# What has happened to the Pogostemon helferi?



## Mowze (Nov 12, 2008)

I work in an LFS and just recently the quality of the Pogostemon helferi I have been ordering in has dropped greatly. Not only that but also the quality of those I have used in other tanks also seems to have changed a lot.

Initially up to about 3-4 months ago it was coming in from the suppliers and growing in our tanks very happily looking like this:










In the last few months both the quality of the plants coming in and also the plants which are used in 3 different display tanks seems to have descended to this:










And then even worse to this:


















It just seems to get worse and worse in all three tanks, iv never really had trouble growing the stuff before and don't believe it is a light issue as all the tanks have very bright light over them, pressurised CO2 injection and regular nutrient dosing (weekly and daily.) Is this possibly a seasonable thing or maybe a disease because the plants all seem to get increasingly unhealthy although there is no reason for them to do so. I would maybe think there was something wrong with a tank but this isn't exactly an isolated occurrence.


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

The photos of Pogostemon helferi you are showing are emersed growth examples. It will take a while for it to convert back to submersed.


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

What is the temperature of the tanks? The downoi I keep in an unheated tank (66-68f in the winter) got really odd and actually flowered once the temp had dropped for a while.
While I'm not 100% sure that it was the temp change, it had a very strong correlation, and now I'm seeing if it will reverse given time at a higher temp.


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## Mowze (Nov 12, 2008)

Jeff.:P:. said:


> The photos of Pogostemon helferi you are showing are emersed growth examples. It will take a while for it to convert back to submersed.


 These plants were not in this form when planted and some have been establishing for well over 4-6 months, they have only converted to this state in the last few months as have the suppliers.

A bit more info on the tanks they are growing in:

40L Cube with 2x 18w PLS, pressurised CO2 and florabase substrate

240L with 4x 54w T5 plant pro, pressurised CO2 and florabase substrate

200L with 2x 39w T5 plant pro 1x T8 30w Aquaglo 1x T8 30w Powerglo., pressurised CO2, JBL florabase substrate with florapol latterite, JBL root balls and red sea root tabs capped with JBL Manado

All the other plants are growing healthily it just seems that this species has decided to take on this form not just in all three tanks but it seems to be localised now to the supplier. None of these plants were in this form when planted and I have never seen it happen with them before.


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## Mowze (Nov 12, 2008)

Minsc said:


> What is the temperature of the tanks? The downoi I keep in an unheated tank (66-68f in the winter) got really odd and actually flowered once the temp had dropped for a while.
> While I'm not 100% sure that it was the temp change, it had a very strong correlation, and now I'm seeing if it will reverse given time at a higher temp.


 Set temperature ranges in each individual tank from 22c to 26c, each tank has its own variables yet the same change has occurred throughout only recently.


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

Well, I hope you figure it out! My downoi is long established, never had an issue before, ton of light and CO2, and a couple months ago decided to completely change form. Now it has tiny straight leaves, long internodes and flowers. 

Quite the mysterious plant!


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

Update: I transfered some of my wonky looking downoi into a tank heated to 76f, and raised the temp in the original tank to 71f.

I also massively increased calcium and magnesium dosing around the same time, and have since switched from an ADA like dosing regimen back to EI in both tanks, so there are a couple variables at play here, so no real definite answers.

That said, the downoi in the warmer tank almost immediately started switching back to the typical looking longer ruffled leaves, and is now nearly recovered. In the tank that was raised to 71f, the downoi is only now starting to put out ruffled leaves again. 

I still feel it is very possible that downoi has seasonal forms that we normally don't see in our tanks. It is possible that the downoi arriving from the OP's vendor could have been exposed to cooler temps and is confused about what form to take in it's new growth.

That is my completely unscientific crackpot theory anyway


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## Mowze (Nov 12, 2008)

Iv found as I see what comes in from the supplier every week (I do a weekly order at work) that over this winter the pogo has gone through various stages first coming in looking amazing (Spring and summer) a bit mushy on the leaves (autumn) downright awful looking (Winter) and now with the spring around the leaves still look a naff but they are all flowering when they come in! However take these out and stick them under a tonne of light and eventually they convert back to how they "should" look.


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