One week in, from 4.5 wpg to 2.5 wpg

[sherry]

And everything is still growing. Ludwiga Ver. Pantanal, tonina belem, tonina fluviatilas.. the glandulosa was looking sad before and still is.

my biggest challenge is I took the top off the tank (acrylic) and am having a harder time maintaining levels of co2... I am creeping up.. leaving only a ripple in the top for 02. I had no idea how much co2 was trapped in the tank all of this time. I even thought my drop checker (teardrop) was just insensative when I didnt' see large swings from nignt to morning despite airation and no co2 at night.

it was all the closed top. I can't help but think losing more co2 but trapping less "old air" has to be better for the fish.

I will never do 4 plus watts again. .. so far anyway

 

[kaz]

Hi Sherry may you explain why not 4wpg again? just interested in your experience with high light and medium light.

 

[sherry]

Kaz, no matter how great I'd get a scape to look, the tank was completely over grown in about 5 days.. God help me if I had to skip a week of serious pruning, the fish could barely swim and the plants being shaded by the fastest growers would fall apart. I lost 2 batchs of glandulosa that way.

I want to be able reach in and trim a bit each week, not completely pull up every stem plant to chop off the bottom (tonina belem field included). If everything continues to grow well, abeit a bit slower, with 2.5 watts of cf, then I am done completely with racing rhizomes

I am sort of hoping This will be the trick to growing macrandra too. Tom swears that mac does best under about 2wpg. I think it runs out of some micro nutrient at 4 -- just from what Tom ahs said and also an interview I still owe apc for a write up with the florida aquatic owner.

anyway, I haven't been able to judge mac because I messed with my co2 a bit this week too. Got a new regulator AND lifted the top off of my tank. Either because teh new bubblecounter makes smaller bubbles or because I totally underestimated how much co2 I was forcing to remain in teh tank, my co2 count has been a little low.. my 5dh drop checker is one step toward bluegreen.. when it should be middle green. When I get that adjsutment made *going slowly for fishes sake* I'll know how well the mac will do.

but if I can grown tonina under 2.5 watts, I wonder if there is a truly high light plant out there....

Tom if you are reading.. you once mentioned that you didn't test plant by plant -- but maybe it's a good idea for some of the popular high lighters.. for the simple reason that you are once again standing up against common wisdom to counsel less light, same plants... you are again in the position to kill a few unhelpful myths.

 

[travis simonson]

This is a good experiment Sherry. I don't think you'll have any issues growing your plants under 2.5 wpg. The only drawback I can think of is that some species tend to show brighter/redder coloration under higher lighting. Slower growth is definitely a benefit, though. Keep us updated

 

[Plantbrain]

Well, us folks grew most all plants, because 2w/gal was high light back 15 years ago.............most folks outside the USA do not have high light disease(HLD).
They somehow manage.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[sherry]

trying erios too.

so far macrandra showing decided improvement but I have green thready algae on my surface whereever a leaf hits.. and I think some kind of thread algae on my blyxia.

 

[Jchillin]

Nice undertaking Sherry, I'm sure you'll get things under control shortly. If I remember correctly, you have a cube and were worried early on that you wouldn't get enough light into the corners/sides of the tank?

And I also wanted to mention, you need to post pics of this endeavor.

 

[sherry]

I'll post pics when I rescape.. right now it is a tank full of weeds awaiting manzanita wood now from rich at the burlworks.

need some albertii? I am evicting some large ones.

overall I want to hold onto my favorite species and cut down on numbers.. wondering if I shoudl keep some albertii for background or switch to Cypres H. instead.. (I can never remember how to spell) I want a grassy look sort of like a thin curtain that you see in I think Navarro's tanks...
The albertii at once grows too fast and thick and also likes to grab algae. the only plant in my tank to consistently do that.