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Micranthemum



Growing Micranthemum micranthemoides seems to
offer challenges to some.  I have never had a
problem with it (until I dosed the tank with
Erythromycin; not recommended!), but some friends
sure have.

Anyway, it is a high-light requiring plant; I grow it with
3 watts/gallon.  2 watts/gallon may be a little low, but
you could try that.
Substrate is gravel with Duplarit G in lower third.
H20 is R/O mixed with tap to hardness of 2-4 GH, 2-4
KH; pH is 6.2 now (but it has been 6.8 in the past).
I pump in CO2 using compressed gas at a rate of
about 2 bubbles/second.
Fertilizer is added at weekly water change = Tropica
MG at the recommended dose or a little less.

The plant grows very fast; I have to trim it once a
week to keep it the way I want it.  Once every 3
months or so, I pull the whole "bunch" up and
separate the best parts and replant, because it tends
to grow thickly and lose its shape after awhile.

Trimming makes it branch of course, so it gets
bushier and bushier.  If the plant starts to "creep"
along the gravel, you can induce it to grow more
upright by lifting out the "runners" (I know, they're not
really runners) and trim them.  They get the picture
eventually, and stay up.

By the way, I never had any luck at all with the other
Micranthemum species: M. umbrosum; has anyone?
The latter just rotted at mid-stem over and over until
all I had were floating bits.

Hope this helps.

Roxanne Bittman