Good Growth (with pics)

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Some is confusing growth, but generally great growth now.

I picked up a sword in very bad shape on Boxing day, had to cut all but 5 leaves off it (name of plant is in my sig), it has since grown 6 new leaves, (that's 1 leaf every 1.5 days).. and this is a medium grower???

The Crinum has grown slowly, as it said it would.
The rotala is on the mend, I trimmed of most of the dead "sticks" once I saw some new life, it's now growing at a healthy speed, I imagine it will grow even faster when it has more leaves to absorb light (and now the dead stuff is removed.) This is so delicate a plant

Anubias nana and barterii have been shooting up new leaves regularly, as many as 4-5 per plant at a time, 2 are currently flowering.

The plant that was marked as Hygro Rose, I think I've heard it referred to as sunset has made a full recovery from the poor lighting it was introduced to (1.5WPG with 2 old powerglo's).

But something odd is happening with that one, it's growing horizontally?? the stock goes straight up to about 6" from the substrate, then takes a 90degree turn and starts growing across. Anyone know what can cause this? it's healthy and growing at a decent speed, just not growing "up"

 

[czcz]

Your sword is recovering well after a heavy pruning. That one should slow down as it starts babies off runners. Advanced aquarists recommend we prune early and often to get better, thicker plants.

Hygro polysperma variants growing horizontally is typical of higher light. Soon you will see vertical stems from the internode. As above, pruning early and often under appropriate light can get leaf density so high it is hard to see the stem.

Great work and cool plants. Pics!

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I have a bit of cleaning to do before I take pics, I have a strange algae that I think may have came in with a plant at some point :S I have a hunch what it is, but I'll have to change some water and stop adding iron to tell for sure, might toss in a couple oto's to see if they help cleanup.. could also exchange my 2 CAE for 2 SAE..

and older pic (5 or 6 days ago) of the crinum with hygro at the side, excuse the lighting, it was taken with only the 50/50 bulb on.

The hygro closes up like that when the lights go out, and when the lights come back on, they open up, it's pretty neat. The wood in the back is a large piece of mopani (5+lbs) with 2 Anubias Barterii tied to it (each rhizome about 5" long), It is a pretty neat peice, it has a maze of tunnels through it for the loaches.

 

[czcz]

Very nice!

The hygro closes up like that when the lights go out, and when the lights come back on, they open up, it's pretty neat.

I love that too. You may find it interesting that in tanks with timers, certain plants will get used to it and close right before the time for regular lights out. I also find it interesting that when the lights are left on 14+ hours with no schedule, the tips will eventually close on thier own, as if to say the lighting period is too long. If you are the experimenting type, you should mess with your plants some more. I would love to read more of your observations.

 

[rich311k]

Nice picture, beautiful!!!

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Well, good growth has slown down, I'm up to 12 leaves on the sword, but I just tested my trates and they are at 10!, they were at over 80 2 weeks ago (that why I added some faster growing plants)..

I would have thought the stock in my tank would have made plenty of nitrates. I'll test again before I start adding Nitrogen..(Did a PWC last night) Probably tomorrow.

I'll have to see if it resumes after I get my nitrates back up.

Oh, how do you know Potassium levels? or do you just add the same as the nitrates you add?

 

[rich311k]

No way to test K. I add 10ppm twice week. Seems to keep my leaves healthy.

 

[malkore]

No way to test K. I add 10ppm twice week. Seems to keep my leaves healthy.

That's the way to do it. Dose right after a water change, then again halftway til your next water change.

I don't even count the K in my KNO3..I just consider it icing on the cake. You have to dose a LOT of extra K to cause any problems, and the only issue is that it inhibits calcium uptake.
If the new leaves on your plants grow curled up, you're having calcium problems.

but dosing 10ppm 2x a week, with weekly 50% water changes, you should NEVER have a problem with too much, or too little, potassium.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

That was the dead plant the store gave me, it's starting to sprout new growth (that is 2 weeks growth), be nice to see how it progresses with Co2 injection (I have a 10lb Bottle, reg/controller is ordered and enroute, reactor is also enroute)

Also, my Nitrates are still at 10, it's a brand new test kit, so I think that's accurate. I dose lightly since my phos. is @ 2.0 and I don't want another green water outbreak (tho it looks like mild green water now), I think the trates are low because of the various algae's that I'm growing (not intentionally)

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Figured out my nitrates went up with shrimp pellets, so I've removed them from the diet, NLS is being used and the clowns seem to be finding it easily enough, though I may start throwing 4-5 in each night for them.

That dying plant (pic above) is now over 2" tall, the sword is up to over 15 leaves, even after I removed another 4.. Co2 seems to be helping, but I really need a reactor.

Sorry about the green tint, my camera does it's own thing with colouring with no flash.. the Rotala Nanj. is at lower right, Also there is a flower on the barterii (right above Congo's Eye.)despite being still covered in algae (the SAE are working on it.)

 

[rich311k]

Looking good Wizard.

 

[current516]

Re: Good Growth

But something odd is happening with that one, it's growing horizontally?? the stock goes straight up to about 6" from the substrate, then takes a 90degree turn and starts growing across. Anyone know what can cause this? it's healthy and growing at a decent speed, just not growing "up"

The same thing was happening to my hygrophilia. I thought it was because, being the newbie I am, that I planted the stems too close together and the plants were trying to get to more light. Is that possible?

 

[Glenc]

Beautiful pics! I live pretty close to you. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the Hygro Rosanervig? Love the colour in your pic.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I picked it up at the local big al's on Centennial, the guy swore up and down it wouldn't grow in my tank.. (he was right, I had to add more light )

I will be trimming that side of the tank some time this week, I just tossed a bunch of it out and still have too much on the other side (started as 4 plants, I now have 10 and threw out 4-5) then there is the jungle on the other side.

How close are you? I could send some to you if you want. (Or meet you at a Tim's if you're that close).

 

[Glenc]

Hey Wizard, I live in Milton. I wasn't fishing for free stuff but thanks for your offer. I to am doing some trimming and thinning. Got some tall Wisteria, some Crypt Parva. Will have some narrow leaf chainswords soon as well. Just planted 3 and they are taking over my tank! The Wisteria has a few small snails. Other plants are clean. You are welcome to them. Pick a day this week and I can meet you. We could ship em to. Not sure how though. Gotta love AA!!

 

[Glenc]

Hey Wizard, I live in Milton. I wasn't fishing for free stuff but thanks for your offer. I to am doing some trimming and thinning. Got some tall Wisteria, some Crypt Parva. Will have some narrow leaf chainswords soon as well. Just planted 3 and they are taking over my tank! The Wisteria has a few small snails. Other plants are clean. You are welcome to them. Pick a day this week and I can meet you. We could ship em to. Not sure how though. Gotta love AA!!

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I'll check my schedule at work, but if Wed. is OK then we'll pencil it in for then. I'm definately interested in the crypt as I haven't had one before for fear of "melting" it.. but if you have some spare I'ld love to give it a shot.

I'll send you a PM tomorrow if I can make it and what time.

And trading plants is a great way to spread them around, it's either that or I chuck them out. so better you get them

 

[czcz]

Congrats on the flower! Show it off!

 

[Glenc]

Totally agree with trading plants. Once you get them going, you end up with to much. Some are not cheap, and tossing them is such a waste. Sorry for the double post. Don't know what happened there. Look forward to hearing from you.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Congrats on the flower! Show it off!

The best pic I got of it was blurry at best, then either the bala's or the clowns snapped it's head off.. I hear planting the head after rubbing it in your fingers (in a regular household pot above water) will start a new plant. tho I haven't tried this yet.. Anubias will grow in and out of water. But I get absurd growth from mine, often 4-5 leaves a week for each plant. (very compact growth now)

Glen, definately. When I get my next tank set up, I'll have some rather colourful plants goin in, I'll see how they grow. The Big Al's that I deal with will order me pretty much any plant from Tropica which works out very well.