Help on Downoi plant

[jerome]

Hi ,
i just started a tank and i planted 4 downoi plant and my downoi leave and starting to detach off the stem...after about 1 week 1 of the downoi got blacky thing on the stem....my friend told me the plant had melted and cannot be save...is it true?? really need help

i running in a 50cmby 35cm by 35cm
co2 reactor 1bps
24w lighting 10h each day

[PeterGwee]

What nutrients are you dosing for the plants? CO2 level?

Regards,
Peter Gwee

[jerome]

i using ADA amozonia soil without dosing any nutrient..
co2 is 1bps
isit a must to dose nutrient??
if so which would you recommend?? i wan something which is not harmful and does not affect CRS.

thanks

jerome

[ranmasatome]

If you;re not dosing.. then just totally cut out the co2 as well. Otherwise, you're just in for more algae infestation.
As for the plants.. float them...they will come back to life.

[jerome]

oh ok....and if i want to dose them what chemical should i add ??

[anaconda]

Downoi doesnt grow well if at all in ADA soil. Thats from past experience by me and few friends of mine

Try growing your downoi in normal gravel. Mine are all growing fine. No dosing, no co2, no water change . Just plain gravel & monster root

Downoi will just melt if you float them for too long a time

Did you plant the downoi with the roots? If you plant a cutting without a root , they have a tendency to just melt. Those planted with roots attached tend to grow much better

[Shadow]

I have my downoi on ADA soil. They are doing well and multiplying. I follow the recomendation from forummer (I think from bro ranmasatome), only plant the root leave the rest above the soil.

[ranmasatome]

told you it works right??

Anyway, i don't know why but it seems like in ADA soil you have to keep the stems from being planted into the soil. So the best way is to float them for a bit...not as in just leave them floating on the water top, BUT What i mean is to totally submerge them but leave the plant just floating in mid water. You can do this with string and small glass suction cups.. then when the roots grow out.. jsut plonk the roots only into the soil.. it should then take off from there.

[jerome]

The downoi i bought all have long roots attach.Today morning i woke up see the leaves of the downoi curdin down and getting botak!!!
1 qns .If i bury the plant into the soil do i also bury the stem??? i now trying out the method of suspending the downoi in mid water .hope my downoi can be save

[Shadow]

If you plant it on ADA soild, do as ranmasatome said "just plonk the roots only into the soil", roots only, it worked for me
By the way maybe your plant in the process of converting from emerse to submerse form.

[Matt]

Recently, I bought 3 Downois and was told that Downois require cool or chilled water for proper growth, not sure how true that is. But anyway, I planted them into my shrimp tank (Dennerle Black Quartz Gravel) and initially, the leaves touching the gravel just started rotting away piece by piece. And now I can see the stem with the leaves that are away from the gravel growing well.

I guess the nature of this plant is such that the whole "body" of the plant needs to be away from soil/gravel. Thus, now my Downois are "floating" amidst the water, if that's what Ranmasatome was describing as.