Red Plants

[Yogi]

Can you get good colouration from red plants without the use of Co2 addition?

At the moment this is one of my main reasons to use Co2 but if you can have success without I would prefer that route.

 

[Kyle E.]

The only way I know of would be to get red root floaters as they can access Co2 from the air. They still need quite high lighting though to get nice and red. What lighting do you have?

 

[Yogi]

I’m hoping to use some LED tiles from my previous saltwater setup. Very
Powerful but only 3 channels. White, Blue, UV

 

[Kyle E.]

Wait I don't think any salt water lighting works for freshwater... The spectrums are much different.

 

[Yogi]

If I have to change lights I can but didn’t want to due to cost. They are fully controllable as in intensity but guess spectrum could be different?

 

[Wills]

Some species of Ludwigia go red in low lighting, there are some Amazon Swords that are quite red and you get some red Bucephalandras. I was reading about Helanthium Tenelum 'Red' recently which is a red type of the carpeting plant but I am not sure how it grows in low tech.

Wills

 

[itiwhetu]

@Wills is correct the only one I know of is Ludwigia natans I think. Bright red under low light. Some other plants like Alternanthera will go red under high light.

 

[Yogi]

Cheers all. I’m not overly concerned with an array of red just wanted to be able to grow something to offer some contrast to the green. As it stands I’m thinking low tech due to my main focus being fish but if I can find a happy medium with a low level of Co2 I may well look at that.

I was confident my tile lights would work for me as I can decide how white / blue they are so didn’t think it would be a challenge adapting them from coral to plant? They are easily powerful enough to cover any level of intensity I need and easily adjusted with the app.

 

[Colin_T]

red plants are red, and carbon dioxide (CO2) has no bearing on their colour.

 

[Yogi]

red plants are red, and carbon dioxide (CO2) has no bearing on their colour.

I thought the use of Co2 helped to encourage a strong colour and growth in red plants? Have I picked that up wrong?

 

[Yogi]

I know it aids all plants but assumed the red benefited from a colour perspective.

 

[Wills]

The red comes from light intensity and can be helped with dosing iron and low nitrates in the tank. The Co2 is needed to feed the plants using high levels of light along with a fertiliser if you only have high lighting you will just end up with algae

 

[Yogi]

Yes I will be dosing fertiliser and started to pick up there is the balance with light intensity and Co2 to be found. Still trying to get my head around it all.

For whatever reason I had started to pick up that red plants are likely too tricky in a low tech setup and need the addition of Co2.

If I’m picking this up correctly it’s not just about the Co2 but more the light level required for them to thrive that needs the Co2 and ferts to keep the system balanced and stable?

 

[Kyle E.]

Yes that sounds about right.

Ludwigia natans I think. Bright red under low light.

I HAD NO IDEA THIS EXISTED. Man now I am rethinking life choices. My world has just been shattered to learn that there is a red plant that can grow in low light. So jealous of anyone who has that plant.

 

[Yogi]

I’m sidetracking here sorry but Kyle mentioned my light being unsuitable. I’ve checked the data sheet for the LED used in the white channel and it is either 6000k or 6500k. I’m guessing this would be adequate and not too blue as that is on another channel. From what I can see plants will grow across a wide lighting spectrum and a lot comes down to aesthetic choice of the viewer.