This is what they warned me about! "Crashing" Racemosa

This morning I saw my tank and it was very very cloudy. Since I had just tested last night, and hadn't changed anything, I was surprised. None of the livestock seemed to have a problem and then I noticed the Calurpa Racemosa - it had bleached. I have heard it was "invasive", "noxious", and of it "going sexual" and/or "crashing" and then releasing accumulated compounds to the detriment of water quality. I thought I was keeping it under control, as I limited it to a thin patch of about 5" x 6".

Side view of tank as I found it first thing in the morning, under the effect of the Crashed C. Racemosa:



I had only 2.5gal of NSW on hard, so I did a water change, and topped off the tank (< 0.5gal), added a bag of the carbon rods (that come with the Nano Cube) to the filter area.

Some of the problems I've heard of resulting from it "crashing":

• leaching "noxious" compounds
• ammonia build-up due to decomposing plant material
• dissolved oxygen reduction due to decomposing plant material

After work, I'm going to get my 5gal container filled back up with NSW, and get another. This incident exposes my lack of "disaster planning" as far as my tank is concerned. I suspect I'll also get an amonia test, and possibly a O2 test.

Bag of "crashed" C. Racemosa:



Side view of tank after the water change: