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Roots growing from stem and other questions
I finally got my 75G set up a month ago. I stuffed it(about 40% of total
volume) with a lot of fast growing plants(plus a couple of slower ones) to
keep algae in check. In the future I plan on trimming everything back and
adding some lower light plants and more variety.
The problem is that my hygro polysperma, hydrocotyle leucopetala, bacopa
carolinia, nomaphila sticta, and alternatheria rosaefolia have all developed
what look like tiny white roots growing out of the stems and I don't like
it. Do I have any options short of cutting off all these tiny roots by hand
which is really not possible. What is causing this? Other than this
unsightly problem the plants listed above are growing like crazy.
Tank Specs:
75 Gallon
fuval 303
HOT Magnum for micron filtration once a week(this thing is great)
Aquamaster 400-filter pads are changed weekly to reduce roting matter
contributing to nitrates
DIY yeast-2 bottles with 2 cups of sugar and 1 packet of fleishmans yeast in
each. both are changed weekly to avoid swings in Ph. This setup
yeilds almost constant CO2 of 25PPM as measured by Lamott kit.
Bubbled into Fluval and aquamaster
500G of Dupla G and 10 Dupla laterite balls in a substrata of quary gravel
about 1/8" diameter
Flourish tabs in gravel and twice weekly flourish liquid
A small ammount of dark green algae growing on walls but not much and not a
problem
6 40watt GE plant and aquarium bulbs(I plan on replacing these with better
bulbs gradually over the next 6 months but I used them for initial
setup due to the very low price
76 degrees F
Water-tests are performed 2 days before the weekly water changes of 25%:
Ph 7.1 Source water between 8 and 8.5, co2 brings down Ph
GH 11 Source water the same
KH 8 Source water the same
NO2 none registered on tetra kit
CO2 25ppm Lamott kit
Amonia 0
Nitrate 4 ppm Lamott kit
Phosphate 0 ppm seachem kit
Fish:
3 8" Jack Dempseys
1 5" pink convict
4 1.5" cory cats
2 3.5" clown pleco's
1 5" catfish that is full grown(i've had him 2 years)
Malaysian Trumpet snails in gravel
Yes you read it right I did have the audacity to set up a plant tank with
large cichlids! The don't bother the plants as long as I leave small paths
through the plants so they can hide. The Dempseys espcially love the
plants. I have had the demps and convict for a couple of years so I knew
their personality and I knew they were not diggers. This is a danger with
these fish. I still don't understand why they havn't eaten the cory's, they
did eat eat 6 oto's a a baby oscar.
Random questions:
Why is my lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae not rapidly spreading all over my
substratta and making a beutiful carpet? They have not died but they don't
look very healthy and they have not put out any runners. They are planted
in a spot that gets direct light. I mail ordered them from Natural Aquarium
and they appeared healthy when I got them.
Are the "micro swords" I got from a local fish store really a larger variety
of the above mentioned lillaeopsis? They are very similar looking and are
having the same problems. The only visual difference is size. The fish
store ones are about 5" tall and the NA ones are 2" tall.
I got an Alternatheria "isabella" from NA and this plant has done absolutly
nothing. I guess I should have known better than order a plant that isn't
listed in any of my books. This plant is also receiving direct light. Any
Suggestions? BTW the alternatheria rosaefolia I got at a local store is
doing very well.
Java fern from NA has not attached itself to the rocks I rubbr banded it to.
It has been in the tank for a month and hasn't grown and looks kind of
unhealthy. How long does it take for these plants to stick?
Hygro poly which was green when I got it has turned into a pale red. This
plant is growing like CRAZY! Is the reddish color due to strong light?
I got an echinodorus "rubra" from NA. The plant is doing well. Does anyone
know if this is the proper name? It has entire shaped leaves that are
reddish green with light green veins. A very nice plant but I don't know
how tall or wide it will get so I'm not sure where to plant it.
I got a "brazilian sword" from the local store a few days ago. It has 3"
long leaves that are egg shapped but flair down to a point at the tip. The
stems are about 6" long and the plant is dark green. the roots were huge
and obviusly emerse grown, they had clumps of potiing soil stuck to them.
Any suggestions?
Plants and growth rate:
E.Rubra-growing well looks very healthy. currently in direct light
"brazilian sword"-too new to tell
H. polysperma-growing like crary and spreading all over the place and
battling with hydrocotyle for space
hydrocotyle leucopetala-growing like crazy and battling with H.Poly for space
bacopa carolinia-Growing well in direct light
nomaphila sticta-growing well, a few of the uppermost leaves are reddish
alternatheria rosaefolia-growing well in direct light
egeria densa-rapid growth
H.Dif.-growing well
Anubias nana-growing much faster that I expected in the shade of the N.stricta
Lil. Novae-doing poorly in direct light
Java fern-this one is a real dissapointment because I have rock terraces and
a cave for the dempseys and I was looking forward to JF slowly spreading but
it's not. BTW Java moss died in 3 weeks. I think there might have been too
much light.
Alt. Isabella-this thing sucks, see above description
corkscrew Val.-no growth no death in direct light.
Val. spiralis-growing slowly in diffused light. Produced a nice healthy runner
well that's it sorry for the length! Any help would be appreciated.
zeb