Rotala Macandra

[Fella]

What experiences do people have with this plant? I've got 3 stems currently sat in my knowingly underlit 45 gallon goldfish tank right now, and was wondering about peoples experiences with it?

I've got a 48x12x18, with currently a single arcadia bulb, 38w. I don't have co2 (I desperately don't want to have to take that route! or do I mean root....) and I'll be putting a second bulb in before mid september.

Also in the tank are twisted vallis, a "fountain plant", an amazon sword and straight vallis. The straight vallis roots are tearing through the sandy substrate like no ones business, which is a positive really, because I thoroughly expect all plants in the tank to die until I get a bit more light in there.


So yeah, experiences with this pretty pink plant?

 

[Angry_Platy]

It died after a week of being in my tank with 3.2wpg lighting and CO2 and fertiliser. I have heard it is an extremely hard plant to grow however I have seen pics where people have it growing beautifully

 

[Fella]

It died after a week of being in my tank with 3.2wpg lighting and CO2 and fertiliser. I have heard it is an extremely hard plant to grow however I have seen pics where people have it growing beautifully

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Lordy.

They're quite an awesome plant, their colour is really bold against the green. I like it. I'm not loving that I'm going to have to get maybe 3 tubes now though...

 

[Jen]

I've never kept it, but this is what I pulled off Tropica's site:


Height - 25-55 cm
Width - 2-7 cm
Light requirements - high-very high
Temperature - 22-28 °C
Hardness tolerance - very soft-medium
pH tolerance - 5-7
Growth - fast
Demands - very difficult

Rotala macrandra is an unusually beautiful aquarium plant, but unfortunately it is very demanding. It needs very good light to develop its beautiful red colour, and CO2 addition and soft water are vital to ensure reasonable growth. It is most beautiful in groups, but do not plant individual shoots too close because this will prevent light reaching the lower leaves. To ensure good colour there must be sufficient micro-nutrients in the water.


hth!

 

[zig]

Yes i grow it in my tank, it grows quite quickly, i use 3 WPG but i cant seem to get it very red, maybe i have a different variation, i know there are a couple of others that are similar, i dose enough micros allright maybe ill try a different brand, but it grows quite well just not red enough, but a nice plant none the less, i wont be chucking it out any time soon.

Edit: I have soft water and co2.

 

[iggy01]

Zig, the lower your nitrates drop the redder it will become. Some people say raising phosphate levels has a similar effect. Not sure about that, but it is a good nitrate indicator IMO.

HTH.

 

[zig]

Zig, the lower your nitrates drop the redder it will become. Some people say raising phosphate levels has a similar effect. Not sure about that, but it is a good nitrate indicator IMO.

HTH.

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Cheers iggy didnt know that, would the same be true for other red plants, im interested in Limnophila aromatica

 

[iggy01]

I think it's true for most red plants.

Obviously though, you're running the risk of cyano if you let nitrate drop too low.

 

[Fella]

I think it's true for most red plants.

Obviously though, you're running the risk of cyano if you let nitrate drop too low.

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Cyano?

 

[modernhamlet]

I think it's true for most red plants.

Obviously though, you're running the risk of cyano if you let nitrate drop too low.

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Cyano?

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Cyanobacteria. Blue-green algae. Nasty, filmy stuff that covers rocks, plants, substrate, etc. No fish will eat it and if not brought in check by physical removal and/or helping the plants outcompete it, it will crash your tank.

Bad stuff.

 

[Fella]

I think it's true for most red plants.

Obviously though, you're running the risk of cyano if you let nitrate drop too low.

[snapback]877627[/snapback]​

Cyano?

[snapback]877642[/snapback]​

Cyanobacteria. Blue-green algae. Nasty, filmy stuff that covers rocks, plants, substrate, etc. No fish will eat it and if not brought in check by physical removal and/or helping the plants outcompete it, it will crash your tank.

Bad stuff.

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[modernhamlet]

Didn't mean to panic you. It's not some aquatic godzilla destroying your carefully built 20g Tokyo. It's just really gross and if left alone will cause problems.

A quick, but good and bookmark worthy site on algae, including BGA: http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/algae.htm#blue