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Question on coloration of Ludwigia glandulosa Var. peruensis, red is not as vivid as

2K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  HamToast 
#1 ·
Right up front, my question is this: do these plants have a tendency to grow greener when adjusting to a new tank? Additionally, does the new growth typically come in green and not red?

This is what mine looks like:

http://imgur.com/CvoeVtN

This is what I've seen online:

http://www.bamaplants.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=201

I've seen pictures of this variety of plant online and it is as red as can be. I ordered some and they too were quite red on the bottom leaves and a dark green sort of color on the top. Since having planted it in my tank the coloration on the older leaves appears to be more or less the same shade but the newer leaves are a much greener coloration with a hint of red.

I know these plants like high light and that may be my issue. I'm also aware that high iron content brings out nice reds and that too could be a slight problem. I am, however, hesitant to increase lighting or fertilization doses since I'm not currently running any CO2 and algae is always a top concern of mine when handling tank parameters.

For lighting I'm running two T5 bulbs directly on top of the tank for a light cycle of about 8 hours. One bulb is 10,000 and the other is 6,500. They are normal output bulbs. Previously I have had good luck growing plants that normally enjoy medium-high lighting. I would say the lights fall somewhere between medium and high, but I could be wrong. Never done any PAR testing.
Should I add lighting? I have a LED tube that puts off a nice amount of light, but I'm concerned it's too much light. When I used it in the past with my T5 fixture it really seemed like the tank was just ridiculously bright. I'm also not too eager to kick off crypt melt-fest 2014, as any light changes would definitely start the show.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks guys and gals.

EDIT: Not sure why but I can't get the images to work right now, so I've also added the URL under the image.
 
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#2 ·
I wouldn't add lighting unless adding co2. I'd also change the 10,000K bulb to something less blueish.

Also, your plant looks like Alternethera and not Ludwigia...so that might be playing a part :p

I feel reds come out more with lower K rating lighting, high lighting, high ferts, and high co2.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't add lighting unless adding co2. I'd also change the 10,000K bulb to something less blueish.
I'm going to be due for new bulbs in a few months, so I'll look into something of a different color, maybe something more red, I don't know.

Also, your plant looks like Alternethera and not Ludwigia...so that might be playing a part :p
I looked into what Alternethera and, while I have to admit that does look a LOT like what I have, I'm pretty certain I have Ludwigia. I ordered from bamaplants and the image I posted of the very deep red Ludwigia is exactly what mine looked like when it first arrived. And for about 24 hours after planting.

Now I'm curious if the website I ordered from had the plants mislabeled or they are under some misunderstanding. I'm hoping someone can clarify a bit more, I'm puzzled now.
 
#5 ·
http://www.bamaplants.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_2&products_id=201

This is what I ordered. It looked exactly like this when it came in. Is that Alternathera? A quick google search reveals that these two plants can look extremely similar given certain conditions, I'm still pretty sure I have Ludwigia peruensis here.

Could you please explain to someone who is less certain why you guys think its the other species of plant?
 
#6 ·
I am pretty sure that the picture on their website is of Althernathera grown floating on the surface.

Magenta colored underleaves, wavy leaf margins, pointed leaves. Grandulosa is also a much larger plant, it does not do great in tanks under 18" deep. It also tends to be more purple in color and with much longer internodes.

The good news, imho, is that Althernathera is much more suitable for any size / type of tank. My $0.02.

v3
 
#7 ·
Thanks. I'll contact them about it and find out what I can. Or maybe I won't. The plants still add nice color and they seem to be doing very well in my tank.

The roots of the plants do look like they were grown floating, at least in my experience with floating plants. The nodes have heavy roots coming from them with no clear base where the roots would normally anchor the plant.
 
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