Whitebeam
Member
I've tried P. helferi before and it just sat there and slowly died away. That was before I changed from the internal filter to my new shiny Eheim and changed to a single photo period, but the sad remains that are still in the tank refuse to perk up. I've now ordered a new pot and I so much want to be able to get this plant to grow, as I love the look of it. Please would you look at my setup below and see if there's anything I'm missing that this plant wants to be happy?
Peter
Tank: Juwel Rekord 800.
Volume: Water volume above substrate = 79cm(l) x 33.5cm(w) x 34cm(h) = 90l = 23.8USG.
Lighting: 2 x Juwel 18W T8 tubes 55cm usable length (1 x Warm Lite and 1 x Day Lite) 37 cm to substrate. Juwel reflectors on both tubes.
Photo period: 7 hours per day (14:00-21:00).
Filter: Eheim Pro3 350 (model 2073).
Substrate: ~3mm diameter smooth gravel.
CO2: D&D pressurised at about 4 bps to maintain green-yellow in drop checker loaded with homemade 4dKH. Drop checker in vicinity of subject Pogostemon. CO2 on at 12:00, off at 20:00. CO2 introduced into filter return line using Up-Aqua diffuser. Misting.
Ferts: High nitrate tap water (to about 25ppm) and high fish load, so dosing dry ferts at 0.15g KH2PO4 and 1.0g K2SO4 Sun, Tue, & Thu; 3ml TPN and 2ml Flourish Iron Mon, Wed & Fri. AE Aqua Carbon at 9ml after water change, then 2.5ml daily. Weekly dose: K=17ppm, PO4 = 3.5ppm, Fe = 0.75ppm.
Water change: Weekly 50% water change on a Sunday with light vacuuming of visible gravel. Water stats at the end of the week always 25ppm < Nitrate < 50ppm. 0ppm Nitrite. 0ppm Ammonia. GH 220ppm (12dGH). KH 180ppm (10dKH). pH 6.8 at end of CO2 dose period, 7.8 after 24 hours outgassing.
Décor: Two pieces of driftwood in there since the tank was started in Feb 10.
Fauna: High load: 8 x Rosy Tetra, 8 x Blue Tetra, 6 x Cherry Barb, 4 x Julii Cory, 1 x Oto, 3 x Amano shrinp, 3 x Red Cherry Shrimp, 3 x Nerite Snails.
Flora: Hygrophila corymbosa 'Angustifolia', Rotala rotundifolia, 2 x Crypt. sp., Spiral Vallis, an unknown smaller sword, the remains of the Pogostemon helferi and Lilaeopsis brasiliensis. Also (planted last weekend as part of the post-new-filter revamp) Echinodorus tenellus, Staurogyne repens and Marsilea hirsuta. All plants seem to be doing well except for that Pogostick-plant.
Flow: Filter outlet to full-width spraybar at back top of tank directed parallel to surface towards the front. Good circular swirling flow evident from tracking CO2 mist bubbles. Flow appears to be good in region of Pogostemon.
Peter
Tank: Juwel Rekord 800.
Volume: Water volume above substrate = 79cm(l) x 33.5cm(w) x 34cm(h) = 90l = 23.8USG.
Lighting: 2 x Juwel 18W T8 tubes 55cm usable length (1 x Warm Lite and 1 x Day Lite) 37 cm to substrate. Juwel reflectors on both tubes.
Photo period: 7 hours per day (14:00-21:00).
Filter: Eheim Pro3 350 (model 2073).
Substrate: ~3mm diameter smooth gravel.
CO2: D&D pressurised at about 4 bps to maintain green-yellow in drop checker loaded with homemade 4dKH. Drop checker in vicinity of subject Pogostemon. CO2 on at 12:00, off at 20:00. CO2 introduced into filter return line using Up-Aqua diffuser. Misting.
Ferts: High nitrate tap water (to about 25ppm) and high fish load, so dosing dry ferts at 0.15g KH2PO4 and 1.0g K2SO4 Sun, Tue, & Thu; 3ml TPN and 2ml Flourish Iron Mon, Wed & Fri. AE Aqua Carbon at 9ml after water change, then 2.5ml daily. Weekly dose: K=17ppm, PO4 = 3.5ppm, Fe = 0.75ppm.
Water change: Weekly 50% water change on a Sunday with light vacuuming of visible gravel. Water stats at the end of the week always 25ppm < Nitrate < 50ppm. 0ppm Nitrite. 0ppm Ammonia. GH 220ppm (12dGH). KH 180ppm (10dKH). pH 6.8 at end of CO2 dose period, 7.8 after 24 hours outgassing.
Décor: Two pieces of driftwood in there since the tank was started in Feb 10.
Fauna: High load: 8 x Rosy Tetra, 8 x Blue Tetra, 6 x Cherry Barb, 4 x Julii Cory, 1 x Oto, 3 x Amano shrinp, 3 x Red Cherry Shrimp, 3 x Nerite Snails.
Flora: Hygrophila corymbosa 'Angustifolia', Rotala rotundifolia, 2 x Crypt. sp., Spiral Vallis, an unknown smaller sword, the remains of the Pogostemon helferi and Lilaeopsis brasiliensis. Also (planted last weekend as part of the post-new-filter revamp) Echinodorus tenellus, Staurogyne repens and Marsilea hirsuta. All plants seem to be doing well except for that Pogostick-plant.
Flow: Filter outlet to full-width spraybar at back top of tank directed parallel to surface towards the front. Good circular swirling flow evident from tracking CO2 mist bubbles. Flow appears to be good in region of Pogostemon.