Blyxa is not doing well

[LLC]

My blyxa is not doing very well, it is not green enough.
I am using 4x36 PL for my 3ft. Temp is at 28 deg. Thanks

[vinz]

What colour is it now? It will turn slightly reddish under bright light. It is growing? Any leaf deaths? Is it bushy or sparse?

Mine are doing fine under 4 x 36W in a 100x45x45cm tank. Temp at 30 or more. I find they do better with a rich substrate. Try sticking some root fertilisers among them.

[LLC]

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On 1/16/2003 2:14:45 AM

What colour is it now? It will turn slightly reddish under bright light. It is growing? Any leaf deaths? Is it bushy or sparse?

Mine are doing fine under 4 x 36W in a 100x45x45cm tank. Temp at 30 or more. I find they do better with a rich substrate. Try sticking some root fertilisers among them.
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The colour is light brown in colour. It is growing but at a very slow pace.
Someone in this forum says that his is growing very fast. So far not a lot of
dead leaves. I will try to add more roots fertilizer.
Thanks vinz

[tawauboy]

how long have you planted your blyxa?
they will grow fast after they have stabilised. in shaded areas, the growth is slowed down.

[peterkoh]

i'm using 56w for my 2 ft cube tank. blyxxa is doing ok though not as rampant as when i first got them. they are now limited in height and need splitting every few months else dirt will build up.

do you use any fertlizer for your substrate ?

btw, anyone using blyxxa as a foreground plants ? mine is currently covered with stargrass (which needs regular trimming) and blyxxa but i tot reducing to one type looks better. stargrass can be a challenge as the bottom plants will die off if not trimmed ... like riccia.

[sherchoo]

If it's not melting it should be ok. Initially mine grew slowly but now it's grrowing very well. It's kinda red/brownish now due to strong lights.

In your case, I dun think you have anything to worry, juz give it some time.

[LLC]

Thanks everyone for the help.
Think I am too impatient. I had just added 2 sticks of UP fertilizer beside
it this morning hope it will grow well after that.

Cheers

[sherchoo]

Ha ha... now you're complaining your plants grow slowly, but maybe later you'll be complaining they are growing too fast.... ha ha ha.




Anyway, have fun. That's what the hobby is all about.

[kc]

Excuse me, Blyxa is slightly reddish? Mine is green with some dirty brown like colour. Am I talking about the same plant?

[David]

yes KC they are the same plant...blyxa tends to turn slightly reddish under strong light

[FC]

I saw Blyxa at 2 places. They looks exactly the same but one type has much longer leafs than the other (about 7" vs 5&quot.

Are they the same plants?

[cks]

Blyxa japonica :
Blyxa aubertti :

Frrom tropica :
In Blyxa japonica has not been used in aquariums for long, so little experience has been gained with it so far. In general it is difficult, and probably demands both soft water and CO2 addition to thrive. But it is highly decorative, and unlike B. aubertii it forms not a rosette but a beautiful stem which is densely covered with dark-green leaves. It should be planted in groups to achieve the most decorative effect.

[vinz]

Kasselmann also says B. japonica is a difficult plant. Some forumers have found little problems with it though, some right from the start, some after some initial poor growth.

I've grown it
- in high light, CO2, rich substrate
- mod/high light, no CO2, poor substrate

A friend of mine had problems with his until he used Root Monsters on them.

[FC]

I see. Thank you!

I like the B. Japonica better.

Happy CNY!

[hwchoy]

BJ is a riotous monster! if you stare at it everyday you will not notice much difference, try to take a picutre every half a week then you'll see it gaining in "body" (like when you/PCK perm hair it kind of expand in volume), then start spreading by becoming wider, the bush becoming bigger in diameter.

BTW it is shrimp heaven. [:]

[checkerboard]

Hi Peter,
i have used blyxa jap. as my foreground, does not seem to have a problem, except need to split them every now and then becoz of fast growth.
blyxa is not an easy plant, mine have indirect sunlight. they are susceptible to fish medication like methyl blue and snails seems to love them when i first started out...

[FC]

checkerboard,

You seems to have good fingers on BJ, what do you think that make them grow well?

[Nicky]

In her book, Kasselmann mentioned that Blyxa aubertii is an 'Annual' aquatic plant and a 'short-lived plant'.

Has anyone experience the plant dying after 1 year (annual)?

How about B. japonica? Is it an 'annual' plant?

[vinz]

Not in my experience.

[checkerboard]

I read previously that Blyxa aubertii ia an annual too. But my prior experience with it suggest otherwise though. grows quite large after a year though if you dun pull off the leafs at the side because it is rosette.

Blyxa jap, dun think it is an annual as well, but the constant propogation of side shoots meant that you can replant the offsprings easily. As for what makes it grow well. lots of light, i also put 'root monsters'. needs clear water, do not allow dirt to accumulate to much at the base, seems to affect the rate of growth. if the plant grows too thick, it impedes further growth becoz of the competition for light, so try thinning out more often.