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Re: Macrandra Dilemmas
Jeff Bodin wrote:
> Name/Email:
> How long have you grown Macrandra successfully?
18 months +/-.
> Before you were successful, were you unsuccessful (and what changed that)?
That depends on what you call successful.
> What are your tank conditions:
> Lighting -
2 15-watt NO fluorescent over 10-gallon tanks
> Temp -
80+ recently. Cooler when it isn't summer.
> pH -
7.4-7.8 I guess. Haven't measured in years.
> KH -
7-9 from the tap. As with pH, haven't measured in years.
> Ca (ppm)-
7 mg/l (about 1 degree) from the tap. See suppliments
> Mg (ppm)-
1 mg/l (almost nothing) from the tap. See suppliments
> Cl (ppm)-
(?) 15 mg/l from the tap as chloride. Water is chorinated and so
treated with sodium thiosulfate before use.
> Fe (ppm)-
Never measured.
> additives/frequency (PMDD, KNO3, CaCl, CaSO4, etc...)?
I add 2 tablespoons epson salt (MgSO4) and 1/4 teaspoon KCl to 35
gallons used for weekly water changes. Sometimes add calcium tablets
and bits of iron gluconate tablets in the substrate, but I don't think I
have ever treated the macrandra. Initially used no water column
additives, but in last 6 months started using PlantGro, then moved to
KNO3 (1/4 tsp per cup of water, 1/4 cup added to 10 gallon tanks) dosed
twice/week + NaH2PO4 dosed to about 1 mg/l PO4 once/week and Flourish
per instructions.
Yeast CO2 from 1-quart of sugar solution/10 gallon tank. Fed through a
power head. Changed once/month.
> Substrate/additives/cables...
Sand+fine gravel over a layer of peat+sand+gravel.
> Anything else you can think of...
I trim tops and replant, leaving the base in place. The base grows new
stems and develops a solid (but very fine) root system. About 2/3 of
the cutting succeed and 1/3 fail. Failure seems to be linked to light
level and crowding. Cuttings need to be planted where the light is very
bright and they are not crowded. Older leaves on stems get thin and
pale and develop holes. Failed cuttings don't grow then develop those
symptoms from bottom to top.
Macrandra responded to first additions of water-column fertilizers but
later changes have had little if any effect.
Growth is good enough that I throw stems away. They're in 10-gallon
tanks, so the stems never get very long.
Roger Miller
"John Doe"