Telanthera Cardinalis

[Aquastrategist]

Brian, that is exactly my plant hahah.

 

[Aquastrategist]

I hope mine fares well, as far as nutrients go I have fertilizer and root tabs. I know for a fact my lights aren't good enough and thats what the main issue is. Im not sure im willing to pay 100+ for a 48" light so my plants can grow. At the same time, I really want them to grow.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

But yea, there are a lot of latin misnomers running around the hobby. The 3 or so with Alternanthera reinkeckii are the most common, but you see some in other species as well. For example, ludwigia peruensis is actually ludwigia glandulosa.

EDIT: Ah, see what you were talking about in the second post.

Hey what ya know... I went Petsmart today for dog food, stopped by the fish section, the box does have both names on it.

 

[aqua_chem]

I notice they couldn't resist putting a nonsense subspecies name on it though.

 

[Aquastrategist]

Om going to get a bulb or light only at walmart now for my tank. What would you recommend to grow my cardinalis? And is t8 a size?

 

[Aquastrategist]

Im getting it within an hour, im just looking for a bulb or light strip.

 

[Hholly]

Im getting it within an hour, im just looking for a bulb or light strip.

T8 bulbs ae larger diameter fluorescent tubes. You can grow plants with them. Look for 6500k color spectrum if possible.

 

[Aquastrategist]

I got a aqeon floramax "plant growth" light but it doesnt say the k anywhere...

 

[Aquastrategist]

The new light also looks dimmer...its the one on the right







Hopefully its enough, my main focus is of course my cardinalis

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Did you just change the bulb or is it being added to augment the existing t8? It looks very pink to be mixed. I think those "plant" lights that are pink are meant to be combined with a second bulb next to it thats either 6500K or 10000K. It's like a supplemental lighting thing that enhances colors and brings out the reds and blues in fish/plants... and i believe, those pink bulbs are heavy in the red spectrum which, from what i remember vaguely, helps plants elongate and get taller.

 

[Aquastrategist]

Yes, just one side I bought a tube light. Should I get another of the same light or the full daylight(10000k) for the other side?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Unless that single T8 bulb fixture was extremely closer, which would be impossible on your tank, your only option is to increase light intensity. This can be achieved not by switching one t8 bulb for another, but adding either a 2nd T8 to be 2 t8 bulbs on each side of your tank (giving you 4 total) or just getting another fixture. I don't even know if there's room for that on top of your tank because those fixtures you have now only have 1 bulb each. I think you need to just upgrade the fixture or not worry about keeping that Alternanthera reineckii*plant IMO.

 

[Aquastrategist]

So instead of getting new light strips I should get two bulbs on each side?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Either that.. Or just get one long fixture to cover both sides. Like a T5 or T5HO to replace your lighting. Or another T8 to "add" to your existing lighting.

I'm just going by what I've read and stumbled across out there in the forums. I haven't been exactly in your shoes because i just upgrade the whole fixture to what i need. I do very little DIY in other words. Trust me, I'm not made of money either. I'm a full-time student in college so money is tight. But if i don't have the money, I'll wait and save up till i do. But that's not to say that others haven't done some resourceful and clever things to boost their lighting needs on a budget. That brings me to another option, which i can't vouch to its effectiveness, which is DIY reflectors. I've read others have been able to boost light intensity from a T8 by adding DIY reflectors. Something along the lines of painting the inside of the fixture white or adding aluminum foil to reflect the light. I think you can even buy polished aluminum reflectors pretty cheap. Here's what a simple google search found...
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=159662

Again.. I've never done that so if that's something that interests you, do some research... Or perhaps someone else here can chime in? I'm just adding food for thought.

 

[Aquastrategist]

Question:
Which of these is bettwr light (at this point im not buying anything else)
My dad has a basket of bulbs he used to grow plants. I took off the pinkish light side of my tank and put on a lamp with a
Soft white 60 watt bulb. A15. Is this a could light?

 

[Aquastrategist]

Correction: the bulb is a GE Crystal clear 60w, 720 lumen bulb g25 decorative.

 

[Aquastrategist]

Nevermind about the lighting issue. Found two plant light fixtures and they look great.

 

[Aquastrategist]

The one on the left is more blue, the one on the right more yellow.



Dont know any stats about em but their better than what I had before.