Keeping red plants red
 

Hello everyone,

In my 20 gallon I've got some really nice looking Sunset Hygro
that grows in a brilliant red. I also have a bit of Bacopa planted near
it. As the nutrients in the tank get lower (in the week or so between
water changes), the youngest leaves of the Bacopa turn a very nice red.
It matches the hygro wonderfully.

I fertilize during weekly water changes - half of a single dose
of Kent FW Plant supplement and half of a single dose of Flourish Trace.
Within a few hours the red in the Bacopa has faded completely back to
green.

First, why does this happen like this? I've heard of nutrient
deficiency causing red plants to turn green, but not vice versa.
Second, any way to keep the Bacopa more on the red side?

--
Ross Vandegrift


A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.

Keeping red plants red
 

Ross Vandegrift wrote in message
...

In my 20 gallon I've got some really nice looking Sunset Hygro
that grows in a brilliant red...

The most brilliant I've been able to get Sunset Hygro is under a mix of GE
Chroma 50 (Sunlight) and Ultra Daylight (6500K). This mix of lamps will
cause the Hygro to look almost neon pink.

Second-best shade of red comes with a mix of GroLux and Designer Warm Whites
by Philips/Sylvania.

It's not too hard to keep the Sunset red, but the shade _does_ change with
the light temperature.

...I also have a bit of Bacopa planted near it. As the
nutrients in the tank get lower (in the week or so between
water changes), the youngest leaves of the Bacopa turn
a very nice red. It matches the hygro wonderfully.

I fertilize during weekly water changes - half of a single dose
of Kent FW Plant supplement and half of a single dose of
Flourish Trace. Within a few hours the red in the Bacopa
has faded completely back to green.

First, why does this happen like this? I've heard of nutrient
deficiency causing red plants to turn green, but not vice versa.
Second, any way to keep the Bacopa more on the red side?

Bacopa seems to be at its reddest during the first couple of hours of
"daylight" - almost as if the red were caused by the absorption of CO2
during the night (although I know that's not the reason). But it rarely
*stays* red through the course of the day unless you have a little green in
your lighting. Here, the Chroma 50s seem to work best.

Bacopa also doesn't seem to respond as well to phosphate pulsing as quite a
few of the other red plants do, like Ludwigia or Rotala...


--
-Y-

Nestor 10

".chkr" is for mail-bots

Keeping red plants red
 

A sign of Nitrate deficincy is that plants turn red. When your
nitrate level drops - the plants turn redder. Some aquarists keep
their nitrates very low to get the reds. Its fine if you're adding
nitrates
and letting them drop to get reds, but trying to keep them red by
eliminating nitrates from your fert regiment will harm the plants and
may bring about an algae bloom.

"Ross Vandegrift" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

In my 20 gallon I've got some really nice looking Sunset Hygro
that grows in a brilliant red. I also have a bit of Bacopa planted near
it. As the nutrients in the tank get lower (in the week or so between
water changes), the youngest leaves of the Bacopa turn a very nice red.
It matches the hygro wonderfully.

I fertilize during weekly water changes - half of a single dose
of Kent FW Plant supplement and half of a single dose of Flourish Trace.
Within a few hours the red in the Bacopa has faded completely back to
green.

First, why does this happen like this? I've heard of nutrient
deficiency causing red plants to turn green, but not vice versa.
Second, any way to keep the Bacopa more on the red side?

--
Ross Vandegrift


A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water
Cannon.
He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water
Cannon.
He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water
Cannon.
He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water
Cannon.
He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water
Cannon.
He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water
Cannon.
Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots
them.

Keeping red plants red
 

In article , Nestor 10 wrote:
Ross Vandegrift wrote in message
...

In my 20 gallon I've got some really nice looking Sunset Hygro
that grows in a brilliant red...

The most brilliant I've been able to get Sunset Hygro is under a mix of GE
Chroma 50 (Sunlight) and Ultra Daylight (6500K). This mix of lamps will
cause the Hygro to look almost neon pink.

Second-best shade of red comes with a mix of GroLux and Designer Warm Whites
by Philips/Sylvania.

This is probably closer to the combination of lighting I have now - One
is a Zoo-Med FloraSun (8900K version), the other is a GE Aqua-Rays (not
sure of the temp, it's the bulb that All Glass ships with their twin
strips lighting fixtures). The GE's CRI is really unbelievably awful.
I'd love to replace it.

Bacopa seems to be at its reddest during the first couple of hours of
"daylight" - almost as if the red were caused by the absorption of CO2
during the night (although I know that's not the reason). But it rarely
*stays* red through the course of the day unless you have a little green in
your lighting. Here, the Chroma 50s seem to work best.

Ah, very interesting - I'll have to pay attention to the times that I
see the Bacopa in "red mode" and compare that with when I put in
fertilizer. And perhaps I'll look into the Chroma 50's - sounds like
I could seriously benefit from replacing the Aqua-Suck tube.

--
Ross Vandegrift


A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.

Keeping red plants red
 

In article , Ross Vandegrift wrote:
Bacopa seems to be at its reddest during the first couple of hours of
"daylight" - almost as if the red were caused by the absorption of CO2
during the night (although I know that's not the reason).

Yea, you're right on with this one - I've been paying attention the past
few days. I'll have to give the Chroma 50 a shot. And if that doesn't
do it, I'll just look at the tank in the AM ::-)

--
Ross Vandegrift


A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.

Keeping red plants red
 

I have a Red Rubin Rosettta.

It was always a dark maroon, and in the last 9 months barely grew.

Then this week I pumped Co2 into the tank via a Nutrafin CO2 unit.

This week an entire leaf grew (a 5 incher) and it is red-as-day. Not
maroon like the rest.

Get CO2 if you don't already.

On a side note, someone was asking about a great red center-piece
plant is. My Red Rubin Rosetta is easily the eye catcher of the 10G
tank.