Caliban's AquaOpti 85L

[Bert2oo1]

My lud is looking nice, similar to yours tho now it's getting higher up. Growth rate is decent. Thought u might be interest to know that the rotala's I had before I went to soil and had the toxicity issues are still struggling. New growth looks better but then dies out as the newer growth comes in. I remember you saying something about toxicity can hurt a plants make up and they can never recover? I'm starting to think that is true.
Although the new rotala I got after I switched isn't look 100% either. Maybe my conditions arnt right for it.

Thoughts?

 

[Caliban07]

My lud is looking nice, similar to yours tho now it's getting higher up. Growth rate is decent. Thought u might be interest to know that the rotala's I had before I went to soil and had the toxicity issues are still struggling. New growth looks better but then dies out as the newer growth comes in. I remember you saying something about toxicity can hurt a plants make up and they can never recover? I'm starting to think that is true.
Although the new rotala I got after I switched isn't look 100% either. Maybe my conditions arnt right for it.

Thoughts?

My Pogostemon erectus I've had for about a month and no joke it didn't grow upwards not one bit. I read tropicas description for this plant

http://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Pogostemonerectus(053F)/4496

At the end it says 'intense light helps the plant to stay compact for longer with large root systems' etc.

So I looked closely at my P. Erectus and sure enough it was healthy alright but you could see lots and lots of lots of roots headed in to the substrate. After 4 weeks I've lowered my light and the plant is finally growing up. My rotala mac and wallichii which had slowed have also shot up. Could argue that this lowered the consumption of co2 and nutrients but either way I have growth [emoji846]

 

[flchamp89]

Wanted to know if youve ever glued helferi on rock or wood. Ive read mixed reports of it working. I would think that it would due to the rhyzome. Im out of room looking to get creative. Hate the thought of pitching the cuttings.

 

[Caliban07]

Wanted to know if youve ever glued helferi on rock or wood. Ive read mixed reports of it working. I would think that it would due to the rhyzome. Im out of room looking to get creative. Hate the thought of pitching the cuttings.

I've never glued anything really. I've always planted helferi. I would see no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[flchamp89]

I quess ill try a couple months ago I was considering pulling out parva but it really starting look good. Im kinda out of room in substrate.

 

[Caliban07]

I quess ill try a couple months ago I was considering pulling out parva but it really starting look good. Im kinda out of room in substrate.

I really like heferi. My parva isn't doing great at the moment but I've only just switched the light down the past few days so we shall see.

 

[flchamp89]

I would love a helferi carpet. Parva is slooooow. Probably slow at any par lol

 

[Bert2oo1]

I would love a helferi carpet. Parva is slooooow. Probably slow at any par lol

Helfari isn't a strong grower either to be honest. I'm pretty sure it's classed as a stem plant isn't it? so if u were to glue it id make sure the roots have somewhere to spread and even get abit of substrate if possible.

Great read that article cal! I'll drop my lighting down abit once I grow mine out abit more. I need the rapid growth to get the heights I want quicker

Tom raises a great point there. Strong lighting does certainly cause a lot more headaches than have slower more consistent growth as u found out when u had over 200 par [emoji23] oops!

Freshs tank is another perfect example for this too. High light plants grown in a low par environment. His tank is always healthy.

 

[flchamp89]

I think its perception on the helferi. I consider it a strong grower in my tank considering its environment. I started with I think four pieces.

 

[Bert2oo1]

I think its perception on the helferi. I consider it a strong grower in my tank considering its environment. I started with I think four pieces.

I just saw my first off shoot after about a month or so. They were very small tho when I got them. Hopefully they take off soon! One of my favourites for sure!

 

[flchamp89]

I guess it just my low par. But everything slow then it takes off but one piece turned to three in about month. Idk..maybe thats not fast lol

 

[Caliban07]

Helfari isn't a strong grower either to be honest. I'm pretty sure it's classed as a stem plant isn't it? so if u were to glue it id make sure the roots have somewhere to spread and even get abit of substrate if possible.

Great read that article cal! I'll drop my lighting down abit once I grow mine out abit more. I need the rapid growth to get the heights I want quicker

Tom raises a great point there. Strong lighting does certainly cause a lot more headaches than have slower more consistent growth as u found out when u had over 200 par [emoji23] oops!

Freshs tank is another perfect example for this too. High light plants grown in a low par environment. His tank is always healthy.

This is why I'm not a believer of the whole height light low light plant description. Maybe plants that require co2 and those that don't. Maybe the ones that require co2 are the poorer competitors. Dunno.

 

[flchamp89]

Ive been posting im not a fan of our so called low high plant ideas either.

 

[Fresh2o]

In my tank P. helferi grows slowly; a lot of patience and a lot of stems would be needed for a carpet. About 2 years I was growing a small patch of it along side AR mini and S. repens. This was under a single Finnex FugeRay with pressurized CO2/PPS-Pro:

I've sold off all but 3 stems of P. helferi.

 

[flchamp89]

That patch is 2 yrs old? Was it originally one plant?

 

[Fresh2o]

That patch is 2 yrs old? Was it originally one plant?

The pic is 2 years old. The P. helferi was about 6 months old at the time. Started from a small bunch.
Edit: This is a plant shipment I received in June 2014:

Pogostemon helferi (Downoi)
Pogostemon erectus
Rotala wallichii

 

[flchamp89]

Im going research. My theory is it loves high phosphates. Hard water and perhaps lower par. I do think it loves fe

 

[Caliban07]

I'm not sure what it likes but I've never had many issues with it. Some plants grow very well for me whilst others don't. Don't think it likes being moved either.



It's started to grow taller here when the other plants shaded it slightly and were probably robbing much of the co2 but it propagated very well.

 

[flchamp89]

How long did it take to carpet?

 

[Caliban07]

Cloudy pic of my tank after trim yesterday afternoon. I must have caused a ruckus uprooting the ludwigia as the tank is still hazy 24 hours later.