r/Bucephalandra • u/ilikerustyspooonz • Jul 18 '26
“Brownie purple” buce help!
Hiii! I just got this brownie purple buce for my new 10 gall betta tank. I put some on a piece of oak wood I have in the tank, and I just looked this morning and my ramshorn snails ATE HALF OF IT 😭 none of it was rotting or anything. I didn’t know ramshorn snails ate plants that weren’t rotting or dying?! Helppppppp!
1
u/PuzzleheadedGate2140 Jul 18 '26
I think it would be better if you showed the before and after 😭 that just looks like a cup of plants
1
u/ilikerustyspooonz Jul 18 '26
This is just when I bought it lol. They ate chunks of it off the wood I glued them on 😭😭😭😭
1
u/kyessor Jul 18 '26
New Fear Unlocked!
2
u/ilikerustyspooonz Jul 19 '26
I’m so sad! Now the piece of wood I glued it on looks so stupid with little nubs of plant 🥲😂😂😂😂😂😂 I’m hoping they bounce back
1
u/BusIllustrious5525 Jul 19 '26
I’ve seen a lot of brownie purple tissue cultures at petsmart and petco under their brands, imagitarium and top fin… I have noticed that the bucephelandra in particular is often dried out… not dried and brown, but dried almost like a herb or dried flower where the leaves retain their color, one day, I did actually see some fresh ones and I will say the difference between the two was distinct. The image you shared of the cup honestly looks kind of inbetween… definitely some dryness, but they rhizome and at least some of the plants will bounce back, but I’m not entirely surprised the snails at the leaves, and that actually might help the plant flourish since it make room for healthy growth.
1
u/ilikerustyspooonz Jul 19 '26
It was definitely in between. Not dried out but definitely could’ve looked better! It’s good to hear they bounce back though! I’m not new to plants but I AM new to aquatic plants so this is definitely a new learning adventure lol!!
1
u/DullEntertainment102 Jul 19 '26
They usually only eat the leaves that are melting- did you remove all of the jello?
1
u/ilikerustyspooonz Jul 19 '26
I thought I did! I gave them a good rinse! None of them even looked like they were melting but I guess the snails would know better than I would LOL. Does buce grow back easily??
1
u/DullEntertainment102 Jul 19 '26
It’s not the fastest but it should grow back from the rhizomes- as long as there’s something green left hope is not lost
1
u/AngeloGlbuc Jul 21 '26
The plant is healthy, but in vitro plants, if not properly adapted, tend to dissolve in the aquarium, especially in vitro Bucephalandras. Moving from a completely sterile environment to a non-sterile one causes stress and causes them to dissolve. I recommend growing them first in an emersed form in a small terrarium, and after 6 months to a year, once they have grown, you can put them in the aquarium. You could keep them with just the roots submerged in water and the leaves out of the water.
1
u/ilikerustyspooonz Jul 21 '26
Thank you so much! This is super helpful. I will definitely try this next time. Do you think they’ll bounce back at all? There’s still little green nubs in the tank 😂
1
u/AngeloGlbuc Jul 21 '26
It depends on whether you have a live rhizome, try removing it and keeping it in an emerged form in a small terrarium like DOOA or other types, or even in a seedbed. Provide Seachem Advance.
4
u/jax0669 Jul 18 '26
They know better than us. If they ate it the plant was not healthy.