Low Tech / Fugeray Planted+ /Pogo. helferi

[Mikeaq]

Hello everyone.

After about a month of tracking down this plant, I was finally able to secure a tissue culture. But now, because I don't have the patience to wait and see if it grows, I'm paranoid.

I have a fugeray planted + light hanging 15" from the substrate.

Substrate is Eco-complete.
Used Flourish root tabs.
Dosing like 1/8th of a capful of excel daily.

I have the Pogostemon directly underneath where the led hits the surface of the tank.

I did research online that says the Fugeray is a low-medium plant light. But read that the par at 15" is still 45.
Do you guys think this lighting is enough to grow the helferi ?

When I first got the light in August, I used the legs it came with and put it directly on top of the tank. It was basically impossible to control the algae even running DIY Co2. That is why I have it hanging 5 inches above the tank now.

The tank has been up for about 2 months with just gravel and a betta in it. And I haven't had Any algae growing. I just planted it with 3 background plants which I never got the names of... (Amateur) Pogo. helferi, dwarf hair grass, Cardinal lobelia, and pogo. erectus 3 days ago.

I'd appreciate any advice from those with experience!


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[Brian_Nano12g]

The light should be intense enough, IMO. However, I think you should work to determine the right amount of excel dosing, which should be increased over recommended dosing if you no longer have the DIY co2. Actually, if you can add the DIY co2 coupled with excel dosing, I believe you'll get much better results overall - more plant growth, less algae.

What about ferts? You should start dosing a comprehensive regimen like pps-pro..

 

[F.Sam]

Always plant DHG in smaller clumps. As for pogo helferi, i've had some trouble growing this plant. At first it would grow at an extremely fast rate, the it would stagnate, and eventually it started melting. After every trimming they started to look good again.. But two weeks later, same story!
As for the tank, like it loads! Good plant choice (red-green-brownish tints). But your focal point is dead centre, i would suggest moving the wood (or stone) a bit off centre. (That's about the only thing I've learned watching aquascape-instruction videos ? )


Sent per three-eyed raven..

 

[Mikeaq]

Always plant DHG in smaller clumps. As for pogo helferi, i've had some trouble growing this plant. At first it would grow at an extremely fast rate, the it would stagnate, and eventually it started melting. After every trimming they started to look good again.. But two weeks later, same story!
As for the tank, like it loads! Good plant choice (red-green-brownish tints). But your focal point is dead centre, i would suggest moving the wood (or stone) a bit off centre. (That's about the only thing I've learned watching aquascape-instruction videos ? )


Sent per three-eyed raven..

Thank you for the advice I really appreciate it. I agree with you with the focal point not being in the center. In the center it really takes away from the size of the tank so I moved it around and did some trimming so the plants that are already tall have room to re grow.

As far as nutrients I'm just using the flourish tabs and FloraPride, I might pick up a bottle of Flourish. Still researching the nutrients thing. I did notice some algae on the cardinal plant so I did a 50% water change and dosed a cap and a half full of excel. Definitely going to dose more excel because I don't want to run into the algae problem again.

Here is what the tank looks like now. A lot more spacious!

I got 7 pieces of pogo helferi out of my tissue culture. 1 piece was completely transparent with no green so I tossed it. The other 6 have non transparent green to them and even a few have small roots already. Looking forward to this plant growing!


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