# Anubias troubles



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

I can't believe I actually killed Anubias.
So I purchased some Anubias last week, when they came in, I floated them in a bucket for a day. The anubias nana gold started to yellow and dropped a couple leaves when I tried to plant it. A day later, the last leaf and oddly enough the healthy looking one dropped off when I tried to move the plant (stuck the roots in the substrate). Now today the roots are falling off and it looks like shown in the first picture. Right now I have it quarantined in a bucket.

The other three, two Anubias nana and one Anubias Barteri seem to be doing well, although one of the nana seems to be getting a little yellow (second picture). Tank was dosed with Flourish.

So, is the Nana Gold a lost cause?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Congratulations.. you got diseased plants =.= Anubias can carry a contagious disease (to other anubias in the same tank as well as crypts) called rhizome rot. Its not a very well known disease yet, for example scientists still haven't pinpointed if its a fungus, bacteria, or a microscopic parasite.
I've lost a $300 colelction to this and just tried to re-star the collection and loosing them all again because I got a diseased batch UGH $120 in anubias in the trash....
Best thing to do: any new anubias put in a tank (or bowl/mixing pot) and let it have indirect sunlight or tank light for 3-4 weeks. You can use water from the tank to give it nutrients. If it does not rot/go soft/lose all its leaves/discolor/smell like garbage by then its safe to put in with the rest of the anubias. DO not put new plants with existing ones, and if you buy from several sellers, keep them separate from eachother.
you can read some more on rhizome rot [here]

I'd recommend buying anubias from plantedaquariumscental.com, its the only site I've not gotten bad anubias from, but the selection is a little limited and does run out of stock. but they never have algae and the seller always throws in a little something extra.

One of the anubias I threw out today (would be dissolved by tomorrow) was soft and flexible, leaves fell off if i pulled lightly on them... notice the discoloration


Also keep an eye out for semi translucent white thready fuzz fungus on rhizomes and base of stems of other anubias, its not the rhizome rot itself, but a 'secondary disease' so to speak from the rhizome starting to rot. if you've put new driftwood in a tank and got the white fluffy/fuzzy fungus it looks similar. you can see some growing on the cut part of this anubias rhizome


Sorry again for your loss :c but don't worry its not your poor care, its a disease you cannot prevent, if it has it when it comes in, its got it...


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks, I was reading up on Rhizome rot and was afraid that was what it was, that's why I threw it in quarantine. Guess I'll just toss it now. They all came from the same seller so I'm hoping they others make it.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

If any of them start looking suspicious (discolored leaves, rhizomes, getting the fuzz, etc) separate it immediately from the others. Its kind of like a cold or sickness we get where there's an incubation period after exposure (getting it in us) before symptoms show. So if another plant shows illness separate it, and re-set the 3-4 week clock on the 'hopefully healthy' ones, if they don't show signs after that time they should be ok. Honestly 2 weeks is probably enough time to see if its ok (about how long my recent batch took to show sighs) but its better safe than sorry so I'd double the observation period.
Coffeefolia, hastifolia, and a few other anubias species have red pigment in their rhizomes. The chemicals that make up that pigment also offer some resistance to the disease.. unfortunately its only resistance not immunity. I put my hastifolia (2nd photo I showed) in a tank with known healthy petites and crypts... (removed it quickly when I found the fuzz) now I fear I'll loose all the crypts and my lovely dense petites from that stupidity...


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

I've been tugging on the leaves since yesterday with the intention of removing the second one comes loose. I was worried about the one anubias that was yellowing, but the color seems to be uniform so I think it was one of the nana that got diseased instead of the nana gold and I got the two mixed up when they were in the bucket since the nana was dying. I'm half tempted to remove it just to be safe.

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just going to have to deal with a possible Anubiageddon, the damage is already done. Haven't seen anything with the crypts yet, but at least all of them are regular shop varieties in a new tank. If I do suffer Anubiageddon and have a complete die off, how long do I wait before trying to replant, or do I have to tear down the tank?


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I'm sorry but I don't have a difinitive answer for post anubiageddon (clever btw). The last time it happened to me I did a 200%+ water change to remove all the rotted debris from the substrate (also had a lot of snails so cleaning up their poo). I did not put anubias in that tank again until recently (6 months later) but I have had crypts since 2 months after the disaster without issue (crypts can also get the disease, it displays as melted leaves.. and then dead plant). I'd read somewhere that it can only directly transfer with other anubias in the same water as the diseased plant.. kinda of like a very small proximity 'air born' germ that has to find a host fast as it can't survive without it. However this is speculation so don't take my word on it.... Personally I'd do *very *thorough tank cleaning to remove rotted anubias debris to make sure there's not little chunks of rotting rhizome left in the substrate or filter that could pass the disease on, then you _should _be ok.
I hope you don't suffer any more rotted rhizomes!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks, crypts are melting so I trimmed those leaves, but I'm seeing some new growth on them so I'm thinking it's normal adjustment, no fuzz on them. Anubias are chugging along so far, fingers crossed. Did 2 x 50% with the gravel vac today, didn't want to disrupt the new plants anymore than I already did. The little guy couldn't hang out in his QT much longer so I put him in today as well, so thanks for the well wishing on no more rot. Will let you know how it goes.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Well, I took all the the other anubias out and put them in a qt, glad I did, cause they all got that white fuzz and fell apart. The crypts are barely holding on, like literally just one leaf. I'm almost at the point where I'm not sure if they'll even survive or if it's worth it.

Sucks, that's my entire bamaplants order. Oh well, live and learn. Guess I'm going to do a few water changes, wait a couple months before getting more anubias.


----------



## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Its likely a root nematode (_Radopholus similis)_ though there was talk for a while by the government of Tobacco White Fly (_Bemisia tabaci_) on the anubias' too, but the rot is more likely the nematode, as it seems to really like living in the rhizome (though it is found elsewhere!). Its gross :/

Your plants probably come to your supplier from Asia. The UK Government (DEFRA) was actually moving to ban imports of Anubias because of this... then the large East Asian supplier(s) "voluntarily" stopped selling them to us. South Korea actually did ban imports of it though, after the nematode was found. 

There were reports here back along of it having spread to _Echinodorus _speciesand _Hygrophila corymbosa_, but no definitive proof, but worth keeping an eye on them too if you have them in the tank. 

Just some case notes that were linked with this when it happened to me.  

"Nematropica (2000) 30, 63-75
P.S. Lehman, N. Vovlas, R.N. Inserra, L.W. Duncan and D.T. Kaplan (2000)
Colonization of foliar tissues of an aquatic plant, Anubias barteri Schott, by Radopholus similis
Nematropica 30 (1), 63-75

_*Abstract:* In this paper evidence is presented for the reproduction of Radopholus similis in foliar tissues of Anubias barteri Schott. Burrowing nematodes colonized petioles and leaves of A. barteri in addition to the rhizomes. The nematode invaded the epidermis and the mesophyll of leaves causing cavities and cell disruption in the epidermis, palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma. Cavities extended from the spongy parenchyma into the periphery of the vascular bundles disrupting the regular flow of nutrient solution in the leaf tissues. Nematode feeding and migration also damaged the palisade parenchyma and cell chloroplasts inducing chlorosis and small brown lesions on the blades of the infected leaves. The burrowing nematodes recovered from A. barteri reproduced on sour orange and Duncan grapefruit in the greenhouse and on sour orange in the laboratory. In greenhouse tests, the citrus race of R. similis from citrus and the population from A. barteri reproduced on four Anubias species. Morphological and morphometric characteristics of R. similis from Anubias spp. did not differ from the R. similis citrus race from citrus."


_


Aqua Aurora said:


> Honestly 2 weeks is probably enough time to see if its ok (about how long my recent batch took to show sighs) but its better safe than sorry so I'd double the observation period.


Should be 'safe' after 21 days or so, so you were spot-on there.


----------



## autojoy (Jun 16, 2014)

Omg! I am so interested to learn that it is likely to be a nematode!!! I lost my first anubias from my first ever plant order to this thing (was SO sad, it was a lovely plant) and I've been uneasy about trying again, as reading around about it nobody really seemed to know what it was. All anubias I've seen in stores have rotted rhizomes (Pets At Home, the LFS etc.) at varying levels. 

I'm upset that it can apparently transfer to other non-anubias plants too, eeeek. I'd like to try again with these lovely plants, though I'm worried... I would *definitely* quarantine, though waiting two weeks and then letting a plant-seller know that they had diseased plants -- I bet they'd think I was taking the piss ((


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Veloran said:


> Well, I took all the the other anubias out and put them in a qt, glad I did, cause they all got that white fuzz and fell apart. The crypts are barely holding on, like literally just one leaf. I'm almost at the point where I'm not sure if they'll even survive or if it's worth it.
> 
> Sucks, that's my entire bamaplants order. Oh well, live and learn. Guess I'm going to do a few water changes, wait a couple months before getting more anubias.


I'm very sorry for your loss, know the frustration/sadness quite well. Don't give up the the crypts completely, there is a small chance they are having the common melt from change in tank environment (since they are new), as long as the roods don't rot off its still alive and should make new leaves in a few weeks at the most. If the whole thing is rotted (base where stem and roots grow, and roots) then sadly it did succumb to the same disease :c

I've not bought crypts from then but the only seller I'd recommend -that I've *not *gotten diseased anubias from- is plantedaquariumscentral.com I linked directly to their anubias. They don't have a huge variety, but their supplier hasn't given sick plants. They're very polite so if you want to ask if they can get a hold of other species and list which ones they may try to.
Btw, though there isn't many (any?) narrow leaf anubias right now, I'd recommend getting some if you do buy from that site, awesome little plant leaves are a little bigger than petite but it grows smaller and more compact compared to regular nana!



BettaMummy87 said:


> Its likely a root nematode (_Radopholus similis)_ though there was talk for a while by the government of Tobacco White Fly (_Bemisia tabaci_) on the anubias' too, but the rot is more likely the nematode, as it seems to really like living in the rhizome (though it is found elsewhere!). Its gross :/
> 
> Your plants probably come to your supplier from Asia. The UK Government (DEFRA) was actually moving to ban imports of Anubias because of this... then the large East Asian supplier(s) "voluntarily" stopped selling them to us. South Korea actually did ban imports of it though, after the nematode was found.
> 
> ...


That is fascinating, I'll have to look into that some more.


----------



## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Aqua Aurora said:


> Don't give up the the crypts completely, there is a small chance they are having the common melt from change in tank environment (since they are new), as long as the roods don't rot off its still alive and should make new leaves in a few weeks at the most. If the whole thing is rotted (base where stem and roots grow, and roots) then sadly it did succumb to the same disease :c
> 
> That is fascinating, I'll have to look into that some more.



+1 on the crypt advice. Fingers crossed it is just that. The place where the info was dug out from DEFRA hasn't mentioned anything spreading to crytps, so lets hope its okay! 

I know, I was surprised when I found it all out. Buy all mine from the Netherlands nureries now  Though that may be a tad far to pay shipping unless you happen to be in Europe XD


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks, I'll have to look up root nematode. I did see the rhizome covered in the white fuzz when the leaves fell off, either way, they're in the trash now, too late to autopsy .. lol.

I'm hoping the crypts pull through, I don't like where they're planted in the tank, but I don't want to dig them up either and disturb them anymore, as long as they're holding on and not affecting the water quality, I'm not going to mess with them.


----------

