Ludwigia Palustris "Super Red" in a low tech?

[FISHnLAB]

Hey guys, has anyone successfully grown Super Red in a low tech without CO2? I'm trying now and looking for some tips, tricks, and advice. It's doing ok in a sand substrate tank I just started 2 weeks ago but, the other half of it which I added to my propagation tank with aquasoil(Fluval Stratum), about half has melted. I think I had my lighting too low as I've been ramping up as the tanks mature to prevent algae. I have it quite a bit higher now.

This is the first major melting I have seen and I have been doing pretty well at my first planted tanks so far(I think anyway) so I would like to try and save as much of it as I can and definitely the stuff in my main display tank. I realize that this may be hard as it is a pretty advanced plant for a low tech, especially for a rookie. But, I'd still like to try.

Anyway, here are some pictures. Both tanks were started 2 weeks ago. About 5 plantlets have melted in the propagation tank(it got the leftovers so the worst plantlets of the bunch)...

Thanks for the help guys, it is much appreciated👍.

 

[FISHnLAB]

I am using Tap Water in both tanks with the following parameters...

pH - 7.8
TDS - 45ppm
KH - 3dKH
GH - 5dKH
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0

I am fertilizing with...

The 2HR Aquarist APT E but, just today switched to APT 3 as I have started to add more bioload to my tanks(fish, shrimp, & snails). I'm using the recommended amount.

Seachem Flourish Advance(Phytohormones to help initial rooting). Discontinuing soon.

NilocG Thrive Caps(Root Tabs).

Let me know if you need anymore information👍.

 

[Hufsa]

When I was running low tech the main factor for this plant seems to be light. I was struggling with it on and off and couldn't figure out why. But I was running quite low light at the time, the other plants were mostly able to tolerate it but the Super Red seems to have a somewhat higher requirement for light than some of the other common plants. One of the problems seem to lie around replanting in low light low tech, it can be growing beautifully in the higher parts of the water column, you replant the pretty top parts and then the plant sulks massively. As far as I can piece together this is because its now a fair bit further from the light and apparently below the threshold it finds acceptable. Making sure to run a medium amount of light (no photon torpedos necessary, just not at the very lowest limit of what plants can grow under), and place it in a bright spot in the tank, avoid corners and edges.
The greeny brown colour yours have suggest to me it's not getting enough light.
If you need to get the plant growing again and dont care about the look then prop the stems up somewhere high in the tank or let them float on the surface. Stems can also be planted into bushes of java fern etc. Hope this helps 😊

 

[FISHnLAB]

When I was running low tech the main factor for this plant seems to be light. I was struggling with it on and off and couldn't figure out why. But I was running quite low light at the time, the other plants were mostly able to tolerate it but the Super Red seems to have a somewhat higher requirement for light than some of the other common plants.

Yep, that's exactly where I'm at. I had noticed only the medium or hard level plants were struggling and was pretty sure it was the light intensity. I just am hesitant to go too high too soon😁. Well, I turned the lights up a little yesterday and a bit more today and they look better I think. Hopefully I can save the rest in the propagation tank. It's harder to estimate the light level in there as I'm using a commercial grow light. I moved it closer to the surface now too.

One of the problems seem to lie around replanting in low light low tech, it can be growing beautifully in the higher parts of the water column, you replant the pretty top parts and then the plant sulks massively.

Thanks for the warning on this, this is good information.

As far as I can piece together this is because its now a fair bit further from the light and apparently below the threshold it finds acceptable.

Yes, it definitely seams to be much more finicky with light levels. It reminds me of the Rotala Green I have been growing for a while. The regular Rotala Rotundifolia is much easier to grow.

Making sure to run a medium amount of light (no photon torpedos necessary, just not at the very lowest limit of what plants can grow under),

This hobby would be so much easier with a PAR meter😔...

and place it in a bright spot in the tank, avoid corners and edges. The greeny brown colour yours have suggest to me it's not getting enough light.

Well, it is where it is now as you can see from the tank pic. The best I can do is shift the inlet/outlet pipes forward and move one of the lights to the back of the tank overtop it.

If you need to get the plant growing again and dont care about the look then prop the stems up somewhere high in the tank or let them float on the surface. Stems can also be planted into bushes of java fern etc.

Interesting. So it will actually do ok with the roots just exposed and floating or suspended mid tank? Hopefully I can get the light intensity high enough, as the tank seasons, so I don't have to go these extremes but...

Hope this helps 😊

Very much so as usual Hufsa, I appreciate your expertise🙏.

 

[FISHnLAB]

I am growing three different floating plants too and they change the light intensity so much as they grow and get dense I am learning. I guess I will have to be diligent thinning them so light intensity stays closer to the same level...