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Help/Advice - Major plant issue/melt :(

Feels like it at times mate, good to have a sense of humour about these things though 🙂 drive you mad otherwise.
 
All the best with this Rob. Wish I knew more so I could add something more useful 😉
 
Ah it's ok James, live and learn eh? Still think it's the bleach, i read of a similar incident someone else who'd recharged purigen had had, except he'd lost fish and plants. Was paranoid the fish were acting differently after putting it back in and I've tried bleaching some plants to clear them of algae a fair while back and they melted soon afterwards, effect was identical.

At least this tank's just for messing around with, rather learn about nasty surprises before getting going on the new optiwhite 😉
 
Hi all,
Rob P said:
Some plants seem totally unaffected but some have literally fallen apart in a day (Ludwigia glandulosa and couple of spieces of Hygro)
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Rob P said:
Still think it's the bleach, i read of a similar incident someone else who'd recharged purigen had had, except he'd lost fish and plants. Was paranoid the fish were acting differently after putting it back in and I've tried bleaching some plants to clear them of algae a fair while back and they melted soon afterwards, effect was identical.
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My suspicion would be the bleach as well. Sodium hypochlorite bleach is a really powerful biocide, and oxidising agent, so you only need a trace to de-nature chlorophyll.
It is estimated that there are about 3300 accidents needing hospital treatment caused by sodium hypochlorite solutions each year in British homes (RoSPA, 2002)
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Personally I'm not a great fan, if it was a new product now it would never get any-where near the consumer now.

cheers Darrel
 
The plants with bigger root structures (couple of Crypts, large Sags etc) look unaffected. All the stems with small roots/delicate leafs have bitten the bullet. I'd say ALL were affected, holes in leaves, leaves going translucent, black spots and/or turning to mush. Most are taken out now 🙁 But some new additions in and will add a couple more pots to bulk back up with 😉

Feel a moan at seachem coming on as I followed the recharge instructions and was even over compensating of their instructions! (not soaked in bleach as long, extra rinses, stronger prime soak etc etc). Won't get me anywhere I know, but may make me feel better 😀
 
Hi all,
Rob P said:
The plants with bigger root structures (couple of Crypts, large Sags etc) look unaffected
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I don't think it is the root structure that has made a difference, my suspicion would be that the plants that survived have a much tougher, more resistant epidermis and this has stopped the bleach coming in contact with the mesophyll layer (where the chloroplasts etc. are).

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,
Just hope Rob gets his tank sorted.
Purigen recharge may well be the problem but the only reservation I would have is that there are so many people using and re charging this product without these complications.
It's one of these things that can really be a curse, knowing exactly what is wrong.
I always find the best way forward is to change as little as possible and eliminate things one by one where you can. For example, do away with the Purigen for now or just use another NEW pack after a huge water change. Re plant some of the exact same species as the ones that melted and if they grow then it's near certain the recharged stuff was to blame, but if they melt then you're looking elsewhere.
 
harryH said:
Purigen recharge may well be the problem but the only reservation I would have is that there are so many people using and re charging this product without these complications.
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Yeh but it could just be me being rubbish at all this :walkingdead: lol
 
Rob P said:
Yeh but it could just be me being rubbish at all this :walkingdead: lol
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Not at all Rob and I certainly wouldn't like to give the impression I thought that.
There isn't a man who has kept a fish tank who hasn't encountered problems.
It's always easiest and best to change things one by one until you find the problem. I have lost it in the past by changing a number of things and not knowing which one it was that solved the issue🙁
 
darren636 said:
Did you soak the purigen in dechlor?
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Soaked in 1:1 water/plain bleach for about 8 hours (i'd only had it 2 months so wasn't that dirty), then rinsed like fury under tap water until i was bored. Soaked in a tub with a solution measured out in a cup, 2 tbps prime/water. Left in that for over 24 hours. Well rinsed again. No wiff of bleach I could tell. Back into filter with a new floss pad in the evening.

Did notice a lot of the fish swimming up against the glass quite soon afterwards which I thought was odd, but happens occasionally (not en masse like this time though if i'm honest...). But seemed to settle down quite quickly. Thought I was being paranoid.

Following day come home from work, boom!! Bits of plant everywhere lol.

Purigen out, carbon put in.
 
Yup, amazing I haven't killed all my fish yet! 😱
 
Sorry for your loss! I had a similar experience recently when I cleaned my lily pipes for the first time in a bleach solution (regular household thick bleach) letting soak for about twenty minutes then flushed with tap water for about 5 minutes and dried off as best as possible with kitchen towels. I didn't have pipe brushes to really scrub inside the pipes and didn't soak in conditioner either. Reinstalled and got things running again. Next morning my alternanthera reineckii mini was obliterated and bits of leaf everywhere except on the plant! Other plants seemed unaffected. Ammonia test showed a non-zero reading so big water changes for the next couple of days and everything has been fine since then. Luckily nothing other than plants in there....
 
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