Interesting stuff. How does keeping it more sparse affect the growth compared to letting it get crowded? I have been keeping it fairly sparse so it can grow like this... I have also noticed that in my 3 gallon it grows larger leaves and more stretched out then in my propagation glass lock with way less light and a denser plot. You can see the ones I just took out of the 3 gallon at the front of the glass lock and how much more leggy they are compared to the others...
Yes, a LUX meter is very useful, somewhere about 5000 LUX is <"LCP for most non-shade plants">, and the <"bright tropical sun"> would be in the hundreds of thousands.
Thanks, that was helpful👍. I followed your links and read it all. I especially found the parts about long and dim vs short and bright interesting and want to learn more about this.
I'd just put the meter about 60 cm from the light , just in the air, and see what it says.
I don't know, but I'm definitely going to say <"not too bright">.
Roger, will do.
I think it is going to take me some time to learn just how bright "too bright" is unfortunately. It's hard for me because I have no where to see a planted tank in real life other then a couple of Java Ferns or Water Wisteria at the local Pet store.
Yes, there definitely needs to be a balance doesn't there. It must be even harder to learn the balance once you add CO2 into the mix too.That is why I like a floating plant, <"they are adapted to bright light"> and not CO2 limited, so you are <"unlikely to fry them">. I just have more plants if I have a brighter light, but <"I don't care about aesthetics"> or seeing the fish etc.
cheers Darrel
Hey Darrel, can I get your opinion on this please? I've been using your method and I see in one of my propagation/experiment tanks(a 1L beaker) that the new growth on my Salvinia Aruculata is coming out light green or even yellowy now so I am thinking a have a deficiency? I haven't changed anything other then I started adding Seachem Excel to all of my tanks 1 week ago. Nitrogen? Iron? What do you think? What should I change?Hi all,
The advantage of a floating plant is that you can discount CO2 deficiency, any floating, or emergent, plant has access to <"415 ppm of atmospheric CO2">. It is <"Diana Walstad's "aerial advantage"> and have a look at <"150 ppm co2?">.
I think so, I also think that light is probably more important than nutrients in terms of the degree of leginess.
This is the <"https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/glasshouse-floating-weeds-tank.70267">. Which hasn't received a lot of nutrients, but has had a lot of light.
The situation is slightly complicated by the Azolla caroliniana, because it has a <"nitrogen fixing cyanobacterial symbiont">, and which will have supplied some "extra" fixed nitrogen.
If the Salvinia auriculata group had more nutrients I would expect the shoots to be much longer before the basal leaves went brown (started senescing) and it would be a bigger plant all around and possibly slightly less "bronzy" in colour.
cheers Darrel
I believe that’s just how Java ferns grow, I’ll tag @Hufsa as she has more experience with Java ferns.
These floaters look fine Ish. The new growth looks a little pale but they may colour up as the leaves mature. In any case, new pale leaves means Fe, Mn issues.
Yes the tips will be translucent on young leaves. When the leaves are this small its difficult to tell if they are deficient or just growing still.
Indeed its quite clear in the pictures that the color difference is in new growth, to find the new end on these floaters that grow like string lights, look for the end where the leaves are coming out.
Ok, thanks.
I have been growing this Salvinia for over a month and this is the first I've seen of yellowy leaves. I have it in 6 other tanks as well and the others aren't yellowing or at least not near as much. This indicates to me something is wrong in this particular tank and considering it has two different fast growing broad leaf species, I'm guessing some type of nutrient is low. But, I am too new to know what it is lol. Maybe Iron or Mag like you say. I'll have to keep researching how to deal with this before it becomes a problem. I'm trying to get these Java ferns and hastifolia perfect for my new tank build so I would like to sort it out asap before any damage is done or I will have to trim the leaves and start over again.
Ok, good to know. Thanks Hufsa👍.
Could it be too much of something or likely not enough? Could it be light or CO2 related? Any ideas on how to proceed? I really want to keep these broad leaves perfect and lush for transfer to my new build. I have been slowly cutting off the old growth as new leaves form so I have all nice new leaves. It's been working great until now and I have beautiful new leaves on all of the plants with no signs of deficiency(especially now that I know that translucent tips are not lol).
Id try a KISS solution first and just try adding a little bit more and see if that helps
Roger that. That was my first though as well(I started adding 2 drops APT 3 instead of one yesterday😁) How long should it take to see results? Do I have to wait for new leaf growth again or will the current leaves get greener?
