BettasAreSuperior Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 (edited) Hi all, I recently bought some new buce to put on my driftwood and for about a few weeks it was doing good BUT then it started melting A BUNCH for no reason. I heard that newly introduced buce melts. Is that true? Is this normal? When will they recover? Thank you in advance. If you need more info about the tank, parameters, etc, let me know. Edited January 2, 2022 by BettasAreSuperior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koi Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 I've had times when moved I moved buce and it didn't melt and I've had times where it all melted but one leaf. I even had a time where it was growing and losing leaves at the same time so assuming that you are providing good fertilization (consistently too), you should be good. My buce was getting gigantic holes in each leaf one by one for a little longer than a month. It probably was in very different water so the leaves it has now isn't suitable for your water/lighting. Keep an eye out for new growth and when you see that, you're golden. When I see new growth thats when I go and trim off all the ugly leaves to help push it along faster. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettasAreSuperior Posted February 3, 2021 Author Share Posted February 3, 2021 12 hours ago, Koi said: I've had times when moved I moved buce and it didn't melt and I've had times where it all melted but one leaf. I even had a time where it was growing and losing leaves at the same time so assuming that you are providing good fertilization (consistently too), you should be good. My buce was getting gigantic holes in each leaf one by one for a little longer than a month. It probably was in very different water so the leaves it has now isn't suitable for your water/lighting. Keep an eye out for new growth and when you see that, you're golden. When I see new growth thats when I go and trim off all the ugly leaves to help push it along faster. Thanks a bunch @Koi! Yes, I am provding good fertilization. They just turned clear and soggy. I propagated the leaves and they look really bare. Once again, thanks for the reassurance. Hopefully the new leaves will grow back soon. I just panicked since buce is slow-growing and "wasn't supposed to melt." 👍🤞 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcornTheBetta Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 I would think that this melt is pretty natural since the seller has different parameters than you... Just like the dwarf sag you have, I would give it some time an it will rebound. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle_Aquarist Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 On 2/2/2021 at 4:10 PM, BettasAreSuperior said: Heyo guys! So, I recently bought some new buce to put on my driftwood and for about a few weeks it was doing good BUT then it started melting A BUNCH for no reason. Irene, on her channel girl talks fish said newly introduced buce melts. Is that true? Is this normal? Thanks in adavnce! BTW, if you need more info about the tank, parameters, etc, Let me know! Hi @BettasAreSuperior Most Bucephalandra offered for sale are imported from Asia and are grown emersed (out of water) at plant nurseries or worse collected in the wild devastating the local environments. Because they are grown emersed the leaves of the plants develop a thick cuticle layer to reduce the amount of water lost by the plant through transpiration (water loss through leaves). Unfortunately the thick cuticle layer prevents the leaves of the plants from 'breathing' underwater. So the plant will 'melt' the leaves, re-absorbing what nutrients it can in the process, and then grow new leaves adapted to living underwater without the thick cuticle layer. Hope that helps! -Roy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettasAreSuperior Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 On 2/6/2021 at 7:41 PM, AcornTheBetta said: I would think that this melt is pretty natural since the seller has different parameters than you... Just like the dwarf sag you have, I would give it some time an it will rebound. Yeah, I agree. They are a slow-growing plant so I got concerned but I think they're bouncing back, I am seeing a few, new small leaves on the buce! On 2/7/2021 at 11:21 AM, Seattle_Aquarist said: Hi @BettasAreSuperior Most Bucephalandra offered for sale are imported from Asia and are grown emersed (out of water) at plant nurseries or worse collected in the wild devastating the local environments. Because they are grown emersed the leaves of the plants develop a thick cuticle layer to reduce the amount of water lost by the plant through transpiration (water loss through leaves). Unfortunately the thick cuticle layer prevents the leaves of the plants from 'breathing' underwater. So the plant will 'melt' the leaves, re-absorbing what nutrients it can in the process, and then grow new leaves adapted to living underwater without the thick cuticle layer. Hope that helps! -Roy Hey @Seattle_Aquarist Informative! That did help, thank you! Got a mini lesson on plants melting, I am glad I got the science part of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now