Salt& Heat Ich treatment killing plants

[Danny-O]

I've had my 33g tank under ich treatment for about four days so far.
2 tsp/gallon, 86 degrees, following the protocol given in the article on this site.

It appears my Aponogetons (which is all I have at the moment) are turning brown and disintegrating.

Is this typical? The article says the treatments usually don't bother the plants. Are Aponogetons sensitive? Or have I done something wrong?

[IceH2O]

Some plants I believe are just more sensitive.

I'm into the 2nd week of treatment in my 55 gallon and the Broadleaf Ludwegas are losing their lower leaves. I constantly am pulling floating leaves from the tank, but the java fern and swords are still looking good. This tank has a fantail goldfish and is sitting at 78-80 with 2 tsp/gallon.

I just started treatment in my 75 which has a lot more plants. Temp is 85-86 and salt is 2 tsp/gallon. I haven't noticed any plant die off yet but its only been 2 days.

[Roan Art]

Don't confuse the salt treatment with normal aponogeton behavior ;)

Most of them go dormant for a month or so and they will melt their leaves beforehand. They *will* come back and sometimes you can fool them by uprooting and moving the bulb.

It is entirely possible that the salt is causing them to go dormant early, I don't know, but what you are describing is "normal" for most.

When you are done your treatment, you can either wait them out or try moving one or two of them and see if they start sprouting again.

PLEASE let me know if they actually die? I wonder sometimes if it's this aponogeton thing that makes people think that salt kills the plants, but no one has ever actually pointed out these particular plants or posted if they came back again.

Roan

[Danny-O]

I am aware of aponogeton's dormancy thing; whether I am forcing dormancy or killing the things remain to be seen! I'll see what happens and report back.

[Roan Art]

I am aware of aponogeton's dormancy thing; whether I am forcing dormancy or killing the things remain to be seen! I'll see what happens and report back.
That would be great! I'd like to know, too. I've got a few apons and one of them is in a QT tank that has been salted. It hasn't lost its leaves so it might be the specie, too. Or maybe cause it was freshly planted before I salted? Dunno.

Roan

[Star_Rider]

salt will affect any living organism. it is one of the basics that help establish osmosis.
at the cellular level keep in mind the cell is trying to establish equilibrium(homeostasis) basically the water will pass from the plant in an attempt to balance the higher concentration of salt outside the cell wall. the cells then become smaller as water moves from the plant cell.

geberqally speaking plants tend to have thick cell walls..and they can take pretty extreme conditions this wil vary from specis to species.

whether it kills the plant could depend on several factor to include the length of time the plant is exposed.

I edo suspect this change could affect the timing of plants going into dormancy.

[Danny-O]

Just checking back in with the results...I had the tank under salt & heat Tx for about three weeks. Most of the leaves on the Aponogeton did die back, but since Tx finished about a month ago, the Apo leaves have begun to regrow. So, while it set them back, it didn't kill them.

[Roan Art]

Thanks, Danny-O

I was hoping that would be what happened :)

Roan

[patoloco]

I have little knowledge in plants, but hard water species, like giant vallisneria, can tolerate salt in a some quantities.

I am keeping a brackish tanks with GSP, salinity 1.006, and the vallis is doing fine. Of course, not as good as the FW setup with fertilizer and stuff, but they look fine.