# Blyxa Japonica melting away! help!!



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Well I have some Blyxa Japonica in a 20 gal long tank. Lighting is 1x65W 6700K Coralife Aqualight. Substrate 100% eco-complete. 

My Blyxa Japonica looks like its just melting away... Im trying to get my DIY Co2 system to work but Im having trouble with that... Anyone else have problems with their Blyxa Japonica?


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## SnyperP (Dec 10, 2004)

What type of ferts are you using? Having 65w over a 20g without very high and consistent co2/ferts is going to be a huge issue.


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## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Im not using any ferts. All I have is Excel.... I guess this is my first problem?... Sigh.. im slowly starting to give up on the whole planted tank craze..... I feel like going towards the Cichlids side...........


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## star rider (Feb 27, 2006)

jlui83 said:


> Im not using any ferts. All I have is Excel.... I guess this is my first problem?... Sigh.. im slowly starting to give up on the whole planted tank craze..... I feel like going towards the Cichlids side...........


 are cichlids a bad thing??

I have angels. discus , keyholes,rams in planted tanks.
it may be a matter of chosing the plants..
I know for me the CO2, ferts etc are a bit confusing..especially when discus are involved.

it's tough getting it thru my head..ferts in a discus tank when discus for the most part prefer pristine water..

but they like plants too..

I have one tank with 3 wpg I'm still tryig to get the right lights and balance plants with ferts and CO2..

on one hand it's overwhleming on the other it's a challenge. still not right..but I'm getting there


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Jlui, stick with it. You'll figure out how to keep plants alive soon enough. 

Blyxa japonica can go through a melting, transitioning phase as it enters a new aquarium environment. Once it get's transitioned, and established it will shoot out runner stems very quickly. You have the right lighting and are using excel which is good, now you need to look up gregwatson.com and purchase some fertilzers to help Blyxa and your other plants along. On top of that, once you add that DIY CO2 rig, your plants should experience a sudden growth. 

Patience will yield amazing results. You'll figure out what things you need to keep plants growing in no time.

-John N.


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## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Thanks guys.. I'll keep at it for a while until I can get the DIY co2 to work.. Then it should be a bit easier.. I'll read up on the ferts. Thanks!


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## Blacksunshine (Aug 11, 2006)

jlui83 said:


> Im not using any ferts. All I have is Excel.... I guess this is my first problem?... Sigh.. im slowly starting to give up on the whole planted tank craze..... I feel like going towards the Cichlids side...........


yeah they deff need some ferts. I actually have Japonica planted in my Flowerhorn tank. Strangley enough its the one plant he dosen't touch.


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## GreenMachine (Aug 18, 2006)

Mine did the same and bounce back.


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## valice (Nov 16, 2005)

_B. japonica_ are nitrate crazy. Give them enough CO2 and nitrates and you will be complaining that they are overwhelming your tank.


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## ringram (Jan 10, 2005)

I had the same problem and I thought it was because my lighting was too high, but I have almost 2x the lighting you have and its happening to you also. Mine would melt and then grow back *a little* with the new growth being pink-redding, but then it would eventually melt into nothing. Never lasted more than a week or two. I guess just try what the others are telling you with increasing the fert dosing (Nitrates particuarly) and get that Co2 going. If you find that DIY Co2 isn't cutting it, then switch to pressurized. I used DIY yeast Co2 when I first started and it was ok, but pressurized was a night & day difference.


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## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

well I definetly got the Co2 running good now.. YAY!!! Thanks for all the help guys...

Blynx is still looking shabby.. but I'll wait and see.. Since I just got the Co2 going.. Oh and I have Riccia tied down onto 3 separate rocks and they are pearling!! From what I read this is a good thing.....


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## LindaC (Nov 7, 2005)

jlui83, whatever you do, please don't give up yet! I've have been where you are many times but with the help of people on this forum and doing a lot of reading up on fertilizers, CO2, subtrates, etc., I have finally reached a point where my tank is thriving. In fact, I now have two tanks! Oh believe me, I still have my share of problems that comes with this hobby, but the pleasure I get when I sit back and look at my tank, makes it all worth while.

Your on the right track, keep coming back there's a wealth of information on this forum, I learn something new everyday. Also make sure that you read up on Greg Watstons fertilizers, I'm sure that the lack of ferts and CO2 is a big part of why your Blyxa Japonica is melting. Once you get your CO2 up and running and then add some dry ferts, you're going to see an amazing difference in your plants.

Good luck!
Linda


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## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Thanks Linda.. Co2 is good to go now! .. strange.. I think it was the positioning of the airline tube.. b/c last night I moved it around a little bit higher up in the tank..(3/4 towards the bottom instead of ALL the way to the bottom) .. bubbles are coming out every 3 seconds!.. im very excited about this... Perhaps I had to much slack in the airline tubing.. anyways.. I think im going to purchase the ferts from GregWatson... KN03, KH2PO4, and PLantex CSM+B... 

Thanks again


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## ringram (Jan 10, 2005)

When you mention 'airline tube', do you have anything that its attached to, like a diffuser or a small reactor? If it's just bubbling up and out of the tank, its doing very little, if any, good. But, you mentioned that your riccia is pearling, so that is definately good  Once every 3 sec may not be enough, but its best to make small adjustments until you get something that works. Every tank is different. I have my Co2 bubbling about 1-2 PER sec in my 20g, so if you're not getting the growth you expect, or if you start getting a little algae, turn the Co2 up a notch and wait a few days to see results.


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## djlen (Jun 22, 2004)

Blyxa japonica is very sensitive to Seachem's Excel. Almost as sensitive as Vallisneria. If you stop using the Excel, the problem probably goes away.

I apologize if someone else has mentioned this in the thread. If they did I didn't catch it. 

Len


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have a lot of blyxa japonica in my tank, and I dose 2X Excel at times, with no effect on the blyxa. Many of us only dose Excel when something is wrong with our tank, usually an algae problem. So, if something bad happens after dosing Excel that could easily be a coincidence.


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## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

gotcha.. Thanks.. the Co2 is up and running so hopefully the blyxa will jump back to it.. I might setup another 2L bottle b/c the one I have now is only producing 1 bubble per 5-8 seconds.


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## djlen (Jun 22, 2004)

I'm happy to here Hoppy's results, but in the cases were I've used Excel it has had a disastrous affect on my Blyxa. 
I think you will have good results with CO2.
Good luck.

Len


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## anshuman (Feb 11, 2010)

came here through google, did the OP ever got the blyxa back ? i am in exact same boat, i have lights,co2,ferts , ada amazonia 2 soil and some water wisteria, cabomba and dwarf sag, all growing green and healthy, added blyxa and it ruined my tank, algae on glass and melted into gooey stuff.  help.


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