Help! My Crypt is in bad shape...

[Chris2022]

Hi All, 

My Crypt looks like it is dying.... the water parameters are good and well within range. I use root tabs every 30 days, easy green twice a week, and easy iron once a week.  There are two crypts in the tank.... one is doing well, the other is not. The tank (20gal) is 97 days old, has little cherry and blue shrimps (10), otos (2) and endlers livebearers (3). What can I do to save my crypt?

Tank 30 days ago ( no floating plants)

Tank 2 days ago, crypt dying? Other crypt looks good. 

Close up of dying crypt

close up of other crypt

 

[FrozenFins]

Your crypt could be going through the ever so common crypt melt. Completley normal. Just have patience and it will grow back. 

[Chris2022]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:19 AM, FrozenFins said:

Your crypt could be going through the ever so common crypt melt. Completley normal. Just have patience and it will grow back. 

This is the first cryp I bought when I first got the tank. I hella panicked when I saw it melting back... Should I just trim the leaves and wait for it to come back? Any idea why one crypt would melt, and the other would not? Thanks mate. 

[dangerflower]

I just had two crypts in one of my tanks do this to me after growing well for months. I was doing some maintenance and realized that the plants had turned into a pile of sludge 😱 I knew it was common for them to melt shortly after planting but I guess it can happen at any time if something changes in the tank that they don't like. I'm guessing for mine that I wasn't feeding them enough, or that they weren't getting enough light because I had let my floating plants get a little out of control. Do you use root tabs at all? I know crypts are heavy root feeders.

I panicked and pulled mine out of the tank because they looked so gross, but the roots were healthy so I probably could have saved them. Maybe try cutting back the unhealthy growth and adding some root tabs?

[Chris2022]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:28 AM, dangerflower said:

I just had two crypts in one of my tanks do this to me after growing well for months. I was doing some maintenance and realized that the plants had turned into a pile of sludge 😱 I knew it was common for them to melt shortly after planting but I guess it can happen at any time if something changes in the tank that they don't like. I'm guessing for mine that I wasn't feeding them enough, or that they weren't getting enough light because I had let my floating plants get a little out of control. Do you use root tabs at all? I know crypts are heavy root feeders.

I panicked and pulled mine out of the tank because they looked so gross, but the roots were healthy so I probably could have saved them. Maybe try cutting back the unhealthy growth and adding some root tabs?

Thanks for the info. I feed the tank root tabs every month. I did add more plants 30 days ago, maybe I need to add more root tabs ? I planted 2 amazon swords in the back and added some floating plants. 

 

[Kurt Brutting]

They can melt when the water changes temp like from cold water changes.