# Odd growth on my low-light plants: kill 'em or keep 'em?



## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

Hiya,

first post but i feel like i've been here for ages. I've been lurking since i set up my aquarium in january. though apparently not doing a great job of it, because I've run into some problems (due almost entirely to ignorance/lack of research , but i'm working on all that now )

tank specs
-20g
-82 degrees C
-Fluval 3+ submerged filter 700 L/hr (the guy who sold it to me swore on it...never heard of the name though) which i recently upgraded from some stock PoS
-ph 5.0 (yeah...i know. working on it)
-my lighting also sucks, it's the stock light that came with the starter kit. definately not suited for plants. but i'm off to buy some decent plant lighting in the morning
-the fish were over-fed. i've scaled back their feedings.
-it WAS over stocked a little. 2 mollies (down from three as of today  from bullying) 2 african dwarf frogs (one dead three days ago, ammonia/crummy water conditions is my guess. he appeared rather healthy) one male/female sword tail, one male/female backlit platy and a female speckled play,3 immature clown loaches that'll graduate to a nieghbours larger tank when they get too big, two panda corys, and three giant khuli loaches.

the whole point of all this is my two-low light plants I bought at Menagerie four weeks ago. being the schmuck i am i didn't bother to remember the plant's names or keep the tags...I'm working on improving the tank overall, simply taking better care of it, etc, but i don't know what to do with these two plants. 
The problem is this:










aside from these stringy growths (about 3cms in this photo) they are suprisingly healthy given the poor lightly. they're not growing much, but they don't appear to be dying either.

the growths appeared as a strand on one of my plants, hanging from the top leaf, and two or three more along the bottom. the second plant starting showing the same hairy/thread like growths. they don't appear to damage the plant where they grow from.

for the sake of the tank's health, should i just scrap these plants all together? are the string-things dangerous or benign? can they be treated?

if this is just hair algae i'll smack myself. but it didn't look like anything i saw whilst googling.

cheers.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

don't worry... just rooting from the leaves. If I am not mistaken it is a species of fern and that is what they do to reproduce.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

i'm relieved. thanks.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

The plant in the picture is called Bolbitis heteroclita. Trust me that is it's name and I didn't make it up  We'll just call it El Nino Fern 

Description
pH range: 6 - 7.2
Temperature range: 22-27C
Water hardness: Soft-medium hard
Propagation: By eyes of rhizome
Habitat: Eastern Asia

Don't bury the fleshy root called the rhizome.
Why is your water temperature at 82F? Maybe lower it gradually to about 75-76 F
Your ph is 5? How did it get to ph5?

Your plant should look like this:
http://www.plantgeek.net/images/plantpics/elnino.jpg


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Stop burning your fish.


Your kH is probably like negative a million. get a full kit.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Hey twoheaded fish.

I really hate to agree with Pablo (this is killing me) but he's right. Aquarium keeping is all about the water, everything else is secondary.

1) Where are you pulling your water from? I suspect it's from a well. That acidic water is ok for certain species of fish, but not the ones you have. You need to raise the PH (but you already know that, don't you...).

2) Ammonia and nitrite are the silent killers and they get a lot worse at lower PH levels. Is your tank cycled? Ya gotta get on that asap otherwise you're just torturing your fish. 

3) Do as Calmer said and lower your temp, there's no need for it to be that high with the fish you have. Don't you know there's an energy shortage out there? 

Sorry to be so hard on you but these be the facts. If you want a successful tank you have to get the basics right. Once you got that it's simple maintenance after that.

Good luck and cheers.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

i take no offense to the replies.

i've lowered the temp and i'm making serious run at not being a crappy fish owner. 

1)it's actually city water. downtown toronto. i'm probably over feeding and skipping on regular water changes. 

2)I did cycle the tank using a commercial product. i've been testing for ammonia and nitrate, which have been showing 0ppm. i think i'll switch to strip tests and see if i get different results. i've read that the tests using liquid reagents can be inaccurate.

3) lowered the temp. 

i don't think you're being hard on me. i do want a successful tank so i'd better get the basics right. 

humble fish pie?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

awe i am sorry your Ph is so wierd, what kinda testers are you using? (sorry if i missed it)

The water out of my tap is about 8.5ish.. Eep. I am in the st.clair and oconner area in an older building. I hope we can help you get figured out there 

Thank you for being so patient..


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

it's a nutrafin liquid reagent ph tester. same brand for the nh3/4 test.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Ciddian wrote:
"The water out of my tap is about 8.5ish."

Stop stoning your fish!!!  
You know they have a hard enough time looking for food in that stone slurry you call water.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

How in the hell did you get your pH down to 5?


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

overfeeding, lack of water changes is my guess...

i should only be changing the pH by 0.5 a day, right?


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I wouldn't mess with you pH at all, but I don't think the water comes out of the tap at 5 in Toronto...do you have something in your tank that is lowering the pH? Limestone or something?

Oh and btw, that plant is sold as Phillipine Fern at Menagerie, and as mentioned, those are roots. You will notice the tips of the leaves will sprout new leaves - that is how the plant multiplies. Don't worry, everything is ok!

Try some Anubias or Hygrophilia polysperma if you want to add some more plants.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

well i did just do a 20 per cent water change and that brought the pH to 5.5. Seems to be an immediate reaction from the fish in terms of behavior. they're much more lively.

yeah, my tap water is 7.4. and this pH problem is very recent. the tank's been going for about 5 mnths and the only thing new i've added is multi-purpose bio-support from big al's to try and deal with ammonia. i added about 15ml to my 20g about a week ago. there's also been a small increase in algae. it's a very thin film in the glass.

there is a piece of drift wood i got from big al's as well. it was under this sign that said "will not affect pH". it's been in there from the start too.

philipine fern is definately what it is. i recognize the name now. and thanks for the suggestions. i do plan on adding more plants once i've got this settled down a little.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

twoheadedfish said:


> overfeeding, lack of water changes is my guess...
> 
> i should only be changing the pH by 0.5 a day, right?


Definitely not more than that as it stresses the fish. I've read that the recommended amount is .3 per day but if your fish seem ok after the first go round it should be ok.

And yes, your problem was probably to hi nitrite and nitrate levels which when mixed with water forms nitric and and nitrus acid. It was probably ok at the beginning because Toronto water is on the hard side (but not HARD) so there was enough buffering agent to soak up the acid. But once it was gone your PH dropped like a stone.

The rule of thumb is to do a 20% water change once a week. If your nitrogen cycle is working you'll have 0 ammonia and nitrite but your nitrates will climb. Doing the water changes lowers it.

From what I've read, it looks like you're on the road to redemption. 

Cheers.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

Cory_Dad said:


> From what I've read, it looks like you're on the road to redemption.


man, i hope so. i've already lost two mollies and a dwarf frog to this. now i've got a panda cory with ich/fin rot. i think i've got it pretty early on, the damage doesn't look too bad yet.

if i lose anymore i'll feel like a total @rse.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I once tested the water out of my taps here in Toronto and if I remember correctly I posted it here way back

Here is the posting

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1484&highlight=toronto+water


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

yeah, thanks. i read through this earlier today actually. really helpful.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Well I have been noticing a spike in my tank measurements and was curious... so tested the water comming out of the tap again. Looks like our water has gone up.

pH 7.7
GH 152ppm

These tests were done with handheld electronic meters just so you know.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

i think i read in another post that you live near menagerie, right? we should have very similar water then.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

yes, located at Jarvis and Wellesley.


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