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Low tech plant growth problems

ScareCrow

Member
Joined
28 Jan 2019
Messages
628
Location
South west
Hi all,

I've been struggling for the past year with plant growth in my low tech tank, specifically variegated hygrophila polysperma.
I used to have a low tech tank with variegated hygro in, which grew really well and had good colour to it. I got the plants from aquadistri and they had good variegation when I got them. The plant's I currently have were sold as rosanervig from eBay and I think we're grown emersed. Is this a different species? I've looked at tropica plants in shops and they also don't have the colour of the plants I got from aquadistri years ago. Does anyone have any ideas that could improve plant growth and colour. I completely lost some Ludwigia super red but plants like pogostemon helferi are growing well. I'm out of ideas of what the issue could be!

My tank specs now are:
Aqua nano 40
Cat litter substrate
chihiros rgb 30 (just above the water at full power)
Dose EI at 50% dose
Dose liquid carbon daily
Weekly 50% water change

My tank specs when I had good plant growth:
Aqua start 500
Tetra complete substrate
No dosing
Weekly 25% water change

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Technically speaking your tank is not low-energy if you're dosing LC.
I can't comment on the variety you grew previously, but I think rosanervig requires high light and good CO2 to get the colour you're after and possibly to grow well.
That said every tank is different and what might grow well in one may not grow in another. Personally, I'd just concentrate on those plants that do well in your tanks unique environment.
 
Thanks for your reply.
After I hit post I did think that dosing LC is considered to be high tech.
I also forgot to mention the lighting I had on my previous setup where hydro was growing well. I was using the stock aqua start 500 lighting which is two 11watt compacts. So I think my lighting is better (spectrum and output) now?
 
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