Crypt Wentii turning brown (NOT melting!)

[OnyxFishies]

I've got two Crypt. Wendtii in my tank. One is the "bronze" variety, the other is the "green" variety. The problem is that they are both a dark bronze-ish brown. They both are putting out new leaves that are green untill they get to about 1 inch long, then slowly turn brown. Aside from the color seem quite healthy and bushy. I've read that they will darken some with high light, but I've got just under 1.9 watts per gallon. (29 gal with 55watts PC, isn't that between low and medium?) They have been this color for a few weeks now. At first, I thought they were adjusting. Then, I thought they were dying. But they aren't melting. (aside from an occaisional spot on a leaf or two, but they seem to heal.)

Is this normal, or are they slowly dying?


specs:
DIY CO2, 55Watts 9325K PC, 29 gallons.
NH3/NH4: 0
NO2: 0
N03: 10-15ppm

I dose Flourish 3-4ppm twice a week, and 5ppm Excell daily. I dose K to 15 ppm with each weekly water change, (KCL) I don't really want to dose KNO3 until I get my NO3 down. (I think I overfeed a little. If I think I overfeed a *little*, I bet I overfeed a lot.)

Thanks for any help you guys and gals can offer.

 

[RTR]

Color and even growth form in the many, many cultivars (?) of C.wendtii seem to vary tank-to-tank. I can move offsets of bronze from a tank where it grows low and with fair color to another tank and they may keep the form and get very dark, or a different tank where they will grow tall and almost green. I have given up predicting or even saying what I have, as it all depends on the tank - even in the same water and very close to the same lighting.

 

[djlen]

I've got some Wendtii that varies in growth from one SIDE of the tank to the other.
There is no typical Cryptocoryne, in my opinion.
Try spreading your traces out over the entire week, by figuring out the total amount per week and dividing it into daily doses. This keeps more Fe in the water consistently, and Crypts. love Fe.

Len