[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #905



In a message dated 3/14/99 1:54:08 AM Mountain Standard Time, Aquatic-Plants-
Owner at actwin_com writes:

>  I started a planted tank 15 days ago.It's a 29gal with
>  Elodea,Echinodorus,hornwort,Valisneria,Mayaca,Hygrophila and a
>  Alternanthera.Everything seems to be doing well except for the Hygrophila
>  Polysperma.The first question I have is about lighting.I have 4' 40 watt
>  bulbs(2) over the tank,a Chroma 50 and a WS Gro-lux.The plants give off
>  bubbles in the morning when the tank gets some early morning(~3hrs)
>  sunlight.Once the tank is no longer getting the sun,the bubbles slow down
>  dramatically.Is this normal??? I translate 2- 40watt bulbs on a 29 gal as
>  2.75 watts/gal.Even when not getting direct sunlight the tank gets bright
>  indirect light plus the flouro's.All the plants seem to be either getting
>  larger or sending shoots from the nodes _except_ for the Hygrophila which
>  to my eyes is looking forlorn! Pale foliage on the top,leaves droopy,little
>  if any upward growth. I  _do_ seem to notice tiny plantlets coming out of
>  the substrate.Which BTW is clay with 2-3mm aggregate on top.I also think I
>  may have made a mistake by placing 1/4 pieces of Jobes for palms in the
>  substrate,placed where I planted,right from the get-go.The problem for us
>  newbies is,so many knowledgable opinions,leaving us with so many
>  decisions:-) Anyway,I'm getting windy! Any thoughts would be appreciated.
>  
>  Gerry Brierley
Your plants may be bubbling in the morning because CO2 levels rise at night
when the plants are not doing their photosynthesis thing.  Also, the
overlength lights are losing some of those watts out on the end where they
aren't really feeding the tank.  But that's okay.  I wouldn't ruxh out and
spend money on shorter lights.  Think more about CO2 supplementation.  A yeast
generator can be built cheaply and will tell you whether you need to consider
something like bottled injection.

Bob Dixon