Crypts Flower?

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Crypts Flower?
From: ADAM.ARONSON at spcorp_com (ADAM ARONSON)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 14:39:54 -0700
WARNING:  I am considerably new to this hobby (the plant part...)


My plant tank: 37 gal. tank of various tetras. Ph = 6.0, GH = 3.0, Temp.= 80°F, 
almost no ammonia or nitrites, 40ppm nitrates.  Water through Eheim 2213 
(spraybar oriented vertically in one corner), subsurface flow maintained by 
Hagen 301 powerhead (above spraybar pointing in same direction).  Lighting is 3 
x 20W Fluorescents (1 Triton, 1 Vitalite & 1 PowerGlo) 8 hours per day (NO 
indirect or direct sunlight).  Standard 'glass tube' type heater.

My Plants: 4 large Anubias (maybe Hastafolia???), 6 small A. Nana, 1 medium A. 
Coffeefolia & 10 ass. Crypts (Gasserii, Wendtii & two others I don't know the 
names of) & a mild growth of blue-green brush algae along Anubias leaf edges, 
gravel and some Crypt stems.

I recently added 1/4 to 1/2 a Tetra Hilena tablet under each plants' roots.  In 
addition every week I add roughly 2 tsp Kent Plant Fertilizer to the tank.  At 
least 10% per week water changes.  Water added via Aq. Pharm Water Purifier with 
additives.

My questions:

1) What does it take to get the Crypts to flower?  I have read that in the wild 
they flower after a dry season in which they almost completely dry out.  Is 
there a way to simulate this effect?

2) Is my light enough?  (I know, never can have enough light...) How many 175W 
5500k MH bulbs would I have to go to if I wanted to go that route?

3) One of my Anubias (? Hasta ?) was so badly covered with the algae described 
above that I clipped off the 4 large stalks it once had.  One small one grew 
about 3 inches and stopped; turned pale green yellow and now grows slowly 
covered with more algae.  Should I clip this stalk (the only large (1"+)) stalk 
left on that particular plant?

Adam Aronson
Sr. Systems Engineer
TransNet Corp., Somerville, NJ
aaronson at aol_com
adam.aronson at spcorp_com