• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Limnophila aromatica questions

rusticdr

Member
Joined
15 Aug 2016
Messages
114
Location
India
Hi all... this is the third time i am trying to grow purple limnophila aromatica in my tank. I read somewhere that u need to float the stems in water for a week for the roots to develop before u plant them. This also applies during trimming. My plants usually grow really well in the beginning and then loose all bottom leaves. The growth stops and top leaves also start getting weak and fall off until usually only a barren twig with few leaves r left. I have increased lighting, havr injected co2 and do ei.. other plants in the tank r doing well. R there any special tips for growing this plant. I really love that plant and it breaks my heart every time this happens. Will post pics later. Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
I've never left them a week before planting tops Rusticdr,

Mines seems to take forever to put roots down but once it has it seem to go good guns after.

All I do is pluck the leaves off that are on the lower stem that are going below the substrate as the roots come out of the nodes (where leaves form on stem) so this helps the rooting (or so I believe). I've heard about floating stems also to speed up rooting but I'd rather they were in the substrate. Patience is never my strong point so I try to remind myself that although its doing nothing above the substrate it's working it's socks off trying grow roots.

I'm no expert but sounds like co2 related will let someone better qualified advise.
 
Hi
It will help if you post a picture of your tank.What is the water sirculation at the base where the plant is positioned.I grew it well just in gravel with some tropica growth substrate inder it.It does lose bottom leaves if its too bushy and the light and more importantly flow are redused near the base of the plant.May be hardscape alignment arroud the area.Have you thought about replacing it with Limnophila hippuroides which is easier to grow.
Regards Konsa
 
If it is the look, and not really the actual Lim. aromatica, you could go for Lim. hippuridoides instead.
This plant look very much like the Lim. aromatica, but is much more adaptive - which means it will tolerate a wider range of conditions. It has much lower general demands (ferts,CO2 and light) and is therefore more likely to thrive, including holding on to older/lower leaves, than is Lim. aromatica.
 
If u can c in those pics.. the limnophila aromatica has lost most of its leaves except for the top. Don't think it's deficient light as I was running so much light that I was starting to get lots of string algae and some bba too. Co2 too was cranked up with a green indicator @ 3 bps in glycerine. Got good flow too with two spray bars back to front and two powerheads making a clockwise water flow. Lights: 54 watts x 4 .. all four ( 1 10000K, 1 4000K, 2 6500K) four hrs and just 2 for 3 hrs..
I also noticed that the hygrophila difformis at the back getting bba and looking unhealthy.. the only stems doing well r the ones in the foreground which r the limnophila aquatica , some ludwigia ovalis and micrantheum.. If I look at it this way.. these plants r short and so r getting just the rite amt of light.. maybe the aromatica and difformis r getting two much light..
Am I making sense.. Pls help.. any inputs wud help..
118530418239bc64d232a282d1c159be.jpg
7a4d231121dea11250220150d5fab3d8.jpg
c01b4814b2eed9320d2dea2ce2db5f7d.jpg


Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
Can anyone shed some light On this .. has anyone had similar experiences with l aromatica and then gone onto growing them well..

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
Hi why dont U try to move the dropchecker on the back glass near the base of the Limnophila aromatica and see if the reading there will be the same.It sounds like U have quite a bit of light and not enough CO2. Bba is usually related to fluctuations in CO2
And as I and Mick.Dk suggested its worth looking at the Limnophila hippuroides as not much different in appearance but considerably less demanding and more adaptive.
Its not unusual for the plants to become victims of their own success.They grow and obstruct flow and the delivery of nutrients.U may need a good trim.Were they growing like that since the start?
Regards Konsa
 
Hi why dont U try to move the dropchecker on the back glass near the base of the Limnophila aromatica and see if the reading there will be the same.It sounds like U have quite a bit of light and not enough CO2. Bba is usually related to fluctuations in CO2
And as I and Mick.Dk suggested its worth looking at the Limnophila hippuroides as not much different in appearance but considerably less demanding and more adaptive.
Its not unusual for the plants to become victims of their own success.They grow and obstruct flow and the delivery of nutrients.U may need a good trim.Were they growing like that since the start?
Regards Konsa
Thanks for the reply.. I moved the drop checker today morning to the place u said. The plants initially grew extremely well. My co2 ran out for a day before I refilled it. But after that it has been a downhill course. I thought maybe it was the co2 too but drop has been light green.. and this is not the first time I am having the same experience with this plant. Twice before it did the same thing.. abt trimming.. I tried that the previous time.. I cut the top and replanted it and it just melted away. And lastly regarding the other species.. i will check but unlikely it's available in my place. Let's c. I cleaned the eheim cannoister and vaccumed the tank soil. I have reduced all four lights to 2.5 hrs and two lights to 4.5 hrs. Doesnt look like this lot will recover. Will keep this thread posted on how it goes. Thanks again for being so supportive. Even one reply makes such a difference.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
You could try pointing your power heads towards the front glass, The same ways asyour spray bars are directed. The will give you a better front to back flow pattern and more flow co2 ferts to the lower levels of your plants. Maybe improve the situation.
When I used to grow this plant I used a simular flow pattern and found it loved high co2 and light. It used to shoot for the stars.
 
Thanks for the suggestion.. I think I figured it out. It s probably the siesta.. My light timings were
On 7.30 to 11.30 - 2 bulbs only
Off 11.30 to 1.30
On 1.30 to 4.30 - all 4 bulbs
I was never getting any pearling with this schedule. And I have been following this schedule for sometime now. And repeatedly most of my stem plants have failed. Now.. Two days back I went with lights on at 7.30 and off at 2.30.. I begin with 2 lights and all four on at around 11 am. U shud see the amt of pearling I get even from wats left of the dying aromatica. I had read a lot on siesta before implementing it. My guess is that the plants start to kick in their photosynthesis at full gear probably at around 4 hrs and then I cut the lights. Then when I switch it on again the whole process starts again and by the time it starts again the lights r off for the day. So I am waiting to c how this works and will keep this thread posted. Thank u again for ur posts.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
Hi
Ditch the siesta.
I don't see the point in siesta periods.......in the natural world it doesn't happen!
12 hours of daylight is the norm in its natural environment!
Remove the tops and replant...try and give this plant some space....to many stems will hamper each others lower lighting levels.
Go with a full 9 hour lighting period...Purchase some more floaters!
Aromatica needs lots of light, CO2 fertilisation, a good supply of nitrate, phosphate and micronutrients....plus add root balls/tablets!
Up your fertilizer dosing.....if your increasing the lighting period.....use two tubes at the beginning and the end of the period.
I've noticed the Limnophila sessiliflora is stretching too.....a good case of insufficient light with this plant!
hoggie
 
Sorry for the late update.. that set of l aromatica didn't pull through. So got another set and they did even worse.. there was a magnesium overdose which I have subsequently corrected. I am back to a 1.5 hr siesta due to green string algae. I am getting l aromatica again for the fifth time. Gonna make sure there is good flow around the bottom with good light and co2 drop checker placed near the plant. Wish me luck. Really do wanna grow this plant..

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
Hi
Administrations to your persistence.Hope it will work om this time.
I still think U should try the Limnophila hippuroides as is almost same looking and far less demanding.
There are always certain plants that will fail to grow in the conditions of the specific tank.
All the best and good luck.
Regards Konsa
 
Back
Top