making stem plants red.

[EvolutionZ]

hey guys, i intend to make my stem plants red. using only didiplis diandra.. best would be copper red. i have been dosing seachem iron for something, they do turn copperish.. but not to what i wanted.. anyother idea to make it even more copper?

[nickLee]

Are you dosing enough NO3, PO4 and K ?

[barmby]

Perhaps MH lighting and short tank. didiplis diandra is light hungry. They need the intensity

[EvolutionZ]

wondergro macro+ and lushgro micros using EI, but im using excel as co2 only.. im using 2x 13watt PL for my 25L tank.. tank height only 25cm. im shooting 13watt tube directly at the stems area.. should i change it to 18w?

[barmby]

25 liter = 6.604 301 309 gallon [US, liquid]

1 gallon = 3W (Threshold)
7 gallon = 7x3 = 21W (Needed for threshold)

I think it is suffiicient only. you need to go over the threshold.

Check,
Is your plant crawling ? If yes, it means the lights are good and they are spreading in order to get more light.
Is your plant shooting towards the top. It means not enough light

Btw, PL light tend to lose 'power' over 10 - 12 months..

I have no experience with didiplis diandra. I hope others can help. Let see what others say..

[christopher.wtc]

hey guys, i intend to make my stem plants red. using only didiplis diandra.. best would be copper red. i have been dosing seachem iron for something, they do turn copperish.. but not to what i wanted.. anyother idea to make it even more copper?

Hi Evo,

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ails.php?id=41, this link will tell what you need to do.

Good luck bro.

[shrimppaste]

Sorry to slightly hijack this thread. Barmby you were saying that if light is enough it would crawl sideways, which is what my rotala rotundifolia is doing. So would it eventually still grow upwards cause I intended it to be a background plant. Thanks! Sorry for the hijack.

[Wabi-Sabi]

Sorry to slightly hijack this thread. Barmby you were saying that if light is enough it would crawl sideways, which is what my rotala rotundifolia is doing. So would it eventually still grow upwards cause I intended it to be a background plant. Thanks! Sorry for the hijack.

No worries. Even if it is crawling, eventually it will give you the height you want by stacking on each other.

[barmby]

Wabi-sabi, i agree. and it is a beauty...

[EvolutionZ]

my stems are shooting upwards. i guess i need an upgrade of light.

[barmby]

Even the article say didiplis diandra is light crazy. Suggestion: 1 x MH 75W.. I think they will become dwarf

[ghim]

Light is the most important element to make red plants red.

I had tried Iron tablets and dosing Iron. Not much effect. Till I bought a table lamp and shine it at the red plants. Together with the iron tablet and iron dosing. It works

[Morgan01]

you forgot temperature. keep it at 25'c constantly and report back.

[EvolutionZ]

upgrade my light to 2x16watt T5 liao.. lets hope it works.

[kanguin]

Try Dennerle E15 Iron Tablets, it's good.