Water Wisteria not doing so well?

[MrMcKenna]

I dont think my waterwisteria is doing so well, I want to know what you guys think it needs judging by these pictures.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/500/IMG-20120528-00314.jpg
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/500/IMG-20120528-00312.jpg
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/500/IMG-20120528-00307.jpg
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/500/IMG-20120528-00311.jpg

Do they need more light? More substrate? what could the problem be? everyone says they grow so rapidly but mine... not so much so there must be a problem

[Goes to 11!]

They are usually bullet proof, Mine grow like crazy in 5 dif tanks. I am assuming you just trimmed those by the looks of them.

Details required wrt lighting [include photo-period please], Substrate, Ferts [if any] water parameters, How long you have had them in situ etc..

[MrMcKenna]

Yeah I trimmed them a few weeks ago, before I got my new 38 gallon tank.
I have a 17w T8 bulb in a 120v 20w ballast(I have a feeling this is a case of insufficient lighting)
I have some of them in special plant substrate (I think fluval?) and the other just in regular general gravel.
I sometimes use seachem Flourish liquid fert.
I've probably had them for 2 months or so now, before i had them in my 20 gallon tank with LED lighting.

As for water params... i'll have to get back to you on that later I'm just running out for the afternoon.

Also, I'm not sure if there is a specific way to trim them, but I literally just snapped them in half and stuck them into the substrate.

[MrMcKenna]

I gave my girlfriend some branches that just came off one of the main plants that I had just poking out of the substrate, in my tank they grew some roots but now in her tank they are sprouting new growths from the bottom. Could this be cause her tank is more established than mine is right now? She has a 10 gallon with led lighting. Any thoughts?

[Goes to 11!]

Still waiting on those water parameters :-D.

Her lighting is unlikely to be worse than yours, I would upgrade my lighting stat if I were you. IMO You are not likely to grow much at all with your current setup.

[MrMcKenna]

I know! Sorry, I haven't found the time to do a water test :(.
When I get home from work I will have time to do a test I believe.
I'm just thinking its my lighting at this point

[MrMcKenna]

Ammonia: 0.25
pH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5.0
Temp: Floating thermometer says 84 but my heater is set to 79 :s

I also noticed my brothers anubis is growing in his 29 gallon tank under LED lights pretty well... Maybe LED lights are the way to go lol

[TheVoldevader]

I cannot grow them at all. Them and Java fern. Maybe you have the same problem.

[MrMcKenna]

You have troubles growing the same 2 plants? What size tank? What kind of lighting do you have?

[korith]

Do you add any fertilizers to the substrate? That will help.

[MrMcKenna]

I use seachem flourish liquid ferts and I have fluval plant substrate on one side of the tank where the majority of the wisteria is, but it doesn't seem to help.

[Goes to 11!]

Sorry, Lost track of this thread.

I use seachem flourish [comprehensive] also and like it.

I am wondering if your high ph is an issue, Wisteria is tough but.. Not sure.

Why you have ammonia readings if your tank is cycled?

How long have these been in the tank?

[TheVoldevader]

You have troubles growing the same 2 plants? What size tank? What kind of lighting do you have?

37g, and gosh tbh lighting stuff confuses me :s I can't find anything saying the wattage of my lights

[Goes to 11!]

It should be right on the bulb.

[MrMcKenna]

My tank is still cycling cause I upgraded about 3 weeks ago... I'm thinking its my lighting and also thought maybe it was my pH but I'm still puzzled.

[MrMcKenna]

I just pulled the plant out to float for mayeb a week or 2. I figure if it's a lighting issue then this will make a difference, but when I pulled the plant out I noticed the stem is rotted! so maybe thats why it's not growing so well?

Note that that one was in my plant substrate

[Goes to 11!]

Trim off the rotted part. It should grow masses of roots while floating, Then you can replant it.

[MrMcKenna]

Alright done, I cut it with scicors this time rather than snapping it, I think that will be better for the plant

[MuckyFish]

I don't have the best growing wisteria but it does okay in 2 foot tall tank with standard 40w florescent tube that came with tank.
Looking at the shape of the leaves the plant has grown under good light so it could be that it is adjusting. The leaves differ in shape depending on the lighting quantity.
If you have very good lighting could it be that CO2 is lacking. Although I don't have c02 setup and the wisteria does better in the winter months when sunlight strikes it from the low angle of the sun for short periods of time.

As for the post in this thread on java fern. Again, my java fern does okay, when planted in the gravel substrate, despite what others say about this. It also does fairly well when cut adrift and grows nicely while pressed against the filter intake filter. Again it benefits from a strike of sunlight in the winter. The tank also gets a lot of ambient light.

The only other plant I have tried and have trouble with is the annubias nana. For a low light plant it requires an awful lot of light.

[MrMcKenna]

Well my tank is 19 inches high I think and I only have a 17w t8 fluorescent tube. I also just went out a picked up and anubius nana and 2 amazon swords, hopefully they do better than my wisteria is right now. Also contemplating switching over to a dirted tank (which I hear is inexpensive and easy to do) I sometimes have my blinds open so that they get natural sunlight though and it doesn't seem to make a difference

[MrMcKenna]

Ok so my plant has been floating at the surface now for a week.... and NO roots have grown at ALL.

[Lady Hobbs]

Some stem plants just have such fine roots that trying to grow them in gravel is not conducive to good growth. You may have better luck with them if they were in pots of soil with the gravel on top to hold the soil down and just put them in the back of the tank. They should be at the back of the tank anyway.

[MuckyFish]

Not sure which plant you are referring too.
With the light you have I will be surprised if the annubias or the swords do well unless there is sunlight hitting your tank.

I suspect the amazon swords will survive, but I really doubt that they will do well. I ended up pulling mine out because the limited light was too poor for them ever to do well.

You do have a slightly smaller tank, so maybe things will work out better for your plants, but good luck.

I also checked my bulb its 20W not a 40W as I mentioned earlier in a post.

[Goes to 11!]

Well my tank is 19 inches high I think and I only have a 17w t8 fluorescent tube.

This is a major factor IMO, You need more light on that tank. Twice what you currently have would be considered 'low lighting'.

[dice502]

I have had my wisteria for one week as of tomorrow. 5 stems, they have already grown atleast an inch in height in this time. Lots of new root growth as well. roughly 3.5 watts per gallon, dose 10ml leaf zone (iron) every other day, just started diy co2 two days ago.

ph before diy co2 - ~7.4-7.6
ph with diy co2 - 6.8
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - ~30ppm

Such a cool plant. Way better than my anacharis which grows much, much slower.

My java ferns are doing very well also in this tank once I learned not to plant them in the substrate.