[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
stubby vals
Hi,
I'm not a pro but I have had very good experience with valisneria
americana. I can grow way too much of the stuff and only moderate
levels of most other plants.
Tank where the Val's go real crazy,
100w t8 5000k light
33 gal
82 deg, did better when a bit cooler(78)
pH 7.2 when I use DIY CO2, 7.6 w/o-grows equally well either way
shut down u/g filter with 4-5mm gravel 3 inches deep, no enrichment
light stocking levels
do well w/o fert., but a bit better with tropica mastergrow
the kicker:
5-8 deg kH
15-20 deg gH
I get the feeling that the Vals do better in high hardness tanks,
people in my city (Calgary) tend to do quite well with vals.
I have on occasion tried the vals as an experiment in 3 other tanks:
15 Gallon Hex Goldfish tank w/23 w compact fluorescent-divided like
mad along the bottom, a mature plant sent out 10-15 plants over a
month and a half. The young only grew 3 inches while the parent
plant died.
15 Gallon Standard tank w/ good old 15 watts 4100k or so, this tank
frow anubias and crypt species quite well. Generally, it is a low
input, low ouput tank. I planted the Val's in the back corner of the
tank, over three months it sent out about 20 plants toward the center
of the tank, where the light was better. Again, the young only grew
to about 3 inches.
10 Gallon w/ 60w t8 and Laterite, I think you already know the
result, they went mad, it's a nice little source to fill something
like my 135 with. It would take about 3 months for a real good
planting of a 135.
I don't use CO2 anywhere except the 33 on occasion(lazy), and I don't
think the Val's benefit a lot from it. I get the feeling the Val's
like the hard water, they seem to prosper most when our water is at
its hardest, but I've only had one growing season to test this.
My diagnosis, you've got too low of a light level for the young to
make it up, I know you listed a lot of light, but do you have a good
reflector? Changed the bulbs lately? My light is pretty low in k
value, what is yours?
Hope some of this is useful!
Colin Anderson
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com