# Anubias with Transparent Bubble?



## mingking (Mar 7, 2016)

Hi! I'm new to the fish world and planted aquariums. Today, I noticed a transparent bubble surrounding the stem/root of my anubias (pictures below) that I tied to the pot. I'm wondering what it is and what would you suggest I do next? 

It's in a 5G Fluval Chi tank that I set up on Sunday (4 days ago). It's not fully cycled and I haven't had the chance to go get the water tested. I plan to either get a testing kit or have my water tested at Petsmart when I have the time near the end of this week. There is a hornwort plant behind it and one betta fish in the tank right now. No plant fertilizers added yet either (something else I have to get this weekend!) 



















Thank you!! :-D


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

lilnaugrim streared me towards your thread since I've had the misfortune of dealing with the anubias disease-rhizome rot- in the past and posted on it a few times here.

That's a fungus, not not causing the problem (not the manifestation of rhizome rot) but just eating the sugars released from the plant (like the stuff that gets no newly submerged wood) as its breaking down. I had that happen on a piece that had pretty bad rhizome rot... it was an anubias broadleaf with a rhizome thicker than a thumb. It deteriorated extremely fast from the rhizome rot disease.
Other signs of rhizome rot:
Discoloration of the rhizome (tan/yellow/brown)-the underside of yours is discolored as well as where the fungus is growing
Discolored areas are soft
Loss of/lack of roots
Rapid deterioration of leaves (often base of stem has the discoloration)
Foul smell like garbage

Rhizome rot is contagious to other anubias in the same tank as it and has been reported to affect crypts and swords.
Remove the infected plant (that you picutred). If you want to try to save it get a clean sharp pair of scissors, utility/razor blade, or knife. Also grab some hydrogen peroxide and put some in a bowl. Dip the cutting utensil in the peroxide (cleans it). Examine your anubias closely. Find where the discoloration/soft spots end. Cut past that and into the healthy green rhizome, cut the rhizome clean through. Check the newly cut end for any discoloration/soft spot inside. If there is one dip the cutting blade and cut again. You need the rhizome to be healthy and get past any sign of the diseae (healthy rhizome cuts should be a light/pale green, uniform color). Once you've done this dip the cut end of the rhizome into the peroxide for 30-60 seconds.
Quarantine the anubias in a separate bowl/tank/container wit dechlorinated tap for up to a month. You can place it in a windowsill to get some sun or next tot eh tank to get indirect light. Observe the anubias and look for any signs mentioned above cropping up again. If so the plant is probably to far gone... if you have a very long rhizome you can try cutting again.
If you want you can do a water cahnge on the tank the anubias was original in for good measure, but its widely believed the physical plant has to be in there 

Rhizome is the horizontal part that roots and stems grow from, here is a photo to show









Some other reference info on rhizome rot-photos in there show extreme cases
http://anubias-engl.blogspot.com/2011/04/anubias-plants-rotting-facts-rumours.html

Some other rhizome rot photos (photos are large so they are links)
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=35228&d=1317002547
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=35230&stc=1&d=1317002598
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h47/prestond/IMG_0611.jpg
http://www.everythingaquatic.net/forum/filedata/fetch?id=141581&d=1361499172


As a side note. When buying new anubias its best to quarantine them for 1 month to observe for sighs of this disease. Don't put several together form different sources, it can end badly if just one comes home with the disease.


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## mingking (Mar 7, 2016)

Aqua Aurora said:


> lilnaugrim streared me towards your thread since I've had the misfortune of dealing with the anubias disease-rhizome rot- in the past and posted on it a few times here.
> 
> That's a fungus, not not causing the problem (not the manifestation of rhizome rot) but just eating the sugars released from the plant (like the stuff that gets no newly submerged wood) as its breaking down. I had that happen on a piece that had pretty bad rhizome rot... it was an anubias broadleaf with a rhizome thicker than a thumb. It deteriorated extremely fast from the rhizome rot disease.
> Other signs of rhizome rot:
> ...


WOW! Thank you! 

Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes when I set up my tanks/before I found this forum. I'm so thankful for this website. Learning lots and remedying my mistakes! Thank you again. I'll be inspecting my anubias soon and will determine whether or not I can save it.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

mingking said:


> WOW! Thank you!
> 
> Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes when I set up my tanks/before I found this forum. I'm so thankful for this website. Learning lots and remedying my mistakes! Thank you again. I'll be inspecting my anubias soon and will determine whether or not I can save it.


I hope you can! Good luck!
If you can buy the anubias locally and can see the rhizome, inspect it thoroughly before buying to save yourself a head ache. If multiple anubias are in the same display tank and 1/some show signs of the disease, don't buy any of them.


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## Bobioden (Dec 23, 2015)

I had rhizome rot kill all of my Anubias. Healthy one day, and they all just melted, with their leaves dropping off. Too late for me to save any. 

Also got my Banana Plant. Was that related?

Just got in 10 new Anubias Petite. Hoping for the best.


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## mingking (Mar 7, 2016)

Thankfully, I only had one Anubias. I took it out but couldn't really locate the rhizome and decided to just scrap it. :tongue: Oh well! I'm glad to know this could happen and what to look for in the future. 

Today, I went to a more reputable store that specializes in aquariums and purchased some java fern and java moss instead. I am doing it right this time! I have them in a bucket of water and they will be in quarantine for a few weeks!

I read people use bleach or potassium permanganate to clean plants but I'm too scared to use bleach in case I kill the plant and I can't find potassium permanganate in the two stores I'd think they would be at.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Bobioden said:


> I had rhizome rot kill all of my Anubias. Healthy one day, and they all just melted, with their leaves dropping off. Too late for me to save any.
> 
> Also got my Banana Plant. Was that related?
> 
> Just got in 10 new Anubias Petite. Hoping for the best.


I'm unsure if it was directly related to the rhizome rot or not. I've not kept that plant nor seen any info on the web of it getting rhizome rot.



mingking said:


> Thankfully, I only had one Anubias. I took it out but couldn't really locate the rhizome and decided to just scrap it. :tongue: Oh well! I'm glad to know this could happen and what to look for in the future.
> 
> Today, I went to a more reputable store that specializes in aquariums and purchased some java fern and java moss instead. I am doing it right this time! I have them in a bucket of water and they will be in quarantine for a few weeks!
> 
> I read people use bleach or potassium permanganate to clean plants but I'm too scared to use bleach in case I kill the plant and I can't find potassium permanganate in the two stores I'd think they would be at.


Potassium permagnimate (aka pp) is not seen much in stores these days as it tends to stain so people don't like to use it. You can get it on ebay. Bleach and pottasium permagnimate can kill plants if the ratio of water to bleach or pp is wrong (not enough water diluting it) or the plants left in too long. That said I've done a 1/3 strength (weak) bleach dip on anubias and left them in for 30 minutes without issue before. Anubias is pretty hardy with dips as long as you don't over do it.
For PP dips I add tiny bits of powder at a time to the water and stir it in until the water turns dark purple almost black then do a 5 minute dip. You can add less (pink to light purple hue water) and do a longer dip.


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