secret to planting rotala macandra?

[cheeboonyong]

Does anybody know if there's any secret to planting rotala macandra?

My plant stem will rot/melt away and the plant will eventually float away. Upon examination, there were no emerging roots from the rotting portion of the stem.

Is there a emersed form for rotala macandra?

[geoffrey]

Yes, there is an emersed form. Teo has it and I've seen it used by Juggler.

Take a look at Juggler's tank , those in the centre were emersed when planted.

[budak]

No secrets, actually, this is not the CIA or Singapore Statistics office.

Bright light that reaches the lower portions of the stems (at least 2.5 watts per gallon), planting stems individuall rather than bunching them together, a rich substrate of the right grain size, and enough CO2 and liquid fert (NPK plus Fe and micros). Get these in place, and the plants should grow. Also, do not manhandle the plant stems. use tweezers to hold them firmly but gently during planting. Squeezing stems too hard can trigger melting.

[benetay]

RM is a very easy plant to grow, just have what Buduk has said and i don't see why there is any problem. If you want to archieve redder plants, pump in more Iron .

[kadios]

Juz to add a point further, and less nitrate concentration, as suggested by Tom Barrs!

Cheers!

[cheeboonyong]

thanks everyone for your comments. I'll persevere and try again![:]

[budak]

There's no need to perservere if you don't get the conditions right for the plant. Just make sure its growth requirements are met and you won't need to perservere.

[ckll]

I thought emersed form looks more differently ?

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/galle...plantitemid=45

[budak]

for Rotala macandra, the emerged form is quite similar to the submerged - only the leaves are somewhat larger and rounder, and the stem is (as with most emersed plants) stiffer.

Other plants, like Hygrophila difformis, some Echinodorus species, Ludwigias will display totally different leaf and growth patterns under water.