Salvinia issue?

[KirstyF]

Hi There

Anyone know what might be going on here?

I noticed a small patch (a couple of inches square) of discoloured leaves in the middle of my salvinia patch last weekend and removed them. Today, so 5 days later, I have this large patch of the same.

As you can see, it seems to be surrounded by perfectly healthy leaves, but is going black and when I pull it out, it is pretty much just slime.

Not sure what is happening as the surrounding leaves seem pretty healthy but whatever it is, it is spreading fast.

Any ideas?

 

[MichaelJ]

Burn or no burn🔥 ?

No burn... I would follow Johns and previous advice and dose gently. With my tanks I'd rather skip a dosing/ maintenance/feeding cycle if I feel like I would have to do it in a rush.

If you add dry salts fertiliser burn is a real risk and it would look almost exactly like that.

Ah! So there you go John, it is a thing.... really akin to me forgetting to turn off the lawn spreader and having a big pile of Nitrogen on the ground causing the patch of grass underneath to die off.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[KirstyF]

Just a quick update here. Scooped out all of the damaged leaves plus a good 2inches of clean plants all around the bad patch……and I’ve been taking is nice and easy with the ferts dump……happy to say no more issues!!

I’m voting for the fungal issue I think but, either way, hopefully problem solved. 😊

 

[KirstyF]

Haha! Spoke too quick……it’s back!

Could re-name it ‘terminator’ fungus. Just when you think it’s all over, another disappointing ‘re-make’ with little or no rhyme or reason!! 🙄

Again rapid spread in exactly the same place, after two weeks clear, the new sick patch made 6”within a week.

I’m definitely still thinking it’s a fungus. Spores could perhaps be ‘hanging around’ the surface level Val leaves just waiting to strike, but I wonder whether light is also an issue. It does seem to spring up in the area that gets very little light, with the Salvinia just a few inches away, beneath the light, not affected (though I’m sure they would be if I let it spread) Maybe with better light to help the Salvinia grow more strongly, they will be able to hold it at bay!!

No more than a random theory tbf.

Just got some additional lights (to finally improve spread) so will test that theory once they are set up. They don’t have dimmers so I’m just waiting on some fly screen to use as shading so that I can add the light slowly.