Crypts Suddenly Melted

I recently set up a 14 gallon tank with a bunch of crypts. I used crypt wendtiI green, red, and bronze, and also a few cryptocoryne balansae. They were doing well upon planting them and didn’t even melt for a couple weeks. This last week however has been a true horror to see. Crypt melt everywhere! The only one who hasn’t completely melted to the ground, is my wendtiI red. It is a bit confusing, as my wendtiI bronze had actually been in the 14 gallon for about a month before it suddenly melted with the others. I have not seen any new growth from any crypts, so that’s also concerning me. Does anyone know why all these crypts seemed to melt in unison? Why did an already established crypt melt too?

 

Need some more details. Lighting, water flow, additives?

I’ve had my 10gal melt before when I let the filter clog up and the duckweed grow thick. I think it ended up preventing gas exchange and starved them of O2 (which plants use when it’s dark).

 

Crypts melt in protest of any changes in light, water quality, temperature, fertilizer....Sometimes for no apparent reason. Some people swear that crypts can melt if you look at them the wrong way...

Good news is that they will recover. Just vacuum the mush and do not disturb the roots.

 

Root tabs? ferts? Mine never melted, I thought they were pretty bulletproof.

 

My tanks are mostly crypts, but all propogated from one plant (the only plant one ever bought multiples of are annubias, because patience doesn't come with that easy to me lol). I have found they melt for a number of reasons. Another note is I don't fertilize so some of these may not matter as much if you do:
1. Over cleaning a tank. About 3-5 days later there will be a dip in the available nutrients.
2. Adding light (time or intensity) they will mostly melt, then grow back smaller but more numerous leaves.
3. Reducing light, same as above but fewer, larger leaves.
4. Roots being bound or covered. If my crypts roots (after being seperated and replanted) find each other that side tends to lose some leaves.
4.1 in sand or fine gravel tanks if I bury a root further than it was, there can be some melt and regrowth.
5. Temperature change, noticed when moving them from an 80+ degree tank to a 76, they don't always do so well, and this usually takes weeks to happen. They usually grow back, one out of 9 didn't.

If you had an algae issue they would think there was less light.

I'm sure others have more info (or maybe I have misinterpreted one of my findings) but I track all my plants and tanks a little too closely and have observed this of my crypts.

Have you changed anything in the tank (or a window nearby maybe) that could have influenced your lighting?

Edit: Adding 6. Changing current. I moved a rain bar and it reduced current velocity in a corner. The plant melted and longer (way longer lol) stems with similar sized leaves replaced it.

 

Root tabs? ferts? Mine never melted, I thought they were pretty bulletproof.

Yes, make sure they are getting enough nutrients. Any significant changes to your tank recently?

 

My tanks are mostly crypts, but all propogated from one plant (the only plant one ever bought multiples of are annubias, because patience doesn't come with that easy to me lol). I have found they melt for a number of reasons. Another note is I don't fertilize so some of these may not matter as much if you do:
1. Over cleaning a tank. About 3-5 days later there will be a dip in the available nutrients.
2. Adding light (time or intensity) they will mostly melt, then grow back smaller but more numerous leaves.
3. Reducing light, same as above but fewer, larger leaves.
4. Roots being bound or covered. If my crypts roots (after being seperated and replanted) find each other that side tends to lose some leaves.
4.1 in sand or fine gravel tanks if I bury a root further than it was, there can be some melt and regrowth.
5. Temperature change, noticed when moving them from an 80+ degree tank to a 76, they don't always do so well, and this usually takes weeks to happen. They usually grow back, one out of 9 didn't.

If you had an algae issue they would think there was less light.

I'm sure others have more info (or maybe I have misinterpreted one of my findings) but I track all my plants and tanks a little too closely and have observed this of my crypts.

Have you changed anything in the tank (or a window nearby maybe) that could have influenced your lighting?

Edit: Adding 6. Changing current. I moved a rain bar and it reduced current velocity in a corner. The plant melted and longer (way longer lol) stems with similar sized leaves replaced it.

Isn't it funny how some things are so different? I move my crypts all over my tank, do multiple water changes when Nitrates are higher, got a new LED light and I started them from 2 small pots with like 3 stems in them. My tank is exploding with them and not one has ever melted. crazy.

 

I’m guessing they ran out of nutrients. Crypts like root tabs. As said already don’t pull out the roots some/most will grow back. Plants need clean water. A 50% water change weekly and good lighting and ferts.

 

Isn't it funny how some things are so different? I move my crypts all over my tank, do multiple water changes when Nitrates are higher, got a new LED light and I started them from 2 small pots with like 3 stems in them. My tank is exploding with them and not one has ever melted. crazy.

It is crazy how that works, the only plants I haven't had a melting or conversion issue with when I move them are the annubias, though they may yellow a bit when I really make them mad.
My crypts (wendtiI tropica bronze according to the tag at least) started from one little guy, now I have about 30 of them at least as big as the original was, spread through 6 tanks in 4 different water systems. Some of them don't even look like the same plant.
This is the most productive tank and the one I started the mother plant in about a year ago, it was the remaining mother clump, I divided it in early December and it all melted once and came back like this. going for 100% coverage just to see if I can do it lol. This tank is the one I have logged occurrences due to change in light or cleaning habits. All versions of the plant were susceptible to over cleaning, and when I switched from the nicrew to my custom lights, then again when I took an hour of each side of the schedule.



And here are 3 of the tanks with the divided plants from the mother. I divided all the ones in these 3 in November and they were the same ish size. You can see how water flow and other things have influenced some of the regrowth.
The 3d tank shows root binding in the planters with double plants. The smaller plants in these situations melted and regrew smaller. They were originally planted as twin plants in each planter.


This one shows an anomaly in my lighting, the front right plant was just as large as the others, but it gets less light than the others, though it's hard to tell in pictures, I light from top-front towards the back centered on the rear seam. (forgive the puny swords, I just finished propogating and re converting them, they were 3 large leaves each a month ago)

)

And this one shows the most interesting regrowth, even differences in colors. The one close on the left gets window light for a few hours a day, the little guys under the sword mass show great extended stems, the rain bar used to be aiming into the center of that planter.



In all I don't mind them melting as my snails need the work but I have definitely seen how seemingly small changes make a big difference in my no ferts tank styles. I would think my plants would be more susceptible yet as I also have a very low TDS, kH and gh, I also can't build more than 5ppm nitrates even if I let the kids grossly overfeed as the plants will eat it all easily, though the sand will get dirty enough to drive me crazy all the faster that way.

Do you have some photos of your set up OP?