downoi

[strung_0ut]

is $30 plus $25shipping/handling Us dollars, too much for this plant? I don't know really how much Singapore dollars are worth to a Us dollars. I was wondering what conditions(lights,co2) are needed to grow this plant and just an overall backround of it ie. where its from, how high it grows, and so on? I figure I should probably figure out everything before I were to purchase it, so it wouldn't end up dying on me. any of your helpings would be very much appreciated. Thank you
-Dennis
"have patience with your plants and they will reward you"

[Lighthammer]

US$30 + US$25.... Thats a lot of money for 1 plant friend.

If I'm not wrong US$1 is equivalent to about S$1.75 so the price will probably come up to...

US$55 - S$96.25

Well, who is to say that its too much money for the plant? As long as you like it. Not too sure about the conditions needed for good growth. I think Mr Loh could enlighten us.

[timebomb]

Not too sure about the conditions needed for good growth. I think Mr Loh could enlighten us.

I'm not sure about the conditions for growth as I grow the Downoi the same way I grow my mosses. I don't do anything to change the water parameters so it's Ph 7 and Kh 0 as usual. As far as I know, the Downoi is quite easy to grow but it grows slowly. I have about 12 stalks now and I started with about 4.

The thing I noticed about the Downoi is that it's sensitive to new water. In other words, if you wash it under a tap, the Downoi will melt into nothing. I lost one very healthy stalk when I changed more than 90% of the water in the tank. The plant simply disappeared.

Guys, my computer crashed and I will be out of action for a while. Dennis, I will reply to your email when they return the hard disk to me. It's so terribly heartbreaking. I lost many good pictures and there's no way I can recover them now if the repairman can't salvage it from the hard disk. I feel like crying I'm sending this post from my daughter's computer and it just doesn't feel the same as mine.

It's going to be Timeout for Timebomb

Loh K L

[PohSan]

Hi Timebomb. For important data, I usually backup it into a second harddisk in my PC. So that, if one of the drives crashed, I can retrieve my data easily. Or you can consider to invest on a CD-Recorder or a replaceable harddrive like Jaz drive or something.

[RonWill]

It's so terribly heartbreaking. I lost many good pictures and there's no way I can recover them now if the repairman can't salvage it from the hard disk. I feel like crying I'm sending this post from my daughter's computer and it just doesn't feel the same as mine.

Kwek Leong, all my PCs at home have a 2 harddisks (HDD); with a recovery image on the 2nd that will restore the master HDD to the day it was installed (and fully configured) OR the last date it was backed up.

You've got ALOT of things going in your system and it's OVERDUED that you think about data redundancy. It's a phobia I have about losing something accidentally and in a way, I liken it to a killifish safety net.... never put all your eggs in ONE dish! That would probably explain why I also run RAID 1+0 in my home network! :wink:

HDD are now cheap (read affordable) and instead of waiting for yours to return, go get a pair of 40GB HDDs and get the show back on the road.

[strung_0ut]

yeah i thought it was way too much for just one plant, the guy seems really nice, but if downoi runs for $25 a stalk in Sing dollars, I wanted to make sure how much that is for my Us dollars. I just like getting rarer things, down here in California i basically see all the same old stuff in every LFS, i've been to a lot of different ones too.

Sorry about your system crashing Mr. Loh, I'm relieved because I thought you were avoiding me, but that sucks really hard especially after seeing most of your pictures, they are all so very nice.
Thanks
-Dennis
P.S. on FC's icon, thats downoi correct? its about mid sized, i've seen the smaller pics on the other post.

[NongOil]

I was wondering what conditions(lights,co2)

High light, high base fertilize and PH around 6.5 - 6.8 will make them grow like mass .


Ok, guys. The picture available here. Sorry for any inconvenient .



Mr. Loh, this is not first time your harddisk fail, right. Do you plan to buy additional backup device?

[timebomb]

Oil,

Glad to see you have stepped out of lurking mode. I tried to go to the link you posted but couldn't see any pictures. Nid sent me a picture of her Downois in her tank a few months ago but I'm afraid the picture is no longer with me as my hard disk is in the repair shop.

If you still have the picture in your computer, I'm sure the guys here would like to see it.

Loh K L

[FC]

Well, this is timebomb, he can be rather lay back when come to plants and computers. Timeout, the bomb explored!

In my opinions, most plants will do well with KH of 1~2 and PH of 6.2~6.6. I used to add baking soda to keep the KH at 4~5 but I realised that the excess sodium proved to be detrimental to the plants. Good substrate is vital to rooted plants and so is the liquid fertilisers. I keep water column at:
NO3 - 5 ppm
PO4 - 0.5 ppm
K - about 10~15 ppm
GH about 5 degree (Ca vs Mg is about 5:1)
Fe at 0.1 and above
Trace dose once every week

I found light of about 0.5 watts per litre is more than sufficient for most plants (including, so called, highlight plants) if the rest of the tank condition is right, including water temperature of 25~28 degree celcius.

[eric_kclee]

High light, high base fertilize and PH around 6.5 - 6.8 will make them grow like mass .

Oil,
What about KH and GH....is it important also?...what will be the good level for Downoi?

Thanks

[NongOil]

Eric

I'm not sure about KH and GH level. My tank KH around 4 dKH and PH around 6.5, I never keep them, they keep themself

You may not worry about PH, KH or GH. Downoi can survive in a bit high or low water condition. Be careful only changing to much volume of water, as Mr. Loh said.

High light will make their leave thick and wide, short stem and dark green in color. Medium light or low light will cause their leave thin and narrow, long stem and light green. Base fertilize effect on their size, more is bigger.

That's all my experience. Grow them by your preferred condition and look what you get

[Lighthammer]

Hello NongOil,

I will be going to Bangkok in about 2 weeks time. Is the Downoi plant available at the weekend market?

[eric_kclee]

if you wash it under a tap, the Downoi will melt into nothing.

Mr Loh and Oil,
What is the thing in new water that melt the plant? Is it because the KH=0 (for Sinapore Tap water)?

Thanks

[NongOil]

Is the Downoi plant available at the weekend market?

Kelvin, Downoi still not available in weekend market, but hope, I heard that some shop growing them in display tank and if you can make good relation they may sell some stalk to you but not sure the price.

Is it because the KH=0 (for Sinapore Tap water)?

Eric, They may, but not all the cause. Downoi can grow in the tank KH=0 but if you move them to the tank with different KH suddenly, it may not survive cause shock.

[Lighthammer]

Hmm... would it help if I just ask them to sell me a few stalks when I purchase some items from them?

[PeterGwee]

FC, I doubt the sodium added through baking soda would cause plant growth problems at that low concentration. Folks in the US have higher amounts in their tap water..why ain't they having issues then? At lower KH levels, you risk it bottoming out and a possible pH crash when injecting CO2.

Regards
Peter Gwee :wink:

[FC]

Peter,

Good to see you here. You are very good in planted tank these days.

I don't know about the US's water, I beleive many areas have high water hardness which mainly make up of Ca & Mg, I think.

Other than KH buffer, PH fluctuation depends, more crucially, on CO2 injection and diffusing method. I have KH of 1~2 (coming from the coral chips) but I managed to maintain the PH at min. 6.2(day) ~ max. 6.6(night). It's not a problem as long as the changes are gradual. To help things further, I turn of the fan at night (when the CO2 is off).

I do not know about you and others, ever since I stopped dosing baking soda and use coral chips, every plants benifitted. I change water less frequent but I add Mg to balance it.

Do you using some form of Ca dose? Do you use coral chips?

[PeterGwee]

FC, I am just a plain plant grower...still lacking in aquascaping skills.

In what way have your plants benefitted from the change of baking soda to coral chips? From what I know, Ca and Mg uptake tend to be slower and might cause issues if you grow plants at break-necking speed (Very high light and high CO2 with good nutrients). <--Opinion from Tom Barr actually.

Personally, I do not dose any Ca stuff or add coral chips to my tank since I know they are not responsible for the possible cause of some of my plant issues and that our tap is adequate as long as I do good amount of water change. Just a tip...Be critical about the CO2 and make sure you have good amount throughout the entire photoperiod day in day out and it would be very rewarding...just make sure you add enough nutrients though.

Regards
Peter Gwee :wink:

[NongOil]

Hmm... would it help if I just ask them to sell me a few stalks when I purchase some items from them?

Kevin, it may or may not, but I think they may sell Downoi to you if they recognized you are foreigner cause they don't want to sell them for local, you know the reason :wink:

Oil.

[TS168]

HI Anyone can answer this for me. thanks

1. Has anyone plant downoi without fan and the temperature is around 27-30degree. As i read through the forum it state the temperature 25-28degree.

I am planning to get one and try out in my tank. By the way i am planning to do it in a 1FT cube tank.
Any advise/comment. Thanks

Anyone has a small one to sell me? Please let me know.
Just thinking of trying out this plant.

Thanks
Best Regards