Why do my precious crypts melt?

[scottracy]

WHY???

If you could only list one primary reason, what would it be (poor water quality, poor ferts, change in fert routine, high light, low light, shading, temp change(s), planting, relocation, making faces at the plant etc.)?

Just curious what the experts thought!

Scott

[Kasakato]

Normally its re location that will get it.

[Quartermain]

I try not to insult them. Looking at them the wrong way can sometimes cause them to melt, it seems to me. :thud:

In all seriousness, I concure with the relocation theory. I always get significant die off with crypts when I replant them in a new tank. Once established they are healthy growers that require zero maintenance.

[djlen]

I have found that change in routine, or basically sometimes even any small change can trigger a melt. Even a water change can do it.
Thankfully, I have yet to have a case where they didn't come back stronger than ever.
On the other hand, I have pulled them out, heavily root-pruned them and replanted with no melt at all.
I find them to be temperamental and ornery, but they are without question my favorite aquarium plant.
Good luck trying to figure them out!!!:)

Len

[RTR]

Pretty much the same response as Len. I am no pro Crypt farmer, but I rarely have Crypt melt from transferring between my tanks. But the planted tanks all have very similar water handling and light. I do sometimes have melt with newly acquired Crypts, but I mostly ignore it and they do come back quite well. Both those new plants and the relocated Crypts between my own tanks do not always maintain their growth form or color when divided int another tank, but the transition in growth is gradual, without melt, most of the time. But I have had a tank melt after a routine partial without other (known) disturbance.

[Blinky]

I've found that mine melted when moved from lower light to higher. Every single plant I moved from my 14g (medium light, no CO2) into the 65g (high light, high CO2) melted at least partially, but six weeks later they're back and doing quite well.
I don't think melting is necessarily a bad sign - I've read about it before and apparantly huge stands in the wild sometimes melt when conditions change (between seasons for instance).
I don't think anyone is quite sure exactly what triggers it, but if conditions are favourable they'll usually come back even from near total disintigration :)

[daveedka]

I think it is just their personality, I have two global warming tanks with high co2, and one the crypts are awesome in the other they constantly melt. in my oscar tank which is lower light but still considered high light. they grow like gangbusters and nothing seems to make them melt. I have tried multiple combinations of things and can't seem to pinpoint what makes them melt or not melt. I just know they never seem to die out completely, they just dissapear and come back later.
Dave

[beviking]

Mine seem to melt in "cycles". They grow, the leaves get to 10" or so, then slowly melt away. New growth has usually started before all the larger leaves are gone and I'm left with shorter plants...but then...they grow, the leaves get to 10" or so....
I'm trying different crypts to see if it's a species specific thing...?