Val's touching heater

[NorCalAl]

While I think the batch of Val's I got from my lfs basically sucked, I am wondering if the fact that they are touching the heater has anything to do with their failure. Repositioning it might be a bit difficult, but should it have any effect?

 

[malkore]

a submerged heater shouldn't get hot enough to damage plants. mine never have, including corkscrew vals. but I've also only used quality heaters. i'm sure cheapy heaters might get hot enough to upset a val...I've just never seen it.

you have enough light. how about CO2? is your water on the soft side? Vals need a little hardness in the water, mainly for the calcium.

also, if your vals are all tied together with runners, snip them. any time a runner has 3 or more plants on it, split em. when they're conjoined like that, it taxes the original plant..the 'mother' plant.

 

[gfink]

I recently notice one leaf of my plant touching the heater, and it (the leaf) was damaged in an arc shape where it was touching heater.

 

[NorCalAl]

No, co2 is on tap for the future. Right now it's Excel.

The lighting is actually 4x40w four foot T12's. Two Home Depot lamp units hooked together. Total for units: 15 bucks.

Next lighting scheme goes to two 125w CFL's. Then I'll have co2.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

In my heavily planted tank my amazon sword and vals touch the heater, sometimes the leaves laying directly on it turned yellow only where it was touching the heater... it was odd. Other than that no ill effect