Hey all, update time.
So for a couple months I’ve been struggling with some green algae and cyano. Not sure how it started or where it came from, but I was over it. Due to some life events and scheduled trips. I had not touched the tank maintained wise for about a month. At the halfway mark, I decided to exercise my usual failsafe of turning off the lights but allowing the CO2 to remain on its daily schedule. Even with lights out, I allowed a nearby window to give the tank some ambient light. This was practice for about 2.5 weeks. I don’t have pictures, but you’d be surprised to know that I had minimal die off. Yes, some stems suffered with their lower halves losing leaves, and some stems even melting halfway up. BUT, what was left was able to be used and topped! The green algae had ultimately disappeared, and what was left was dead and brushed off.
Now the bad part. The day I decided to address the tank I transferred the bunches of stems I was going to replant to a bucket that filled with the tap water I usually do WC with. They sat in the bucket for about 9 hours, and when I was ready to replant, this is what I had:
This is pogo Kimberly and rotala blood red. This condition was unrecoverable and I lost every plant that was in that bucket. I have no idea what caused it, because they looked normal and colorful when they went into the bucket, very bizarre. Thankfully, the blackout for several weeks did not hurt my crypts, moss, ferns, or buce. So those with scapes dominated by those types of plants, I’m here to tell you an extended blackout with some ambient or extremely low light will not hurt those plants.
So, the plan is to get some new stems and start over stem wise. I initially thought of potentially going crypt only back there, but I’m not sold on it because I know I’ll miss the deep red of a Ludwigia or the purplish pink of some finer leaved plants. But how great is that crypt albida costata on the right side? Such a striking pink with that line green stripe in the middle. I initially though maybe it was Tiger and mislabeled, but it’s just not as broadleaved as Tiger would be. Anyhow, I like what I’m seeing growth wise with everything else so my next update will be the addition of new stems. Any thoughts or criticism welcome