Re: Rotala Macrandra

• To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
• Subject: Re: Rotala Macrandra
• From: nfrank at nando_net (Neil Frank)
• Date: Sun, 9 Jun 1996 08:06:07 -0400 (EDT)

>From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
>Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 21:30:35 -0400
>Subject: Rotala Macrandra
>
> Subject: Success with Rotala macrandra
>
>> >By the way, anyone have the secret to keeping rotala macranda 
>> >healthy, happy, and most of all, red?  I have 6 watts per gal o
>> >so I think that is not the secret, but I am open to suggestions
>> 
>> dH = 3.5, KH = 2.5, 74F to 80F, CO2 = 15-25 ppm, PMDD, 6 watts/g
>> substrate consists of 2 inches of washed aquarium sand over an i
>> of sandy clay/vermiculite with virtually no organic material, li
>> water movement. It took a few weeks to adjust but it grows like 
>> weed now.
>
>My KH and DH are higher. (both between 5 and 6) Perhaps in my 
>harder water, the plants need the "boost" that the soil gives 
>them.

My 2 cents: I have had success with macrandra with soil or peat substrates.
I never tried with laterite only. As Karen suggests the elements that the
organic matter provides can be important. I do not think that light is the
magic bullet. I can grow the macrandra with as little as 2 40w bulbs over a
70 gallon tank (1 grolux, 1 triton).

Neil

Neil Frank, TAG editor    Aquatic Gardeners Association    Raleigh, NC USA

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