Elodea Plants

[callistra]

I got a shipment of plants in about a week ago and I think they might have frozen. I had to throw a lot out but I kept what looked like the best quality, but they're still going.. the broad leaf elodea is turning brown, but the thin leaf elodea is the biggest problem. It is shedding like there is no tomorrow. The leaves are dropping off like pine needles in a forest and they're all over my tank. Should I just take everything out and buy some more? I keep trying to suck all the little leaves off the bottom but it is really a challenge.. I have photos to share if they're helpful. How big of a deal is it if I don't get all the leaves out?

My tank is cycled but I haven't added my betta yet. I'm keeping the tank cycled by feeding 3-5 drops of ammonia every 24 hours. 100% of this is processed in under 24 hrs, and the plants are eating the nitrates so it's ready to go once I get this shedding issue resolved.

My PH is 7.4. My temp is 78-79. It's a 10g and I have a light hood with 1 18w 6500k bulb and one 18w 10000k bulb (AquaticLife)

[shellieca]

IMO aquatic plants are like any other plant they go through a bit of shock when put into a new environment. My hornwort & anacharis shed quite a bit but now they're taking off, took a week or 2. I just let it go & clean it up with my weekly water changes. I know most people say to remove decaying plant matter but I think its good to have some, that is after all the way it is in a natural habitat.

[callistra]

I know it will eventually turn into ammonia but hopefully if it's just a little the bacteria will feed on it? Since I dose 2-4 ppm ammonia a day and they eat it all in 24 hours, obviously that's more than my fish alone with produce so there's a lot more bacteria than is needed to maintain his cycle.. and I know it lowers water ph since mine is a little high I figure a slight drop in ph wouldn't be bad..

Thanks I'll keep an eye on it another week

[callistra]

My plants are no longer floating.. they're stuck on the bottom and if I bring them up they just fall again.. also there are what I will call BURN like looking marks on bright green stems.. It's still shedding leaves like crazy, more brown, more melting.. It got 8-9 hours of light today..

[LittleBettaFish]

I think some varieties of elodea prefer cooler water so it could be this causing your plant to melt. Otherwise it may be going through an adjustment period similar to hornwort.

[callistra]

Temp should be fine under 80. I know it prefers cooler but 78 degrees shouldn't kill it. It's been in there over a week now so how long until it stops dying or until I give up and get new? I don't want to hurt my fish..

Is it possible my water is just too soft? My moss balls are very happy with this water.. the thicker type does have new shoots even though the old ones are dying.. the thin elodea is driving me crazy with all the leaf dropping.

[aokashi]

As long as it's melting from the bottom, you've got a chance. this thing is a weed which does prefer cold water. and you will find that i you turn the heater off that it will do much better.

[bethyMT]

If it's driving you crazy, I'd say take it out. I have not had good luck with stem plants lately, so I can understand your concern.

The thin-leaf elodea did all right for me, but hornwort and anacharis just failed. Melted all over the place.

Turning down the heat may help, but you need the heat to grow your bacteria, which is probably more important than the plant.

Just an opinion, at any rate, I hope something starts to improve! Messy tanks are frustrating!

[callistra]

I understand it prefers cooler water, but the thing is this is supposed to be a tank for my betta. If it can't live in 78 degree water it can't be in a tropical tain. I'm going to check to see that the mess isn't creating excess ammonia and as long as the water parameters are okay I guess I'll just hold off and give it more time, as long as nobody thinks this is going to be harmful

[aokashi]

the idea is to give it conditions to recover first. a healthy plant can adapt to not so ideal conditions better than anot so healthy plant. plants are like fish, you need to ease them into their new environment.