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E. horemanni flowers
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 11:30:27 -0500 (EST)
From: DIONIGI MALADORNO <MALADORD%A1%RNISD0 at mr_nut.roche.com>
Subject: E. horemannii flowers
To: AQUATIC PLANTS <Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com>
I have recently (~4-6 weeks ago) set up a new 75 gal. tank, with a substrate
made of a lower layer of vermiculite/topsoil/peat/micronized iron mix and a
thick upper layer made of coarse pool filter silica sand. I was planning to
describe what I did in a little while, after having made a little experience
with this setup, but yesterday I noticed that a (I think) Echinodorus
horemannii is now flowering and I would like to hear opinions on what I
should do (besides taking some pictures and enjoying it).
The tank for the time being is lit by two 48" double light strips (with the
original tar ballast and cheap tubes, which I will replace in a few months),
the temperature is 84 deg., pH 6.8, KH and DH should be similar to the tap
(3-4 degrees each), ammonia, NO2, NO3, PO4 are below the test sensitivity
(HACH) and, quite surprisingly considering the nice red color that some
Hygrophila is taking, also Fe was below the test kit sensitivity. I guess
that these plants quickly picked up the liquid gardening-grade
microlelements+N fertilizer I used shortly after setup, and were running on
the substrate nutrients. I have now started also in this tank a regular PMDD
schedule. There is a yeast CO2 reactor that is running somewhat at random.
I am currently cycling the tank with two corys and two cardinals (boy, it's
hard to acclimate them! I lost a lot after taking them home), waiting to
find a few Heckels. No algae yet.
I introduced in this tank (besides many other plants from my other tanks)
two E. horemannii, one of which is the daughter plant of the other, which I
divided months ago. In their previous setting the original plant first
suffered from several months of inappropriate light and nutrients
conditions, but over the past 6-8 months in the PMDD era, it has steadily
come back, at the point of making a daughter plant. Now, in this new tank,
they have both sprouted the largest leaves ever (~3" wide), and one of them
has a short stalk (1") with a rosette formation that looks like it should
produce flowers or baby plants. The plant is ~ 15" tall, and since I am
about to go away for work until the end of this week, I would like to know
the following:
1) do these flower stalks grow very quickly? If I remember well I had in the
past an A. madagascarensis which shortly after purchase sprouted a flower
stalk which grew several inches per day. I hope it will not grow this fast,
since I would like to see it when I will be back home.
2) if indeed flowers will be produced, is there anything I can try to have
them fertilized? If seeds can be obtained, would the turned-glass-over-the
-bottom be a reasonable system to grow new plants? I wonder if, since I do
not have really sunny windows, I might not have the proper conditions for
emersed growth.
Thanks to all those that will provide suggestions. If anyone does not want
to use the List, messages can be sent directly to me at
dionigi.maladorno at roche_com
Dionigi