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Light, CO2 or something else?

Tom

Tom

Member
Joined
8 Sep 2007
Messages
2,631
Location
Kawanabe, Kagoshima, Japan 鹿児島県南九州市川辺町
My HC has struggled from the off - basically everything I planted melted away quite badly within the first week, but most things are recovering now. The main exceptions to this are the HC and the Micranthemum micranthemoides. I totally lost my Bolbitis and Hydrocotyle.

Both HC and MM are very slow growing and seeing more diatoms than any other plants. Everything else is now growing fairly well and responding well to trimming (including hairgrass, Didiplis, Ludwigia, Rotala, moss, Crypts etc.).

IMG_8302.jpg


It's my first time trying out LED lighting, so I was wondering whether it was sufficient. CO2 'should' be ok. 1bps into the current in a 45cm aquarium, seemingly well distributed. The only question I would have is whether the higher temperature here could be causing issues. The water temp is regularly 27-29, with the air temperature between 26 and 34 daily. I tried running a fan over the water surface all day, but there was no noticeable difference. Hopefully over the next month it'll start dropping. Will have the opposite problem in winter, with no central heating/double glazing/insulation of any description in Japan.

So the question is, what do you think might be causing the issues with these two plants? Light, CO2, heat or something else? I'm considering trying something different in the foreground- perhaps more moss and hairgrass, but it's not really the look I wanted.

Thanks,

Tom
 
Hi Tom
It is usually a Co2 issue and a distribution of that gas that leads to melting!
Do you have a drop checker?
You could try growing the HC and MC emersed in a separate bowl or tank then submerge the plant every few days with water to help with the transition to underwater life!
Then replant.
These two plants can be a tad tricky to get acclimatised sometimes...especially if the are purchased as Invitro plants!
Cheers
hoggie
 
I had hc in a very tall tank 24 inch from light to substate,with 2 x 39w light I was trying to grow in for about 4 months it just would not take off,I tryed upping the co2 more flow, nothing worked,it was not till I upper my light to 4 x 39w that it started to spead and take off,I think the light was not penetrating down to the substate enough,I would try upping the light and upping the co2 till it gets going then back the light and co2 off once it starts carpeting..more water changes 2 per week when you up the light and co2...
 
Agree that hc needs light and co2. Lots of nitrates also help...
 
I emersed 2 cups HC on soil took from rice farm. Only need 4 weeks to have dense carpet in my 80 cm (l), 20 cm (w), 20 cm (h) tank. But when I flood 'em, they stop growing, diatoms and darker coloring start, and slowly they're gone... water temperature, CO2 and light supply are the suspects 'cause the soil provide enough nutrition.
 
Thanks for your replies, and the interesting link kadoxu.

I lost the fight with the HC, and tore it out. I did, however, replace it with Glosso 3 days ago. I already have a promising number of runners (when the shrimp don't relocate the new plants!). No melting or die-off at all. Looking good, and haven't changed any dosing or CO2.

I did buy some ADA Special Lights yesterday, though, and started dosing that at 2 pumps per day as of today.

Now just to make the MM and Rotala a bit happier. I severely doubt there's a shortage of CO2 based on the way it's blasting around the tank, so I'm hoping the extra N and P might do something. Not a very scientific hypothesis, but let's see. The Pogostemon and moss is already unstoppable and looking great, and the Crypts are starting to do better.
 
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