# Val. Sp. problems..melting



## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

Have had the natural aquarium for 3 months. Started with 3 vals and a 4th grew from a runner.
They used to grow new leaves all the time and the leaves weren't too long.
Now the leaves are super long, such a that they will curl on themselves. I've arranged them to go across the top of the aquarium.

So far so good, but now it looks like they are melting.

The runner melted at the stem. The leaf is still there but no root.

The other ones seem to be melting and of course the snails are taking care of that.
I don't know what the problem is.
Thinking maybe the vals. don't like being in the tank with the anacharis. There was an arial root did dig near one of the plants.

I don't think there is any saving these vals.

No I haven't check the ammonium or nitrite levels recently.
Fish and snails and duckweed seem fine.
I need a new KH and GH test and wondering if the vals are lacking Ca.

Thanks


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## rohape (Feb 7, 2005)

The only issue I ever had was when we had a power outage and the tank got cold, down in the high 60's. I lost about 80% of my spiral vals from "melting".
Don't know if this may be an issue. Just throwing in my experience.


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## dukydaf (Aug 31, 2004)

It might be Ca deficiency however you should consider some of the following: high water temperature,too much light/sun.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

Thanks.
I am using a 5100k 10w light. I moved some duckweed away and Anacharis for more light. It maybe the light, but I think it maybe the temperature.

In winter the water was running around 76oF, now it is 80-83oF.
Is that temperature enough to cause problems?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Have you ever dosed Seachem Excel?


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

Nope, I don't dose. Just soil, gravel, fish, plants and a light


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

I did a 2% bleach dip for 3 minutes to the same affect- I experimentally cut the leaves on the half that looked the worst and left the other half alone. Will the leaves grow back from the base or can intact leaves rejuvenate? They seem more sensitive than I originally thought.


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## david f (Mar 24, 2006)

newbie314

I have noticed my vallisneria old leaves looking a bit unhealthy and patches of unwell plants,with most growth still sending runners and looking healthy.I think vallisneria spiralis doesen't like to be buried to deep into the gravel also with organic build-up around it's bulb area.

'cheers' David.F


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## Valley (Feb 28, 2007)

I have learned that in my tank if anything touches the leaves of my vallis they melt. I lost probably 5 of them before I figured it out. Try pulling them up until you can see the tops of the roots and no gravel is touching any part of any leaf. I've had much better luck since starting this and have gone from 2 vallis to giving them away because they're growing too well. HTH Good luck. Keep us posted?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

newbie314 said:


> Have had the natural aquarium for 3 months. Started with 3 vals and a 4th grew from a runner.
> They used to grow new leaves all the time and the leaves weren't too long.
> Now the leaves are super long, such a that they will curl on themselves. I've arranged them to go across the top of the aquarium.
> 
> ...


Vals like lots of light and hardwater. I have both, but I've had trouble keeping these plants in my tanks past about 3 months. They grow like gangbusters at first and then dwindle away. It may be inhibition (allelopathy) from other plants.

I don't think that you should put your hopes on one or two plant species. You have to find the plants that accept your aquarium's conditions. That's why I recommend starting out with as many plant species as possible. Find and focus on the ones that do well. Crypts, Java Fern, Anubias, and Amazons are great "stayers".

Every aquarium ecosystem is different, and it will change over time. If you have good general plant growth and healthy fish, then I would count yourself lucky.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

Thank-you for replying to my message. 
I feel honoured.

I was reading your book again, and the same thought occurred to me too about the allelopathy.
I am even more suspicious, since I had an aerial runner from the Anacharis travel and enter the gravel right beside one of my vals. No more than 1/2" away. I feel this maybe the main culprit and that there is something going on at the root level. I did cut away the root from the main plant but it is just sitting there.

Seems funny that during my maximum growth in length the plants start to die and with no new shoots.

I did start with a few more plants, based on your book and then cross referencing difficult level on the internet.
I have duckweed (of course), java fern, java moss and Anacharis on top of the vals.
Everything else is doing well.

The Betta loves the tank so much he made a nest-like area in the java moss, so he can float in there and hide away from our world.

Thanks again.

Question though kind of off topic, how much plant debris should one leave in the tank or take out. I assume leaving it in is good for mulm and reintroduction of nutrients?


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

Funny you mention the touching theory, Valley- I find that might seem to resist being fully planted and like popping back out a bit. Maybe I should just go with the flow on that.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

I tool an anacharis root out last week (was from trimmed plant a while back). That root was at least 4" long. Little bit of SO2 coming out the soil. This was right next to the vals.

Now it looks like some of the vals maybe coming back to life.

Another thing I did a while back was to uncurl the vals so the leaves go across the tank.
No more, letting sleeping dogs lie. 
Let the tank work it's self out.


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