how to encourage runners??

[Zebra Fish]

I’ve had jungle vallis for absolutely ages (or it feels like it) I’ve got about 5 stems of it and 3/5 grows absolutely monstrously (like I never have a water change and not thought that I need to cut that back) and from those 3 plants that are growing like crazy I kind of expect them to be setting out runners like if they’re healthy enough to grow that fast why aren't they healthy enough to put off runners. I don’t expect that little slower growth to do.


I use to dose flourish fertiliser and co2 whereas for about a month now it’s been DIY co2 and flourish fertiliser. I’ve now gone and bought TNC tabs to try and encourage runners as well as dosing flourish for the non-rooted plants in my tank. So will this solve it or is there something I’m doing wrong or should do instead?

 

[tim]

How longs it been planted ?? I struggled with Vallis of all types Ime it likes harder water and plenty of nutrients once I started dosing Ei ferts Vallis grows like a weed in the scapes I've had it in, should note Vallis can also be sensitive to liquid carbon.

 

[Zebra Fish]

think its about 4 months ago now, and the liquid carbon stopped 2 months ago and growth shot up with that. didn't know vallis didnt like it all i know is my moss ball started dying because of a anti-algae chemical. i am going to experiment and try a new fertiliser to see if it will make a difference its called easy life profito (nipping to the LFS) tomorrow so maybe this one which sounds like its got a wider range of helpful stuff which says it does this that and the other. im also hoping that the TNC plugs make a difference. i was just wondering if there was any mineral that vallis must have needed such as iron or whatever

 

[tim]

Dosing flourish only (trace elements) you'll be missing macro elements, pro fito only includes k (potassium) Your plants also need nitrogen and phosphorus give this thread a read http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/ei-dosing-using-dry-salts.1211/ you can order a comprehensive fert from various sponsors of the forum but personally I like this one http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/...tiliser/apfuk/apf-liquid-plant-nutrition.html contains all the nutrients your plants need and affordable.

 

[Zebra Fish]

oh !! i was under the impression it had both hmm now i look at it all this bells and whistles easy life isn't a mixture either dang it! is there no mixture of macro and micro pre mixed ?!?!

the main thing is that i don't want to be mixing stuff up i want to open a bottle measure out x amount and put it in the tank so that rules out dry salts is there a pre measured version of EI don't think i've spotted any :S

 

[tim]

The apfuk fert I linked has both macro and micro, Well worth the money if you don't want the hassle of mixing your own.

 

[Zebra Fish]

is it actually a fertiliser though and there's normally a big list of chemicals that you get with iron usually highlighted like this list i got off the profito website "manganese, boron, cobalt, lithium, molybdenum, copper, tin, nickel, fluorine, iodine, aluminium, zinc, selenium and vanadium" and yet that one is just 3 chemicals :S im so confused right now

 

[tim]

Yes it's actually a fertiliser and contains all the elements you've listed as trace elements plus npk macro elements, I'm happy to say I've used it with great results.

 

[Lindy]

I like tropica specialised

http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/bmz...alised-fertiliser-125ml.jpg.image.500x500.jpg

 

[Zebra Fish]

i bought some of that apf stuff so we shall see when it arrives what difference it will make and hopefully runners will appear thanks for the advice and clearing that up. i found on the flourish/seacham website it claiming that it was a mixture of macro and micro but general consensus seems to be that its just micro :\