Growing Vallis nana in a non co2 set up

[faizal]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has any experience growing vallis nana in a non co2 set up? I just planted some yesterday. I am using Aqua soil with CaCO3 mixed in as substrate.

 

[Calzone]

I have done so, with very hard tap water. Strangely it melted initially, then took many weeks before recovering, and becoming an unstoppable weed! So patience can pay off. Oh, and it doesn't like liquid carbon at all in my experience.

Calzone

 

[Tim Harrison]

Hi, nearly all Vallis spp, have always been enduring mainstays for my low energy tanks, I can always count on them to grow well; once their roots become established in the soil there is simply no stopping them. However, I have always lived in hard water, high pH areas, and I think that suits them well, but I am sure they will grow in a wide variety of conditions. From what I have read they are not that fond of inorganic carbon or CO2 injection for that matter; so well suited for your tank too.

 

[akwarybka]

Mine grows well in a low tech tank, I have to say, I've never experienced melting! For me it's just another Vallis

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi
I found that if you remove the damaged leaves and then leave it on the surface for a few weeks to recover from transit... vallis tends to sends out new roots quicker and looks much more healthier than just sticking it in the substrate. The above helps regenerate the plant as there is usually more flow more light on the surface....even in a low light low tech set-up.Frequent water changes and fertilizing the water column help its acclimatisation.
I have had save some plants that looked like mushy peas and should have gone in the big compost heap in the sky...but by stripping them back too the root and just leaving a inch of greenery and implementing the above method they all recovered eventually.
hoggie

 

[faizal]

Thanks Hoggie. Yeah,...I remember Clive telling me to do the same thing some time back last year. A very good idea & makes a lot of sense.

 

[Tim Harrison]

found that if you remove the damaged leaves and then leave it on the surface for a few weeks to recover from transit... vallis tends to sends out new roots quicker and looks much more healthier than just sticking it in the substrate.

Nice theory but how would you know if root development was faster and better if the plants were left on the surface as opposed to being planted in an opaque substrate? Surely the point is you would not be able to see the difference unless you periodically uprooted them. Would you?

And wouldn't that be counter productive to further root development and plant growth? Thereby defeating the point of the object? QED.

How would you know that, for instance, root development wasn't faster if the plant was planted in a soil substrate and responding to a concentration gradient of nutrients emanating from a soil substrate, or in response to geotropism? Just asking as I would love to know.

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi Trio
I get your drift...just think of hydroponics.
Sort of same principle although the leaves are not out the water.
hoggie