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How to succeed with H. Pinnatifida

papa_c

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2013
Messages
368
So I seem to struggle on how to grow this successfully.

It always transitions to immersed growth , grows a little then dies off. Always with the leaves looking like the plant is laking potassium.

So moving away from potted H.Pinna and upping my potassium dosing, I'm now trying tissue culture H.Pinna.

Any tips on the best way to handle/plant the little plantlets to get the maximum success
 
I can only grow it succesfully in soft water, about KH 3-4, it's almost impossible to get success with my tap water with KH about 8-10. Of course, that was high tech tank: good moderate light, CO2, ferts.
 
Alexander, thanks for the comments, interestingly the best results I had was also with low kh.

I'm currently using RO water remineralised with 15% water. End kh is 5.

What would be your recommendation for the Tropica tissue culture H.Pinna. how should they be planted, in substrate or attached to wood or rocks?
 
Never tried tissue culture of pinatifida, but I guess you can put half of the pot to substrate and other half to wood, closer to light and ensure your water circulation is enough. That way you'll be able to see the difference and make your own opinion.

Also try to use less tap water to make lower kh, and remineralise with some GH booster or Ca/Mg salts to ensure proper level of GH 5-6.

For me this is tricky plant, although I remember Jordi had great success with pinatifida in tap water in his nano tank.

I'd like to note that once it established yourself it grows like a weed. But still tends to loose older leaves with signs of macro nutrients deficiency. Maybe potassium but it also could be phosphate.
 
Very mysterious plant :) I once got it via a fellow aqaurist already submersed form. Did put it in a little low tech holding tank in Akadama and kept it there alive for several months. Same kH value from the tap as Alexander. It didn't grow much during this time but stayed healthy. Created a new low tech scape with lavarock substrate i moved it there and it died on me. Tried it again a few times and never had succes and gave up on it. Never tried it high tech. I remember greenfinger2 (Roy), he inspired me to try this plant. He grew it in a few of his scapes very succesfully, high tech in rock hard London tapwater, in the soil and even epiphytic on wood.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads...be-new-cube-rescape.30848/page-21#post-410258
 
This plant loves co2 , if it doesn't have enough co2 and light it makes holes in the leaves like it have K deficiency , but its not that , its co2 and light
Kh is not important , as I said rich co2 , good light (but not very high) and EI ferts , you should grow it easy in these condition ,I had it in 3 tanks for over 4 years now
I repeat again , good co2 (over 30 ppm)
 
Good point! I think that indirectly explains why lower KH helps: afaik lower kh allows better co2 injection and more of co2 is available to plants. I got pinatifida growing in my high tech tank with relatively low injection rate, as I said it was growing quite good but older leaves are constantly yellow. That wasn't problem for me because it was growing very fast.
 
This plant loves co2 , if it doesn't have enough co2 and light it makes holes in the leaves like it have K deficiency , but its not that , its co2 and light
Kh is not important , as I said rich co2 , good light (but not very high) and EI ferts , you should grow it easy in these condition ,I had it in 3 tanks for over 4 years now
I repeat again , good co2 (over 30 ppm)

That completely explains my experience with it. It did well, showed growth but developed holes then died off and I thought it was k deficiecnt but lack of co2 definitely fits as I don't run much in that tank.
 
Thanks for the input, most helpful.

My tank has a 1.3 point of drop before lights on. Lighting is good 2 x 39w t5's. PAR at the substrate is showing 75. EI dosing was at 2x standard, but I have reverted back to standard EI but increased K via additional K2SO4. So not sure what else to look at.

I'll be interested if I have any more luck with Tropics invitro plants instead of pot grown. Will advise on the progress on a couple of weeks.
 
I tried this plant too in low tech, planted in substrate, and oddly enough a sprig somehow got loose and attached itself to a rock firmly.
The ones planted in substrate developed tiny pinholes which I too thought was sign of potassium deficiency, but increasing K did not help and they quickly died.
The sprig that attached itself to the rock did slightly better for longer period but it too succumbed.
All were dead within two month's.
Too bad for me, It is lovely plant.
Looking at retirement soon ,and may give the gas a go when I have more time for tinkering, and try this plant once again
 
AndreiD, tried both previously in and out of substrate...with the same ending

Sciencefiction...you might be on to something here, Light might have been the issue. Previously I have planted it between plants with the aim of having it grow through.

I currently have the small plantlets in various positions. I'll position some in high light areas and somehow low light to see how they go!
 
I currently have the small plantlets in various positions. I'll position some in high light areas and somehow low light to see how they go!

That's exactly what I did when I got it. Planted it in several places as I had no clue. Only the ones exposed to direct light flourished. The rest started dying until I moved them too.
 
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