Nesaea sp. "Red"

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travis simonson

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
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Location
Englewood, CO
I just got a bunch of Nesaea sp. "Red" from Charley (Lowcoaster on AquaBid), and I wanted to document my experience with it. It is possibly the most brilliant red plant I have ever seen. I have kept it several times before and have never been able to grow it well. All of my efforts ended in dead plant disasters. It is probably the trickiest plant to make look good that I have ever kept so I thought I would post a picture of it looking perfect, right out of Charley's tanks, and then document what happens as it subjected to the tender mercies of my ARLC tank :p

It really contrasts (possibly too much) well with the light green Limnophila sp. "Corkscrew" behind it. In my past experiences with it, it has always turned from bright magenta/red to brown, and then quit growing, eventually dying. I am running a more balanced fertilizer regimen now, so I want to see if I can have any better luck with it.

Nesaea_sp_Red_070307_x800.jpg
 
Good luck with it Travis, it is stunning. If anyone can grow it, you can. Then teach the rest of us how!
 
That is the most amazing red I have ever seen in a planted tank. Can't wait to see how it does for you. I think the contrast of the red and green is fantastic.
 
The Nesaea sp"red" is one awsome plant. A great red, not quite as brash as the Alternanthera reinecki. I tried it a while back, and while it grew very nicely, it seemed that it did best in the upper half of the tank. It did not like shading the lower leaves, so spacing betwen stems was a must. It also was prone to nutrient migration, a good indicator plant.

Here is is not long after planting (I had bought it at Aqua Forest in SF):
Nesaea_sp_red_11-05_1.JPG


A couple months later, it had hit the surface a couple times and needed replanting each time. Not one that liked just being "topped", ultimately it was a weed which is why I removed it. The reds held best in the top half of the tank, and any lapse in dosing and it would start moving nutrients fromt the older leaves (as you can see in this shot). Also, see how long the leaves had gotten in my tank, I suspect the initial shorter leaves are either emersed or surface growth. The submersed leaves had a typical Nesaea shape.
Nesaea_sp_red_02-06_1.JPG


I look forward to seeing this one go crazy in your tank. ;-)
 
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