Red root floaters

[DD1880]

I have had these red root floaters for over a month and they are growing well but the roots aren’t red and not as long as when I first got them from the lfs! I have a Chihiros rgb 60 at about 38% power for 9 hours and dose Nilocg thrive 3 pumps twice a week. Anyone know of any secrets to get them red without burning my big java fern I have and Anubis? I saw a pic on this forum from Hinterfeld.com of some red root floaters under a Chihiros rgb that looked beautiful and the tops were red to. I would love for them to look like that! Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[DD1880]

This is how I would like them to look! I’m sure they are using the same light!

 

[alto]

More light - turn your RGB to 100%

Put them outside in a small pond
(always a consideration when you see brilliant red version of this plant in an aquarium shot)

 

[DD1880]

Thanks! Do you think that might give my java fern and Anubis a burn on the leaves?

 

[alto]

Depends, high light in absence of added CO2 can be problematic

Though if floating plants are dense enough this can limit light (but also takes more attention as you need to routinely thin out the floaters - they’ll stack and stack and then can crash quite quickly)

Try increasing by 5% per week (pretty slow but I’m assuming no added CO2)

If you notice increased algae etc, then reduce light again and allow tank more time to stabilize at the increased light levels

 

[tam]

They react to light, so if you stick a small portion in a cup on a sunny window sill they'll go bright red. They look healthy though, so give them time to fill in so they are shading out the plants below and then turn your lights up.

 

[DD1880]

Sounds good! Thanks for all the helpful info. I’ll give it a try cause I really wanted the red roots at the very least. Red tops would be even better! And yes I’m not doing co2, yet haha!! I did start this tank out with plastic plants and a hood with fluorescent bulb! Now planted with a Chihiros rgb 60 and topless!

 

[mort]

I've got anything but strong light (tmc grobeams) and I get a nice colour halfway between green and the intense red of the picture but this only happens in the summer/autumn when sunlight hits the tank.

As alto says they can stack and become a really thick mat pretty quickly and I have no problem with lower light loving plants underneath them, on the contrary my buce's have rapidly, well rapidly for them, spread throughout the lower levels.

 

[DD1880]

Yeah I don’t have any sunlight hitting the tank! I figured the Chihiros rgb 60 would be bright enough at 38% but guess not. Wonder how high I’ll have to go to get some red roots at least? Thanks for the help!

 

[DD1880]

Ok so I have the thick mat now but still no red roots! At 50% now so wonder how much higher I’ll have to go? Don’t want algae problems either! And I’m not using c02!

 

[tam]

They are definitely multiplying, but you've got a bit to go to get a mat. They will literally pile up about 1" thick with the top growth not actually in the water. Can't find a really good pic, but even denser than this... (which is under a grobeam).

 

[DD1880]

Yeah I like that color and the ridges on the leaves! Mine had nice bubble and ridges on the leaves but now they’re just flat and green. How do I get that back? I have my Chihiros rgb 60 at 50% now! Thanks for the help! And I want the red roots back!

 

[tam]

I'm surprised they aren't! That wasn't under particularly bright light just low tech. I think as they continue to fill in more you'll be able to really gradually increase the light and they'll go reder and their shade will prevent algae below.

 

[DD1880]

Yeah I really wanted that look! I dose Nilocg thrive 3 pumps twice a week. I might have raised the light to fast before it completely covered the top cause now I have this hairy algae on my java fern leaves but not on my anubis! I tried pulling it off the leaves and it was stuck on pretty good! Any suggestions on how to get rid of this algae now on my java fern? Haha

 

[DD1880]

I don’t dose carbon or use co2 either btw.

 

[DD1880]

Do you dose extra iron to get that color under the grobeams?