How to keep red plants red?

[zenscape]

I have never been successful in keeping them red for plants like Ludwigia Arcuata and rotala indica. Normally when i bought them, they were deep red colour but after a few days in my tank, the new shoots would turn green and very soon, the whole plants were green in colour.

My tank is 90 Gal, using 8 x 36W, PL. 9 hours daily(recently only switch on 6 tubes due to keeping foreground bare- 80 % filled = 4WPG).

Fertiliser- Lushgrow and Mirco and using EI method. Co2 maintain 30 plus PPM.

Temp-25-26 (chiller)

Could anyone advise whats the problem? Could it be lighting not enough or Fe insufficient?

[AquaObsession]

I am not sure , does it depends on the concentration of Iron? What i usually do for my red tiger lotus , or some of my red plants (unidentified due to poor knowledge) I put a root tab (JBL 7 ball) in the gravel next to the plant...It works...my red tiger lotus become more red...

Anyone with more experience can comment...

[lyh]

Hi you can do a search on this topic i remembered that this topic was quite hot sometime back

[zenscape]

Hi you can do a search on this topic i remembered that this topic was quite hot sometime back

ya, i remember i read somewhere but couldn't find it now. I also recall sometime back there was an iron challenge for rotala indica. I don't know whether redness in colour is related to iron??

I have no problem with tiger lotus. Base fert plays a major role for them to strive. Stem plants are the one that giving me the problem in getting them red....

[ranmasatome]

its more likely an no3 issue

[Ibn]

It's actually a combination depending on the plants in question. Certain stem plants will react differently. In the case of the two above, try raising your micronutrients. Dropping nitrates will get them even redder.

In plants like Nesaea sp. red, it's the nitrates which will bring the deep reds out. Micros don't really play a role in the overall redness of this plant.

[zenscape]

It's actually a combination depending on the plants in question. Certain stem plants will react differently. In the case of the two above, try raising your micronutrients. Dropping nitrates will get them even redder.

In plants like Nesaea sp. red, it's the nitrates which will bring the deep reds out. Micros don't really play a role in the overall redness of this plant.

Thanks Jus and Eric. Yes, now i recall i read somewhere that reducing Nitrate would bring out the redness in plants. I think Tom Barr wrote that.

But it seems a difficult balancing act for me, as i have just overcome algae by high nitrate/Po4/co2 dosage.

[PeterGwee]

Go low light non-CO2 then...its easier to get the reds out without stunting them since the rate of growth is snail like.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[zenscape]

Thanks Peter, I will try the red plants in another low maintenance tank.

[gorilla83]

I think red plants need bright light?
Thought that way because for those terrestrial plants with dark red leaves, they need bright sunlight. If u leave it in the shade, the colour fades slowly...

not sure whether it's true for aquarium plants...

[guan]

hmm..bright light, then i think they got sell this red corophyll thing for red plants? but not sure how is it used, maybe u can try it

[zenscape]

thanks. Actually i also suspect that high lighting intensity may help as i observe that the tips of the plants near the surface of the water appear to be more red. On the other hand, the guru Tom Barr's comment that lacking of nitrate would be the cause of redness seems logical.

[Jungle-mania]

They need iron. bright light and regular light dose of iron. I dose my 2 ft tank a drop every alternate day and I can see immediate difference in less than a week. Currently, I use oceanfree iron fert.

[bossteck]

I remember posting the following article in an older discussion about red plants. Have a look.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...?article_id=41

[PeterGwee]

There isn't red chlorophyll...just green. That pretty much says about the product's R&D.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[ranmasatome]

i was just going to say taht Peter..

RED???? haaha.. these people are funny

[taygu]

I was told by the aquatic plant exporter in Lim Chu Kang that you must have strong ehough light otherwise the plant will stay green. Dun know how true as never tried a red plant before.

[Ibn]

Not necessary. Some plants, such as Myriophyllum tuberculatum, doesn't require bright light to maintain it's coloration. It's actually a deeper orange color (close enough to red ) with less lighting than more.