Complete and total melt after water change

[Elia]

So I recently came back from vacation which meant my tanks hadn't had a water change in about 2 weeks (my roommate fed fertilized and CO²ed them while I was gone). I have a planted 20g with a 7 types of plants in it. The plants have been in there for almost 4 months now. Since I did that water change when I returned, my Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus has basically 100% melted! I had to do a small water change since just because the leaves were everywhere. No other plant or animal had any other effects. I've changed nothing with how I care for the tank other than that interruption of regular water changes. What happened? Should I be worried the plant will totally die?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hi @Elia, I wonder- did you do anything different than what you usually do for a water change? Did you do a bigger water change than usual? You know how sometimes you put a new healthy looking plant into a tank and it melts back and then once it gets used to its new environment it (hopefully) comes back? It could be something like this. Assuming your friend didn't do anything weird to make your plant(s) go sideways. I would do things as you would normally do them and adjust only if you have to. The stem looks healthy so I'd give it a chance without overdoing it. 

Edited November 12, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’d check the water out of the tap use a test kit or strip. Municipalities this time of the year will put things in the water to get the pipes ready for winter and it’ll cause things like this. I’ve had a sudden fish die off due to this when I lived in Baltimore. The PSO should hopefully grow back. The other thing is that you’ve got loads of younger PSO growing there and the old emersed growth may have just melted. The 4 month time frame you gave may explain that.