So here's the deal...... My crypts all dropping leaves like crazy. Even what look like beatiful healthy leaves (large and small). None of the other plants are showing stress but these 3 crypts, Cryptocoryne wendtii red, bronze, green. Even my cryptocryne spiralis is not affected. Could it be too much CO2? I didn't have a problem until I took my CO2 from 25ppm up to 35ppm (drop checker). My other readings are NO3 40ppm, PO4 10ppm, FE 1ppm. I dose EI and have backed off the lighting only giving it 5.7wpg for 4hrs with an ambient lighting of 2.65 wpg for 10 hrs. I have finally found my balance with the other plants and I am winning the war (for now) against algae, but I am losing more then a few leaves per day per plant. Some of the leaves are acually melting slightly. I'm a little perplexed.

Ziggy.

That sounds like a typical case of cryptocoryne rot to me. I haven't had that happen with only CO2 changes, but crypt rot can happen when the plants see a significant change in water conditions. It might be due to your changes in lighting and ferts.

I had the same thing happen when I transplanted two varieties of crypts. The leaves would just "melt away".

Give them time. If its crypt rot the plants will generate new growth in a week or so.

tank has been stable for years and under the same dosing regimen for 6 months and they have been droppiung leaves for a month now. not sure the "rot" would occur now and not back then when I changed the dosing regimen. frustrating though.

Ziggy, how are things going with your crypts? Are they still melting?

I'm starting to win my most recent battle against green dot algae and I've noticed that many of the crypt leaves that had algae on them are melting. I'm guessing that this is probably because they were damaged by the algae (blocking out the light or something like that) or it might be because I've been on the EI method for a couple of weeks now whereas I was doing more of a PMDD method before the switch.

I'm wondering if I'm seeing something similar or different to what you're seeing...

Still falling off and melting

Increase the CO2.
Keep the lighting at 2.65w/gal(10 hours).

Regards,
Tom Barr

Also, lots of large water changes(50-80% weekly or 2x a week).

Regards,
Tom Barr