank with Co2 and ferts it grew abundantly (way too abundantly) but the older leaves start to dissolve and fall apart. I eventually got rid of mine even though I had it for over 3 years. It just got to be too much work to keep it tame and I didn't have another low tech tank to put it in.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi @Triport,

I don't disagree that older leaves dissolve in Nymphaea species and Nymphoides species, that usually happens in my tanks when lower leaves become 'shaded out' by new leaves above them. I actually think that the plants are re-absorbing the nutrients in those older leaves and using them for new growth.

However, in @[email protected] case it appears that the newer leaves are becoming clear and misshapen (from the leaf unfolding improperly), that is typically a calcium deficiency when it occurs on the newer leaves.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

Wow every one thanks for the welcome and the info. Looks like a have a great place to start. I'll follow the advice with the gh booster and we will see in a couple weeks.

Thanks again!


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

So here is the update. After weeks of correcting hardness the GH is 260 and KH is 40. The plant is still struggling and the leaves keep going clear. The anubius is loving it though. All the other plants continue to be great. 

I'm open to other suggestions on what the issue may be. 

I have also changed the light to a finnex clip light which is providing much better light and coverage for this tank.


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

gwarrior1 said:


> So here is the update. After weeks of correcting hardness the GH is 260 and KH is 40. The plant is still struggling and the leaves keep going clear. The anubius is loving it though. All the other plants continue to be great.
> 
> I'm open to other suggestions on what the issue may be.
> 
> I have also changed the light to a finnex clip light which is providing much better light and coverage for this tank.


Did you dose Equilibrium to bring that up? And to confirm, even new growth is still doing this? Old growth may not recover, so it's best to watch new growth.

Also, if you can, can you do some close ups of other plants as well as newer leaves? Leaf yellowing and going transparent could be a potassium, but dosing Equilibrium would be providing plenty of that.

I do see a lot of hair algae, so you may be driving the plants too hard without CO2. Not saying this for certain - just something to think about.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

I am using the Barr's recipie GH booster (gypsum, Epsom salt and potassium sulphate) I could switch. The hair algea is nearly gone now. 

Here are some pictures

Thanks!

And yes new growth is still doing it


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi @gwarrior1,

I believe I owe you an apology. If it is the new leaves (as they emerge) that show the clear areas then it is a calcium issue as I said. If it is older, existing leaves that sort of dissolve, turn clear, and the stem separates from the plant that is usually do to shading from above; not a calcium issue.


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## Jack Shaftoe (Apr 29, 2006)

Your light intensity looks low. Tom Barr's speciality is North American lake plants. Specifically the exotic semi-aquatic weeds that have come to grow here in North America. Like Hydrilla. 
Not aquaria, of any kind. He can be useful, but you're the expert on your tank and your experience. 
What is your lighting situation?

The disappearance of hair algae is a sign that you're on the right track. Be more patient and continue with whatever you've been doing. It looks and sounds like you're doing a great job.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

No apologies the tank seems to be happy with the additions. The plant is shaded by the crypt spiralis possibly moving it would help?

The light currently on it is the finnex planted plus clip light resting directly on a glass lid. It is on a timer for 3 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. It is in a well lit room and receives a little sunlight During the day from a window behind it. 

I removed a marineland led strip light when I moved to the finnex as it didn't have a great spectrum.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

Is this amount of light enough or should I run both lights on it?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

It does look a bit shaded by that crypt. Maybe plant a couple in a more lighted area.
Looking at mine, I do get one leaf out of maybe 5 that is curled at the eges, with other leaves beeing just fine. But it grows like weed.


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

This one has been very slow growing


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

gwarrior1 said:


> Is this amount of light enough or should I run both lights on it?


Hi gwarrior,

It looks like the plants are getting sufficient light, I would likely just stick with one light unless problems occur.


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## mindec (May 7, 2018)

Hello,
I got the same plant and i notice what this plant is reacting with saecheam excel. if i dose a little bit more when change water, most of the plant leaves got melting, as well if you dosing excel daily you just killing plant slowly. maybe i'm not the right but i got the same problem now. and i was stopped dossing excel for three weeks plant done very well but bba start thrilling as well .


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## gwarrior1 (Feb 11, 2018)

This tread had been dead for a while but I thought I'd update. I agree with the excel not being compatible with this plant. I had a period of time where I didn't add excel while I was having some pH and algae issues. I didn't even know that plant was still lingering but after a few days it started to rebounded once the issues were sorted out I switched fertilizer to thrive c for low tech plants. I have only added the ferts twice and it's already got a bunch of holes on it. Looks like it's not the plant for this tank set up.... Any other people have the same issue?


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