# Crypt melting



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have had a few crypts in my aquascapes over the years, but never had any problem with them suddenly melting. This week I had some family problems that distracted me for a few days, and as a result, I didn't replace my DIY CO2 solution at the normal weekly interval. About 3 days later I noticed that my Cryptocoryne wendtii had totally melted! And, of course my concentration of CO2 in the water had dropped off significantly. The plants just literally became mush! My tank is low medium lighted, and my normal CO2 concentration is around 10-20 ppm, far from a high tech set-up.

So, what "they" have been telling us over the years about crypt melt is right! A sudden change in water conditions can wipe them out. Hopefully they will soon re-grow.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

wow that is really interesting. at least the roots and such are still alive correct? will come back. You'd think they were a really hardy plant!


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

DutchMuch said:


> wow that is really interesting. at least the roots and such are still alive correct? will come back. You'd think they were a really hardy plant!


I'm assuming the roots are alive, but I don't want to pull them out to check on the roots. Crypts have such long roots that replanting them isn't easy. This was so strange! They seemed to melt in just a day or two, but it might have been a bit longer. And, it was the really beginner crypts - Wendtii - not any of the more difficult ones. They didn't even melt when I bought them from a forum seller, and set them out in my tank.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

I have a crypt.balanse (spelling of that, idk) and when I took it out one day a long time ago, doing a rescape. Its roots came up across my tank! little fluval V but that's still about a foot 1/2 long!


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Hang in there Hoppy! Continue maintaining your tank, perhaps doing an extra large water change for all the dissolved nutrients from the melt. If you leave everything in the substrate, they will definitely come back. I've had it happen twice on me when the tank's 'routine' was upset. C. wendtii is particularly bad for melting. Out of 3 Crypts, it's always been the only one I've ever had melting.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Bert H said:


> Hang in there Hoppy! Continue maintaining your tank, perhaps doing an extra large water change for all the dissolved nutrients from the melt. If you leave everything in the substrate, *they will definitely come back*. I've had it happen twice on me when the tank's 'routine' was upset. C. wendtii is particularly bad for melting. Out of 3 Crypts, it's always been the only one I've ever had melting.


Thank you! I really like that part in red!!


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

What Bert said. Mine have always come back.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

thought I'd ask the people here, since they have this plant I figured: 
Anyone have any crypt wendtii bronze they could sell? or green? or both 
do pm plz


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

DutchMuch said:


> thought I'd ask the people here, since they have this plant I figured:
> Anyone have any crypt wendtii bronze they could sell? or green? or both
> do pm plz


I think you can post a request in the for sale forum.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

hoppycalif said:


> I think you can post a request in the for sale forum.


Ah ok thank you hoppy, im fairly new to this forum as you can tell so I didn't know if I could post a wtb kind of thing in the sale section. I read the rules didn't look as if it said anything of the likes. 
Thank you
Nate


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## jhenager1 (Feb 9, 2018)

New to a real planted tank (20 and 29 in sand) and I just got some wendii about two weeks ago. These are really hardy. I had a few leaves melt, as the seller said, but some of the green leaves look like they are going to stay. They have become more vibrant green, as opposed to the newer, bronze/reddish growth. Some of the green leaves have become wavy. I got two planted pots with many many offshoots, and I don't think I lost one. I have one tiny transplant with a single leaf as big as a dime and it is standing up as tall as it can. Love this plant so far.


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## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

After almost a year some are wondering if hoppies crypts cam back or not.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Welcome to APC! I like crypts, but they tend to dislike my hospitality. Right now I made a minor mistake of increasing my light intensity, and I have Sagittarius. So, the Sags have now pretty well taken every square mm of space on the substrate, and the crypts are just barely visible. Yesterday I pulled out a lot of the Sags, but you would never guess that by looking at the tank. That is one plant that is really just for low light tanks.


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