My daily lights on/lights off go on at 12-2pm and off from 10-12pm, but if I get out of the house earlier sometimes the lights are off the whole day. Yesterday was a day where the lights didn't get on and when I turned them on today I was surprised to see two things. Wondering if the experts can fill me in on some info on these.
1st. My Echinodorus Evening Sun bloomed two flowers where I thought they were going to form plantlets. Now currently though, the flowers are withered away and melted. Need they be above water to survive? What is the purpose of the flower when the plant already creates plantlets? To create hybrids? Here are two pictures, now they look like the first pic, even more lesser and frail.
second flower
2nd. I have a new eheim filter, new substrate ecco-complete, and a new design to my tank. The tank has been now established for about a little over a month. I used pressurized co2 into a internal flow reactor. I saw this on the left side of my tank this morning.
I've heard of this before, the thin line of film that is harmless and easily removed, but only experienced it with diy co2. It has almost entirely dissapated now without me touching a thing, but I would like to know how this happend? Here is my outflow, a lot of surface agitation, and as well I turn off co2 each night with a switch which also turns off my lights as well.
These both happend today, both first timers, and both no light for a whole day and a half. Some input will be appreciated. Thanks.
Regards,
Dennis
What I know from experience from my own echinodorus is that the stalk at which the plantlets are formed always flowers.
And about that organic layer done anything special the days before? Clean your filter? Maybe the bacteries just died because of the lack of light.
Or by effect of the flower?
Regards, Lisette
The film is a biofilm and is composed by bacteria. Normally they will form their film on the tank glass, plants, rocks, gravel etc... But you had the lights off and added DIY CO2 (which I guess you left on while the lights were off). This stressed the poor buggers out as there was less O2 available to them (and these films have HIGH metabolic activity needing lots of O2) so the aerobic ones migrated to the surface of the tank to a quiet spot. Remove them by skooping out the water and keep the lights on for a regular cycle. Invest in a timer so the lights can go on/off automaticly and this won't happen again.
Thats a pretty flower but IME they never last long... All stalks with plantlets also produce flower buds. Why yours opened under water I have no idea...
For the echinodorus flower to bloom and be pollinated, it definitely needs to be above the water to be fertilized. As for plantlets growing on the whorls of the floral stalk, this is a way of vegetative propagation for the echinodorus genus. Well, not all echinodorus species produce plantlets on the flower stalk, but majority of the species do.
As for what is the purpose of the flower when the plant already creates plantlets, well, plantlets are just the clone of the mother plants, but with flowers, the plants will have the opportuntiy to reshuffle it's genes with other plants. Basically that's the way how life evolve.
Rgds,
Tan SW
Thank you guys. Its good to learn about these things. I did clean my filter about few days ago, as I found out my shrimps were being sucked up and dying in it. I have fixed that with a filter bag. Nope I don't use DIY co2. Thanks again.
Regards,
Dennis
Hi sorry may I ask why not using a timer ???
My previous plant tank was on a timer and I didnt even bother to worry if the plants hv sufficient light even if I am not at home for the whole week.
Even currently my tank housing a xback also use a timer.
I'm kind've too lazy to run out and get one. I have no problems flipping on and off. And I find that my moss growth benefits from some lights out once in awhile.Originally Posted by BlessChwee
My previous plant tank was on a timer and I didnt even bother to worry if the plants hv sufficient light even if I am not at home for the whole week.
Even currently my tank housing a xback also use a timer.
Regards,
Dennis
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