# Problems with UG



## pitom (11 Oct 2014)

Hi,
For almost a month now I have UG which doesn't grow nicely. Before I describe the problem, here's the description of my tank:
size: 30x12x12 inch

15W Hagen Aqua Glo (plant bulb) + 10 W 6500k LED lamp with 500 lm
I use soil + gravel as a substrate
Every day 1 ml Tropica fertilizer (with macro) + 1 ml Easy Carbo.
I do weekly water changes around 30% with tap water which is quite hard: general hardness 25 dH; carbonate hardness 17 dH

I got UG from tissue culture. It was adapting slowly in the first week, old leaves came out and new nice green started growing. This lasted only for 1-2 weeks more and it got very pale. Below is how it looks now. Can I do anything more to help it or is it not possible to grow it in my current setup?












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## JayZH (11 Oct 2014)

UG requires high N ferts. Wha's your nitrate level? seems you are no fish load, probably with too low N and Phos. Try to use tropica specialised ferts instead to get these two. 

Also Do you trun CO2? UG will melt from Tissue plant to submerged, but CO2 helps a lot.


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## Martin in Holland (11 Oct 2014)

I'm not sure if you can even grow UG without CO2 injecting, it's not and easy plant to grow. At the moment I'm trying to grow UG on a moss ball emersed.


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## pitom (11 Oct 2014)

Thanks! I use Tropica specialised actually and yesterday started to double dose it. My NO3 tests are not very good, just show the value is below 10ppm. I will have better tests for more accurate value soon. PO4 is above 2 ppm

The tank is stocked with 20 rummynose tertas, 15 neon tetras, 6 otos, 4 bolivian rams + shrimps.


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## dw1305 (11 Oct 2014)

Hi all, 





JayZH said:


> UG requires high N ferts.


 It doesn't, its insectivorous.
_Utricularia species _all come from low nutrient situations. I grew it as a bog plant for a number of years, and I never fed it. 




There are threads here: <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/utricularia-graminifolia.11289/> & <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/utricularia-graminifolia.10477/>

cheers Darrel


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## JayZH (11 Oct 2014)

Your emersed culture looks amazing.. I will have one of those next summer.


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## sparkyweasel (12 Oct 2014)

I used to grow it as a greenhouse bog plant too. That was years ago, before I ever heard of anyone growing it submerged. I don't think it naturally grows submerged for long periods, and I guess that's why it needs CO2, not having access to the atmosphere. I wonder if it needs nitrogen when submerged as it doesn't get its usual supply of food?


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## Martin in Holland (12 Oct 2014)

dw1305 said:


> I grew it as a bog plant for a number of years


I really hope mine will look just like in *your* picture....


 
This is what it looks like now, just done yesterday.


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## dw1305 (12 Oct 2014)

Hi all,





sparkyweasel said:


> I wonder if it needs nitrogen when submerged as it doesn't get its usual supply of food?


 I don't think it will make any difference, apparently even in terrestrial Bladderwort the traps only function when they are submersed. My suspicion would be that the chlorosis in the OP post is either a CO2 or a water hardness issue, my suspicion would be that _Utricularia graminifolia_ is only happy in acidic water. 

The plants I used to have of _U. graminifolia_ failed to survive the heating going off, but I will probably try them again now we have double glazing. 

On an allied note the _Utricularia gibba_  (from this thread <"_Utricularia gibba_ has flowered">) has done very well in a bowl of shallow water & moss above peat, and has been in flower since the spring.

cheers Darrel


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## Stu Worrall (12 Oct 2014)

didnt see anyone mention if but easycarbo will melt UG


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## pitom (13 Oct 2014)

That's interesting about EasyCarbo. I will be reducing it in the next days down to 0 and see what happens.


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## BigTom (13 Oct 2014)

I tried UG a couple of times low tech and like Darrel only had success when it was growing right at the water surface (mixed in with some already established moss on a piece of wood). 

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk


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