# Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.



## kiddjam

*1. Raise awareness, and the reason of this post.*
*I have been searching forever for the solution and cause of disease of Anubias, and I come to no avail.*

*Before you start reading...
YES WE KNOW THE RHIZOME SHOULD NOT BURIED.
YES WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE OF SUBMERGED/EMERGED/SUBMERSED/EMERSED TRANSFORMATION OF THE PLANT.*

If you have collections of expensive plants, like I do:
*Anubias species collection: Nana "Petite", Nana "Stardust".*
*Bucephalandra species collection(they are relative to Anubias): mostly Catherineae and Motleyana. Too many of them, long list to type, they are look freaking great!*
You probably don't want to see them melting or dying, or if you think you haven't encounter it yet, you better be prepared because it strikes your back like the killer from SCREAM movies series.

Now that I think the internet isn't providing enough information on the true facts regarding the disease of Anubias species, so I have to do it myself. I believe APC is the most recognized forum if pertain to aquatic plants issues, am I right? at least Google show me APC when I do the keyword search most of them are APC stuffs.

I hope to write down causes and cure methods, for all the Anubias lovers, and let all desperate owners of diseased Anubias, have a place to set their foot in and discuss, because in the end, every one will have to face the disease on their own either now or in the future, alone in the dark, without a single clue to the problem, it is something _*YOU*_, the owner have to been through it to understand it, the lost of plant and money and time you invested in it, not a good feeling.

*There is a interesting Anubias owner states that:"....Maybe my tank has Anubias HIV or something, they droppin like flies...."*
Reference: 




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*2. Anubias Disease, Sickness, Dying signs and healthiness issues.*

Disease Early Signs: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.

I came up with some methods to detect the early sign of this cancer-like disease:
1> by visual inspections:
1A> relatively bigger white spot on stem base
1B> blowing-up-water-filled like stem and rhizome, specially stems
1C> brownish root tip, root spot, or soften new root
1D> brownish color on stem, even when the leaf is clean and looks ok or feel sturdy
1E> the back of the leaf, spotty/dotted leaf back/dorsal, losing lines
1F> transparent root
1G> no new bud or leaf growth in 10 days

2> by handling the plant:
2A> try to break the suspected rhizome, if it feels like non-fresh vegetable you bought from last week, your Anubias will soon to have problems
2B> pull the suspected leaf, if it's a non-firm leaf, it will not get back to its original position, and easy to pull away, this is a sign too
2C> touch/rub the rhizome with your fingers, if you feel it is sticky and can scrub off some green, clear or brownish crud, it is no good

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*3. Rescuing actions/methods, causes and pathology.*

We still don't have anything that actually can bring the plant back to health 100%, and which would work easily.

I will post all the information from internet: summary, excerpt and links for all of you who cares.
And the information found from all over the world.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Anubias emersed setup for nursing back to health_
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...nubias-emersed-setup-nursing-back-health.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Anubias disease_
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...gy-emersed-culture/80406-anubias-disease.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Are my anubias dying?_
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...lants-discussions/77685-my-anubias-dying.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_anubias melting?_
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/145456-anubias-melting.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Anubias roots melting away???_
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/129863-anubias-roots-melting-away.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Anubias is melting....really?..i thought they were un-killable_
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/118276-anubias-melting-really-i-thought-they.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_What is going on with my Anubias, they are melting I think_
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/71194-what-going-my-anubias-they-melting.html
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Anubias Nana Melting?_
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=60132
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_Melting anubias plants_
http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=22237
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
_melting anubias roundleaf_
http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/community/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=275756
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

stay tuned, more to come......


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## Tex Gal

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Nice compilation of info. Thanks a lot!


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## bamboosharkbark

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Since you linked my thread I wanted to add that growing emersed is probably not the best way to treat rhizome rot. The fungi like R. Solani will most likely be able to infect anubias more easily above water because the plant would have functioning stomates, wheras submersed the stomates are functionless so its more difficult for the fungus to enter the plant tissue.(B.G. Joyner and T.E. Freeman, Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia Solani to Aquatic Plants, 684)

See my later posts in my thread and this one where I talk about using KHCO3 as a treatment for R. Solani, a fungi which may be the cause of rhizome rot on anubias and other rot on aquatic plants.

The discussion has until now been based to a large extent on the findings in this research paper [Erper, Turkkan, Karaca and Kılıcpp, AJB (2011) Vol. 10(43), p.8605-8612] and I proposed that using potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) to treat rhizome rot could work well for anubias since they can tolerate high pH levels and the fungi cannot; judging from the findings of the research paper by [Erper, Turkkan, Karaca and Kılıcpp, AJB (2011) Vol. 10 (46) p. 8608].

I now want to do an experiment on anubias and four other plants; water sprite, ludwigia, taiwan moss, vallisneria to see how they tolerate different concentrations of KHCO3. The main point is however that I want to see if it will cure the rhizome rot of my anubias.To my knowledge I haven't seem anyone else propose to use KHCO3 as treatment for rhizome rot.


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## barclaya

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

cool info.


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## DeChaoOrdo

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Good info.

The suggestion of (M)HCO3 seems very plausible to me, especially if this is truly fungal. I myself use baking soda to treat fungal diseases on many of my terrestrial plants(most notably plumeria), though using KHCO3 seems like it would be preferable in tanks. I would like to try purposely infecting a few samples if I could get my hands on some infected material and try several different treatment methods rolling around in my head(methylene blue, metal bicarbonates, bleach dips, excel, willow extract...), especially since I seem to have nothing better to do until April or so and need a good project to save my liver and the patience of internet denizens.


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

I can't edit my own thread, why?

anyway,

FOUND a page:
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant, Anubias.htm

quote:
"Some anubias fans insist the rhizomes rot when buried in the gravel. We just find it slows their growth -- a lot."

also quote this:
"anubias will grow an extensive root system into your gravel. "

I need to understand how anubias grow, how much energy it gain from the root, and how much from the leaf, if the root gain more, then I will try to transfer them back the emersed form, let them grow stronger first.


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Plus:

Some one actually growing their Anubias very very very quickly.... no condition parameter shown though.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/130348-anubias-nana-growing-too-quickly.html


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

http://anubias-engl.blogspot.com/2011/04/anubias-plants-rotting-facts-rumours.html

This article is very important to this problem!!!!!!!


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## sleepy.nadia

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Thank you for posting so much information! Unfortunately, I have been having this problem myself. It really started happening a lot after I got a new batch of anubias nana after Christmas. These were the causes I considered:

1) At first I thought the new nanas got unnoticeably dried out during shipping and then slowly withered away (this has happened to me once when I left a coffeefolia out too long so I know it's possible) but a lot more started dying so....

2) then I thought maybe it was the elusive rhizome rot, which I have read about. If so, this nana was a waste of money considering they all died and took my anubias gold, petite, barteri, and half my other nana with them. I am quite worried about my other rarer anubias, which I had been growing emersed until recently, so had not been affected yet. Before I put them in I checked all rhizomes that were left and cut off rotting areas from some, but mostly just kept the large healthy rhizomes. I found signs of softness on my anubias gabon, and cut off those areas of rhizome completely (I hope).

3) I have been keeping these nana floating in the tank because I liked how it looked (and because the seller I got them from cut off all of the roots so I was waiting for them to regrow). Could this just be REALLY unhealthy for the plants? Only the floating ones have really just completely melted so far. I doubt it, but it is possible. I spent all day today trying to plant them to eliminate this as a risk.

4) Today I found a baby pleco eating a rhizome though, and when I looked at it, it had gotten mushy through the middle and was obviously raw where the pleco had been. I wondered, is it possible my plecos were causing the problem, or were they just chewing on the already dying plant material? They do sometimes start scraping at dead leaf matter if I have some in my tank.

Out of these four, I think the most likely cause IS an infection of some sort, but it is happening REALLY fast. An important question is: Is it best to completely remove all rhizomes that have had any problem to hopefully prevent any spread to other plants, or is cutting the dead parts off (like I have been doing) alright? It would be good to know before all of my other plants die


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## B76

Thanks


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

another thread I dug up in APC...
They are sound like typical Anubias rotting.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/general-aquarium-plants-discussions/61825-anubias.html


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*



sleepy.nadia said:


> Thank you for posting so much information! Unfortunately, I have been having this problem myself. It really started happening a lot after I got a new batch of anubias nana after Christmas. These were the causes I considered:
> 
> 1) At first I thought the new nanas got unnoticeably dried out during shipping and then slowly withered away (this has happened to me once when I left a coffeefolia out too long so I know it's possible) but a lot more started dying so....
> 
> 2) then I thought maybe it was the elusive rhizome rot, which I have read about. If so, this nana was a waste of money considering they all died and took my anubias gold, petite, barteri, and half my other nana with them. I am quite worried about my other rarer anubias, which I had been growing emersed until recently, so had not been affected yet. Before I put them in I checked all rhizomes that were left and cut off rotting areas from some, but mostly just kept the large healthy rhizomes. I found signs of softness on my anubias gabon, and cut off those areas of rhizome completely (I hope).
> 
> 3) I have been keeping these nana floating in the tank because I liked how it looked (and because the seller I got them from cut off all of the roots so I was waiting for them to regrow). Could this just be REALLY unhealthy for the plants? Only the floating ones have really just completely melted so far. I doubt it, but it is possible. I spent all day today trying to plant them to eliminate this as a risk.
> 
> 4) Today I found a baby pleco eating a rhizome though, and when I looked at it, it had gotten mushy through the middle and was obviously raw where the pleco had been. I wondered, is it possible my plecos were causing the problem, or were they just chewing on the already dying plant material? They do sometimes start scraping at dead leaf matter if I have some in my tank.
> 
> Out of these four, I think the most likely cause IS an infection of some sort, but it is happening REALLY fast. An important question is: Is it best to completely remove all rhizomes that have had any problem to hopefully prevent any spread to other plants, or is cutting the dead parts off (like I have been doing) alright? It would be good to know before all of my other plants die


I have not have luck with cutting the rhizome which will not make the plant better or worse, IME, I think cutting is some how works if we cut it at very early stage, otherwise it is no use, since we do not have X-Ray eye to see thru the root and rhizome,therefore, the cutting should do in a very early time, but most cases, I think I never got it right, specially on smaller Anubias, the nana petite, they seem never recover.....


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

*Anubias melt !*
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9563

The guy buy from Tropica, his anubias melt, for no reason.
DAMN!


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## kiddjam

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Bucephalandra leaf melt could infect nearby buce as well, be aware of it!


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## LOISAR

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*



kiddjam said:


> Bucephalandra leaf melt could infect nearby buce as well, be aware of it!


Hi kiddjam, awesome work! i'm from Spain and i'm having the same problem, 5 anubia nana melted so far... in 2 different tanks... I'm very worried with my bucephalandra collection, they can be affected by this cancer??


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## LOISAR

*Re: Anubias SP. Disease Problems: Root Rot, Melting Leaf, Soft Rhizome & Loosen Stem.*

Look at this:

"First Report of Bacterial Soft Rot on Anubias barteri var. nana Caused by ****eya dadantii in China"
"****eya didantii is a gram-negative bacillus that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae...In the natural plant environment, D. dadantii causes plant maladies such as necrosis, blight and "soft rot," "

http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PDIS-03-15-0291-PDN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/****eya_dadantii


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## Kaneda dry

Hello,
My anubias have also contracted this disease and my researches also lead me on the d.i.c.k.eya dadantii. (Maybe it’s not)
That could explain how it seemingly comes out of nowhere. (Might come from a potato you touch for example)
Anyway I join the forum so I can share a paper I found on a phage that is able to kill the disease :


https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/phage.2020.0039


If someone has the ressources to explore this, I think the best would be to be sure anubias are indeed infected di.ckeya first by contacting scientists that are able to identify the bacteria.
Then contact the institute working on the phage method mentionned.
Last step would be to wait for a commercialization of the product (demand seems already high for potato farms around the world).
I hope we will see a cure for this disease in coming years,
Or maybe I’m totally wrong
😔


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