Overgrown

[toysrus]

I bought a Hygrophila Kompakt that out grew the pot right?
It was stunted and when I got it I separated the plant into 4.
Now they grow some huge new green leafs and has roots growing out of the exposed stem in several places.
Is there a cure?

[Cliff]

The roots growing out of the stem is prefectly normal for stemmed plants. Plants like this get most of their nutriants from these hair like roots from the stems. You could trim these but you might be limiting the plants ability to get nutriants, and they will just grow back anyways

My stemmed plants develop a lot of these roots. When they grow high enough to get close to the top of the tank, I will trim them back and re-plant the trimmed part.

You would be amazed how many plants you could end up with by doing this

[toysrus]

Ok, I wasn't sure if I should try to push them down deeper or something.
The giant leaves look funny though,it's twice the size of the rest.I cut one off and another grew back.
These plants are only 2 inchs tall.

[Cliff]

Sound like you've got a really good tank going. The plants sound like they are heathly and grown fast.

Any chance we could get a pic or two:ssmile:

[toysrus]

It's hard to see the farthest one on the far left side.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/500/medium/IM000867.jpg

[Cliff]

Nice Tank !!!

[toysrus]

The reineckii are dying and I don't know why.

[annageckos]

Your tank looks nice. You should always take the plants you get out of the pots, they are not meant for long term. Like stated, those side roots are perfectly normal, you can trim them if you want, I don't. As for your reineckii dieing. It is hard to know why. What is your lighting and ferts like? Some plants just do not do well in some tanks, or you could have gotten weak plants to start with.

[toysrus]

My lighting don't seem to be a problem or the ferts,and the substrate lined with laterite I'm not sure about. All the rest of the plants look ok. So that eliminates the lighting or laterite deficiency I hope.
It's just the reineckii in "one" tank that's having problems.
The leafs look healthy on the top part of the plant at first then they get holes in them as they fade and get "yellow spots".
A One week old cutting had beautiful coloring on the "top" yesterday and today they rotted and fell off.
The lower leafs are either dying of old age or from leaf rot. No holes in them at least!
I've been knocking the rotten ones off with a stick and throwing them out.
I fertilized them last nite with Flourish,and leafzone without any CO 2 and they looked better today.Except the fresh cutting.
Maybe it's the CO 2?
List of plants:Reinikii,Hygrophilia,Crypts,JavaFern,Glosso stigma.
Still sounds like iron deficiency?


Your tank looks nice. You should always take the plants you get out of the pots, they are not meant for long term. Like stated, those side roots are perfectly normal, you can trim them if you want, I don't. As for your reineckii dieing. It is hard to know why. What is your lighting and ferts like? Some plants just do not do well in some tanks, or you could have gotten weak plants to start with.

[Cliff]

I'm never personally used CO2 in my tanks, but a close friend of mine swears by them. She always has a lot of plants and a CO2 generator in her tanks and the fish and plants all do well.

I've found a lot of DIY posts on how to build a CO2 generator.

It might be worth looking into.

[toysrus]

I'm never personally used CO2 in my tanks, but a close friend of mine swears by them. She always has a lot of plants and a CO2 generator in her tanks and the fish and plants all do well.

I've found a lot of DIY posts on how to build a CO2 generator.

It might be worth looking into.
Worth looking into?I already have one.:google:

[Dave66]

What's the pH and hardness of your tank? Though reinikii is among the easiest stem plants to grow, it does have needs. A good source of Iron is essential. You do have it in your substrate with the laterite, but the plant also needs it in the water. The yellowing and holing of leaves indicates a lack of that nutrient.

It also needs quite intense light, which will keep it more compact and prevent it from becoming leggy, and neutral to slightly acid, soft water.

I suspect you planted the stems too closely together, which is why the lower leaves are dying.

Have you thought of the EI method of plant fertilization?

Dave

[Cliff]

Worth looking into?I already have one.:google:

Sorry about that, I miss read your statement

[toysrus]

Your tank looks nice. You should always take the plants you get out of the pots, they are not meant for long term. Like stated, those side roots are perfectly normal, you can trim them if you want, I don't. As for your reineckii dieing. It is hard to know why. What is your lighting and ferts like? Some plants just do not do well in some tanks, or you could have gotten weak plants to start with.
My main concern when taking plants out of planter was how.
Then I did it and now I'm not sure if I seperated "enough" of the root base.
When i seperated the reinekii I was afraid of ripping it off so I cut it with a knife.They are more fragile than Kompacta roots.
I left the biggest root that had 4 stems coming out from a single base.The rest were pretty easy.I got 4 base root systems from the Kompacta, and 3 from the Reinekii because of that big one.
And now I'm having problems with all the Reinekii.See earlier post

[toysrus]

What's the pH and hardness of your tank? Though reinikii is among the easiest stem plants to grow, it does have needs. A good source of Iron is essential. You do have it in your substrate with the laterite, but the plant also needs it in the water. The yellowing and holing of leaves indicates a lack of that nutrient.

It also needs quite intense light, which will keep it more compact and prevent it from becoming leggy, and neutral to slightly acid, soft water.

I suspect you planted the stems too closely together, which is why the lower leaves are dying.

Have you thought of the EI method of plant fertilization?

Dave
I don't know what EI means in abbreviation lingo,it ain't on the list.
The PH is 7.8 because it was 8.0 until I thought it was too high and added a buffer.
When I turn on the CO 2 I turn it off when the PH is around 7.2 or 7.0.
As recommended. http://www.theaquatools.com/co2-calculations
Because the GH is 5 and the KH is 4.
Having them close together is from what I've been told less than an inch apart and they are more than an inch apart.
The lighting is working fine for all the other plants including the glossostigma.

[Dave66]

EI means Estimative Index, of fertilization. Dry fertilizers are added to the tank in specific ratios, followed by a partial change to dilute the ferts to a level the plants can metabolize the fertilization. More information (http://www.rexgrigg.com/ferts.htm).

I'd bet money that the stems are too close, which is why the lower leaves are dying, since the light isn't getting to them.

Dave

[toysrus]

Hey thanks for that info link it will be a good read when I get a couple of hours to sit down and read it from front to back.
I'll be moving them farther apart and checking the laterite quality when I do and, let you know what happens.