[enb141]

Hi, I've been into the planted tank for some time but I always had problem with red plants so a few months ago I decided to go CO2 (Seachem) and Fertilizers so I got the PPS-Pro from gla and I've been increasing the dose since then and I still have problem with my red plants, they are better but still have problems like holes in the leaves and pale colors.

My tank is about 30 gallons and currently I'm dosing 1 ml plantex + 10 ml Macros which is about 3 times the recommended dose so I decided to ask the experts first because I'm currently don't know why my red plants are not doing so well.

My green plants are much better some are almost perfect but do you think I should increase the dose?

My specs:

30 gallon tank (50 cm height)
1 Radion Planted Edition light at about 50%
Seachem liquid CO2

 

[LeKing]

Red plants

enb 141,

What are the names of the plants you are having trouble with? Are they stem plants? In my tank, I have a Rotala rotundifolia that turns red at the surface of the water (close to the light) and is very green when i trim it and replant at the bottom the the tank (20 gallon high). I also dose iron, which I have heard helps with the red pigment.

I can't speak on the holes in the leaves though. Pics?

 

[brothermichigan]

1) "Liquid CO2" isn't CO2.
2) Red coloration tends to have more to do with light intensity than ferts.

If you're just dosing some kind of liquid carbon supplement, you're likely providing far more nutrients with your fertilizers than the plants could ever hope to use; increasing it any more will likely only drive algae growth. The solution to bringing out the red coloration of you plants is to increase the light, but without using pressurized CO2 the light needed will likely turn your tank into an algae farm.

 

[mgeorges]

Hi, I've been into the planted tank for some time but I always had problem with red plants so a few months ago I decided to go CO2 (Seachem) and Fertilizers so I got the PPS-Pro from gla and I've been increasing the dose since then and I still have problem with my red plants, they are better but still have problems like holes in the leaves and pale colors.

My tank is about 30 gallons and currently I'm dosing 1 ml plantex + 10 ml Macros which is about 3 times the recommended dose so I decided to ask the experts first because I'm currently don't know why my red plants are not doing so well.

My green plants are much better some are almost perfect but do you think I should increase the dose?

My specs:

30 gallon tank (50 cm height)
1 Radion Planted Edition light at about 50%
Seachem liquid CO2

Pics of the plants in question will help to determine whether there's any deficiencies.
Certain red plants respond to different stimuli. Rotala sp. will frequently turn redder with NO3 restriction, for example. Other red plants, like AR 'mini' seem to do better with higher quality light. Iron has been shown to have very little impact on red coloration.

 

[oscarlloydjohn]

Flourish Excel isn't actually CO2. It is a chemical called Glutaraldehyde which is used to sterilise things when it is in higher concentrations. In an aquarium it can degrade into very small amounts of CO2 but mostly acts as an algaecide.

If you really want to push light in order to get redder plants, you should look into pressurised CO2 which will allow you to have higher light without making an algae farm.

 

[enb141]

enb 141,

What are the names of the plants you are having trouble with? Are they stem plants? In my tank, I have a Rotala rotundifolia that turns red at the surface of the water (close to the light) and is very green when i trim it and replant at the bottom the the tank (20 gallon high). I also dose iron, which I have heard helps with the red pigment.

I can't speak on the holes in the leaves though. Pics?

I'm dosing plantex which has iron some of my red plants have better colors at top but still not red, they look kind of reddish brown

1) "Liquid CO2" isn't CO2.
2) Red coloration tends to have more to do with light intensity than ferts.

If you're just dosing some kind of liquid carbon supplement, you're likely providing far more nutrients with your fertilizers than the plants could ever hope to use; increasing it any more will likely only drive algae growth. The solution to bringing out the red coloration of you plants is to increase the light, but without using pressurized CO2 the light needed will likely turn your tank into an algae farm.

Thanks for the advice so now pretty much I'm stuck until I got a real CO2 equipment

Pics of the plants in question will help to determine whether there's any deficiencies.
Certain red plants respond to different stimuli. Rotala sp. will frequently turn redder with NO3 restriction, for example. Other red plants, like AR 'mini' seem to do better with higher quality light. Iron has been shown to have very little impact on red coloration.

As for lights I don't think I have issues, I got a Ecotech Radion for Planted Tanks.

Flourish Excel isn't actually CO2. It is a chemical called Glutaraldehyde which is used to sterilise things when it is in higher concentrations. In an aquarium it can degrade into very small amounts of CO2 but mostly acts as an algaecide.

If you really want to push light in order to get redder plants, you should look into pressurised CO2 which will allow you to have higher light without making an algae farm.

Thanks for the advice, now I think I'll gonna find a CO2 equipment so my plants can thrive .

Here are some picks of my plants


https://imgur.com/2jMurlr

https://imgur.com/AFKzmfu

https://imgur.com/a1ZKXA1

https://imgur.com/q9ytMDS

https://imgur.com/no8Hge9

 

[jeffkrol]

From what I can see and guess at, you have a fairly heavy algae load in there..
some glut may be worthwhile ATM..
Will need to up the dose though..
some plants (Vals I believe) are not happy w/ glut but many will be just fine.

 

[enb141]

From what I can see and guess at, you have a fairly heavy algae load in there..
some glut may be worthwhile ATM..
Will need to up the dose though..
some plants (Vals I believe) are not happy w/ glut but many will be just fine.

I'm currently dosing Flourish Excel daily about 10 ml each day.

About algae, new leaves seem to be algae free, the problem with algae is in old leaves.