View Full Version : what causes transplant shock?
TomFromStLouis
05-14-2003, 5:32 PM
Along with notable sucesses, I have moved some relatively 'easy' plants into my 3 wpg CO2 injected tank and failed. They seemed to wither and die without ever getting over the mail order shipment. But it took long enough that maybe I did something wrong.
Vallisneria and H. Micranthemoides 'baby tears' are examples of losses. (Half the vals seem to be sprouting afresh). My ferts are fine. Cabomba and Riccia and lysimachia are all going great guns. Maybe it is temperature - mine goes from 25* to as much as 27.5*C.
So what is it that shocks the plants? pH change? the shipment? Drastic lighting change? any theories on improving my success rate?
OrionGirl
05-14-2003, 5:37 PM
I'd say a combination of all things. I've ordered several plants online, and found that the bunch plants seem to fair poorly. Not sure why, but the same plant purchased locally will thrive, while one bought online crumples in days. I am interested to see if anyone has any theories--I've tried avariety of methods as well. The closest to succes is when I float the plant in the old change water for a week, then pot it in the open topped tank for a week, then transplant it into the main tank.
OG - I like your floatation technique and use it for a variety of plants. Crypts in particular I used to have poor results from transplant shock, whatever it is. Not my own transplants, but from the LFS or mail to my tanks. They might well come back after crypt melt, but to was s_l_o_w. If I treated them as you do the stem plants (getting rid of the pots and mineral wool first, if present) they they (or I) did much better - now it my standard handling . If they are small they may float for weeks in QT, then finally transplant to long-term homes. Much lower incidence of melt or shock or what ever. Crinum and Val seem to dislike the technique for me.
I don't do stem plants as a rule, so cannot address their problems, but in general, "transplant shock" in aquatics should be expected to be the same as for garden plants - different substrate, different water, different light, different nutrients, root disturbance - all the things to which plants will adapt, but generally only after a period of adjustment.
anonapersona
05-14-2003, 6:21 PM
I find that my vals are very easily damaged, even after many months in the tank. Accidentialy suctioning a leaf into the siphon makes it slowly whither and yellow, often even "weeping" bubbles from the damaged areas.
When I received the corkscrew vals from an online order the minor damage from wrappping in the damp newsprint and being sealed in a bag then a box was enough to make them mushy after a few days in my tank. Even though I cut most of them down to nubs, about 1", they came back.
When buying garden plants, I remind myself that I'm really buying roots not leaves. don't be concerned about minor leaf damage, but do take care of those roots!
Starry
05-16-2003, 5:24 PM
Originally posted by RTR
I don't do stem plants as a rule
How come? Just curious.
watergardens
05-16-2003, 7:57 PM
Originally posted by OrionGirl
I've ordered several plants online, and found that the bunch plants seem to fair poorly. Not sure why, but the same plant purchased locally will thrive, while one bought online crumples in days.
I've had the opposite problem (although I've only ordered plants online once). About half the plants I've bought at lfs's went bad, but the plants I got online recently are doing fine.
Anybody know what causes stem plants to rot and break off just above the gravel? That's the main problem I have with them.
Starry - I have over a dozen planted tanks, I can't be bothered pruning stem plants and restarting cuttings routinely. I go with rosette pants or rhizomatous plants almost entirely. My only use of stem plants in recent years has been in veggie filters, and I've just about given them up there also. Emerse plants work better for me there, or even Java Moss.
Watergardens, many people just pull their stem plants out of the substrate roots and all, cut off the roots and replant. Mine seem to do much better off when I replant like that. Every now and then I'll leave the roots in the gravel and plant the tops nearby, but the rooted parts never seem to grow right after that. I think that's what RTR is referring to above, in his thread.
Len