Melting?

[Haiven]

Now it's my turn to ask a dumb question. What does melting mean? I get a nice visual image, but I can't figure out how it's different from limp dead leaf. What causes it?

I even tried to find it on the internet, to avoid asking the dumb question, but I had no success.

[REYREY]

uhhh..... hmmm NOT SURE......... would it be when plants kinda liquidate...as opposed to just turnign yellow and such???

[supersmirky]

My foxtails melted. Just blackened up and mushed out to the bottom

[Travis_Conklin]

Usually the melting effect occurs when there is a change for the plant. So for example taking plant from half submersed to a totally submersed state. Most of your plants at LFS have been grown half submersed so if you grow that plant out in your aquarium it is going to look allot different. Another example: take you were using 20 watts over a 20gal tank and changed it to 60 or 80 watts the plant is probably going to drop leaves and decay re-growing a different type of leave. It is just the physical change of the plant to accommodate its surroundings. Good example of this (plant wise) is your swords you buy at the LFS they will usually have long stems with the leave at the end of the stem. After you grow them in your tank with sufficient light the leaves will grow right out of the rosette, with out a long stem. Hope you understood all that. If you have any specifics P.M. me I may be able to help.

[supersmirky]

Glad I read this. That makes sense about the swords and LFS. I was wondering why theirs had long stems yet everyone who has them at home has no long stems!! Thanks!!

[ElijahTurtle]

If you ever had any cryptocoyne plants that died it would make more sense. They are notorious for this. I've never had any real problems with them though. They litterally just turn to mush and dissappear practically over night. Usually it's a change in water paramaters that brings it on or the plant going through an adjustment to being moved etc.
Anacharis can do a pretty good melting impression as well

[AndrewH]

I've also heard using Excel with Vals will cause them to "melt".

My personal understanding was basically what has been outlined here. The leaves are simply reacting to some sort of change and turn to a "mush" that can't be fixed, only new leaves can replace them if the plant survives whatever is causing the melt.

A.K.A. Crypt Rot ;)

[Travis_Conklin]

I have personal experience with Val's and Anacharis, Val's will do fine when dosing 1ml per 10gal and grow out nicely. If you over dose you can melt the Val's. Anacharis even with the 1ml per 10gal melt. Anacharis and Exel do not get along.

[AndrewH]

From my understanding there are several plants which do not get along with Excel or other aquatic ferts in addition to the ones Travis_Conklin stated. Might want to do some background checking before you start adding a liquid fert.

[biggin]

I found with Excel a lot of my low light plants had issues....

[ElijahTurtle]

IMO Excell just isn't worth it. To many issues with it.

[biggin]

X2....

Anyone wants some I have a bottle of it barely used.

IMO Excell just isn't worth it. To many issues with it.

[rolloffhill]

I'll take it. I need to treat some bba

[Travis_Conklin]

Dang Blake, you should have tossed it to me when I came to pick up the Apisto's. "oh well."

[biggin]

I did not think about it, I have had it sitting around for a little while, used it about times did not like the results and moved on.