Red plant green bottom :/

[Lukes]

Hello!

I have a ludwigia palustris red which I have had for just over 2 weeks, the growth is pretty good and the plant seems to be lush and red but the bottom is still green and with small holes in, not potassium deficiency type of holes either,

Will the bottom become red or is my lighting not strong enough?
Maybe it is the emersed form changing to submersed
I'm not sure what it could be, maybe someone has advice or tips, anything would be appreciated!

I am running pressurised co2,
2 T5HO 24Watt Fluval life spectrum which are about 6700K each about 1 inch (25mm) above the water surface . Dosing tropica premium fertiliser at double dose for my sized tank and 5ml of seachem potassium (hygrophila are greedy on potassium!) And the tank is 125 litres (Fluval Roma 125, upgraded lights they are defiantly T5 and not T8) I have drift wood which leeches out a fair amount of tannins which I don't think effects the light penetration

Lights are on for 10 hours a day on a timer co2 is on for 9 hours timer too

Hope I have given enough information and haven't missed anything out and sorry for rambling on a bit too much!

 

[Kai McNeil]

I dose iron in my tank, and am already seeing great results with red plants.

 

[kadoxu]

Exactly the same is happening to me.

Usually red plants need a lot of light in order to become red. You definitively get decent light at the top of the plant, but there's probably not too much reaching the bottom leaves.

Iron will probably help as well.

 

[alto]

ludwigia palustris red which I have had for just over 2 weeks, the growth is pretty good and the plant seems to be lush and red but the bottom is still green and with small holes

sounds normal - when ready to trim, you might just replant the tops (discard the bottom bits if you like or just wait for new growth)
You're correct that old growth is emerse, new growth submerse

L palustris plant handling video

Dosing tropica premium fertiliser at double dose

I'd sooner dose recommended level of Premium & then add the Specialized for additional fertilizer

 

[Lukes]

I thought it could have been not enough light, but surely if I increase my light, how will light get to the base of the plant surely the same thing will happen, the plant will shade its own bottom leaves?
Another question, if I was to cut the top and discard the bottom dead looking part (assuming it's emersed growth dying due to submerged) would the red part I plant turn green over time?
Thanks for the answers as well !

 

[kadoxu]

I thought it could have been not enough light, but surely if I increase my light, how will light get to the base of the plant surely the same thing will happen, the plant will shade its own bottom leaves?

You need really high light levels to avoid that. Some people use 2-4 Watts per gallon to get red leaves.

Another question, if I was to cut the top and discard the bottom dead looking part (assuming it's emersed growth dying due to submerged) would the red part I plant turn green over time?
Thanks for the answers as well !

I believe it will. I read somewhere that providing iron and keeping nitrates low helps a lot with red plants (high light is always a must).

 

[Ulfsark]

Hight light is the key if you want for the bottom leaves of your plants to be red. If bottom part does not get enough light, it will turn greenish over time.