Two questions about plant health

[magiofsnails]

Hey all. I have two questions about two of my plants.

1. Water Sprite with stem rot? How to fix

I ordered some water sprite (also known as indian water fern) to float in my turtle tank. When it arrived it was already not in great shape and black stem tips. I tried to salvage them and cut off the black parts of the plant at an angle to hopefully prevent it from spreading up the cell wall of the plant. However, it kept coming back. The plant is still growing and recently has a ton of new growth, but even in my healthier specimens, it looks pretty iffy. Any idea on how to fix it? Seems like each time I try to cut the dark part of the plant away, making sure not to leave any part of the 'dead' stem, it still comes back. None of my other plants have this problem.


2. Is it normal for Giant Water Spangles to develop red/dark leaves like this? I recently upgraded to more intense lights and its allowed my Red Root Floaters to turn from deep green to reddish green, but I've never heard of Water Spangles going red.

 

[JustAFishServant]

I don't have an answer to your first question, but I've experienced the same problem with egeria.

Do you have any salt in your tank? I heard that it decreases the amount of chlorophyll in Salvinia molesta (giant water spangles.) Maybe it's not the increase of red, but the decrease of green?

 

[Blacksheep1]

I have a plant 3.0 and my salvinia get large in that tank ,but I’ve never seen a red one ! It looks like you have two species there maybe ?
When nitrates are low they grow smaller , like the ones I see on the outer edges of the photo . But when well fed they grow larger but I’ve not seen red’ish leaves. I’m not saying it can’t happen though.

Mine have the same leaf size and shape in the higher lit tank , in the less well lit tank they look like the others you have. Are these new to your tank?

Do you have long’ish roots on these redder plants ? Compared to others that is.

I see a hole on your water lettuce , maybe you’re over sucking nitrates if you’re lightly stocked on that tank. Consider a fert maybe.

As for the water sprite maybe the surface area covered by the floaters is blocking the light , or maybe it’s just adjusting to your tank from previous parameters

 

[magiofsnails]

I don't have an answer to your first question, but I've experienced the same problem with egeria.

Do you have any salt in your tank? I heard that it decreases the amount of chlorophyll in Salvinia molesta (giant water spangles.) Maybe it's not the increase of red, but the decrease of green?

No, no salt added to the tank! Thats what I was also considering. Its weird its only effecting those few pairs of leaves, but not the ones next to it (its stayed like this for a while without spreading but its definately still attached to the rest of the plant!) i was worrying they were getting burned by my light, but doesnt seem like it.

I have a plant 3.0 and my salvinia get large in that tank ,but I’ve never seen a red one ! It looks like you have two species there maybe ?
When nitrates are low they grow smaller , like the ones I see on the outer edges of the photo . But when well fed they grow larger but I’ve not seen red’ish leaves. I’m not saying it can’t happen though.

Mine have the same leaf size and shape in the higher lit tank , in the less well lit tank they look like the others you have. Are these new to your tank?

Do you have long’ish roots on these redder plants ? Compared to others that is.

I see a hole on your water lettuce , maybe you’re over sucking nitrates if you’re lightly stocked on that tank. Consider a fert maybe.

As for the water sprite maybe the surface area covered by the floaters is blocking the light , or maybe it’s just adjusting to your tank from previous parameters

its actually the same plant, those red leaves are attached to the plant with the large green leaves right next to it! So strange!

I do have lots of mini water spangles along with the giant one, those might be the ones youre seeing around the edges of the tank (theyve kinda taken over my tank lolol)

And this specimen plus most of the other salvinia has been in the tank for a while, its pretty well established. The roots are pretty long with lots of taproots if that helps! Also the hole in the water lettuce was there initally, however the hole got a little bit bigger when I put it in the tank. my tank isnt super heavily stocked so its possible!! Ive been meaning to get an 'all in one' fert. i use api carbon boost once a day, and api leaf zone once a week or as needed. my water is fairly mineralized/hard because I live in the mountains. I mix RO and tap to avoid overmineralizing my tank.

also the water sprite is not in the same tank as the other floaters, its in a fairly high flow turtle tank (50 gal) as I'm experimenting with what plants will work in red ear slider's tank (spoiler: not many lol) Now that the water sprite is producing more new growth, I'm not *too* concerned about it. I figure once it finishes absorbing all the nutrients from the 'dying' portion it will simply completely die in that portion. I'm kinda bummed I got an unhealthy patch of water sprite tho, I might buy some more and hope I get some healthier varieties.

Edit: Im looking at pictures of water spangles it seems this variety is not Salvinia Minima but Salvinia oblongifolia? It looks like Salvinia oblongifolia

 

[Blacksheep1]

Doesn’t look like it to me but I’m certainly no id expert I’d guess as they take over they are over crowding themselves , using up all available nutrients .

Could the red ear of damaged the water sprite ? Loving the spoiler

 

[magiofsnails]

Doesn’t look like it to me but I’m certainly no id expert I’d guess as they take over they are over crowding themselves , using up all available nutrients .

Could the red ear of damaged the water sprite ? Loving the spoiler

im pretty sure its salvinia oblonifolia, it has the same long leafs and looks nothing like any other salvinia species out there. unless theres other species of salvinia like this, im not sure. not a lot of information about anything but salvinia minima and salvinia natans (also possible identity?). i would post comparison pictures but im pretty sure we are not allowed to post pictures that arent ours WEH maybe i can post a link tho?

also...hmm...possible. he does like to flail around when hes demanding food!! he could have snapped the stem a little bit and its just recovering from that?