Re:Leggy Plants and Light

[Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>]

     * To: Aquatic-plants at actwin_com
     * Subject: Leggy Plants and Light
     * From: "Rachel Sandage" <rachelsor at hotmail_com>
     * Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2003 17:26:10 -0800

A while back someone had requested an example of my leggy plants. Here is a
link to some ambulia which show the problem:
http://groups.msn.com/rsfish/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=92. In
the foreground is some new growth which has all happened in the week or so
that the sun has been shining into the tank. In the background is the older
growth, grown only under the compact flourescents.

I'm also wondering about the directionality of the AH supply lights. The
plant in the photo is at the rear of the tank - there are no lights directly
above it. Are the AH supply miro reflectors so directional that a plant
which is 4" horizonally from the back of the reflector, and 4-12" below it,
will not receive enough light?

-rs



I looked at the picture, and that doesn't look too bad for 
Limnophilia.  I think you have Limnophilia aquatica, and that species 
only gets that dense pom-pom look when they reach the surface, grow 
along it, and are directly under the lights.  The stem going up is 
always skimpy looking.  You may have seen pictures of it where they 
just cut the dense heads off, stuck them in the gravel, and took the 
picture.  The other Limnophilia species, such as L. sessiliflora are 
leggier than L. aquatica.

-- 
Paul Krombholz in cool central Mississippi, expecting rain tomorrow.