Faucaria tigrina seedlings with small pits/dimples?

[mikej]

I'm not sure what's going on, but these little dimples in my Faucaria tigrina seedlings appeared a few days ago (the seedlings are a month or two old). What can I do about this? (I don't know if it's a disease, a very well-hidden bug, or something else entirely.)

[MrPintxo]

It looks like bug bites.

[adetheproducer]

Slug/snail bites. They seen to have to take a good chunk out before they decide it does not taste good. I had a slug do this to a couple of my lophophora williamsii, I bet it was a bit more than the bitter taste that stopped his return.

[mikej]

Hm, interesting. I have seen a few small dead flies near my plants in general; could it be fly larvae, hiding out in the soil somewhere or something? (The dead flies were rather small, roughly the size of fruit flies or a bit bigger.)

Either way, sounds like I should take a really close look tonight when I get home. May be time to break out the loupe.

[greenknight]

I agree with ade, that's slug or snail damage. You won't need a loupe to see the culprit.

[Pushrestart]

If you saw dead flies nearby- they could be fungus gnats and if so those disgusting creatures are vectors for a number of fungal problems.
I typically understand circular damage as being fungal- so thats what Im thinking.

[adetheproducer]

Change the soil if you think it's fungal. Reduce greatly ir remove the organic components so there is nothing in the soil to encourage fungi to grow.

[mikej]

Hm. I can't see any snails, etc., so I'm not sure there's much I can do there. If it's fungal, I'm inclined to wait and see what happens: I have another pot with entirely inorganic media as a backup (though I've learned the hard way that fungus can still grow there!). The seedlings are so small still that I think trying to transplant them may be even riskier than waiting and seeing.

[iann]

You can get marks like that from microscopic damage that then expands. Something like a mite or even a tiny fungal lesion. I haven't seen it on Faucaria seedlings before. Snail bits leave a distinctive rasping pattern which you can see with a magnifier, or by eye once you know what to look for. These would be pretty small ones though.

I'd aim for the brightest light you can find at this time of year, and drier soil. They don't need to be constantly wet now, although don't leave them completely dry for long or they'll stop growing.

[mikej]

Thanks! How long should they remain dry? Water as soon as completely dry, or wait a day or two?