Crypt roots growing up out of gravel

Blinky

Blinky

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Jun 22, 2004
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Hi all :)
The plants in my 10g have started to put on some nice growth (the tank was just set up a few weeks ago), but I noticed this morning that the Crypts' roots are growing straight up out of the gravel.
I'm wondering if they're seeking more nutrients or if it's something else.
The substrate is regular fine-grade gravel with a layer of peat beneath. I have a few root tablets that I can cut into pieces and insert into the gravel - I wasn't sure that with the peat and fish waste in the gravel as well as water column fertilizer that they'd need it.
Any thoughts?
 
Sounds like, with your substrate, that they are probably seeking something. Probably Fe.
How many mls. of trace are you dosing and are you dosing daily?
Everyone knows my position on root tabs. I hate those things. If you feel the need to use them, don't move anything in their area for 3 months.
This is a great argument for flourite.

Len
 
I have heard that in tanks where the crypts get close together because of reproduceing the roots start to show above the surface of the gravel because of overcrowding.

but since this is a new planting I doubt that is the case so soon.

how deep is your gravel bed? the less distance the roots have to go down the quicker they would turn up.

I have my cripts growing in close to 3 inches of substrate
 
The substrate is ~1.5 - 2.5" deep (slopes up towards the back of the tank). I'm dosing a home made fertilizer mix every 48h. I could easily up the levels, I'm being very cautious with it since I'm new at this DIY game ;)
I aim for: NO3 ~10ppm, PO4 ~1.0 and Fe between 0.1-0.25ppm (I use the Fe to guage when I need more traces, but I've read that Fe tests are not really reliable and it's best to use plant growth/colour etc. as a guage). The levels in this tank typically fall short; I'll try upping them to get to the above levels.
I too am not a fan of the root tabs - they make a huge mess (and possible algae blooms I've heard) when plants are moved. If they're not necessary I'd prefer to stay away from them.
I should mention, the plants look great - no yellow/transparant leaves, and they're putting out healthy-looking new growth - other than the upward root growth.

I have a completely unrelated question - does peat inhibit algae growth? I've got very little algae in the 10g and give it the same ferts, water change regimine, etc. as my 45. It could, of course, be the lighting or types of plants, or something else, but the thought crossed my mind that one big difference between the tanks is there's a lot of peat in the 10g. Just curious.
 
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the peat may be indirectly responsible for the lack of algae. it helps new planted tanks get started so the plants outcompete algae from the start.
 
I don't know about Fe being limiting. I have Onyx sand and my crypts have roots shooting up out of the substrate too. It's 2-2 1/2" where they are. The roots in question are finer than the main thick white roots of the plant though. Maybe yours are the white thicker roots, or are they the finer ones?
 
They're actually thick(ish) and some have finer roots branching from them - they look like feathers.
I took a look in one of my books, and it says that if the substrate becomes compatcted, plants will send their roots upwards. If you're using sand, this is a possiblity, and since I'm using fine-grade gravel that hasn't been disturbed since I set up the tank I'm wondering if this isn't part of the cause. They suggest gently stirring up the substrate with a finger (I'm going to try a chopstick since it's such a tight area) to aerate it - apparantly lack of aeration is the reason the plants send the roots out of the gravel. (The book is the Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants - don't have it here in front of me and can't remember the author, but I can post it if anyone's interested).
 
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