# Didiplis diandra



## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hi.

I have read some threads in reporting that Didiplis diandra is one of the few plants that need high dosages of micro/traces in hard water to turn red. I have hard water ( kH = 6) and 4.9 Watts/gallon of Power Compact ( 3 X 55W). In this thread of Carlos http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=78&highlight=didiplis+diandra+3.95
it is all there and he really pushes the dosages hard. I´m still testing the dosage, so now I´m dosing: 1 ml of flourish / 2 ml of Kent Iron daily with pressurized CO2 at 2/3 bubbles/second. I´m planning on increasing the ammount of Kent Iron to 3 ml/day.

What do you think? Do you encourage raising the dosages? If you look closer, you can see in the pics some nodes turning red, and even the stem is a little red, but nothing more. The rest of the plants are doing fine. In fact, I´ve never seen my plants so healthy and growing so fast. I can still turn on another 55W lamp to have 220W but I don´t think it´s necessary.

Regards,
André


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

diandra is a great plant!!! One of my favorites!! If you are growing it successfully, why would you want to change your routine. I find if my CO2 is in order and there is always nutrients in the tank it looks great.

I am a believer that if it aint broke, dont fix it. If everything is growing healthy and fine, then you found the sweet spot. I only change things if sometihng is wrong, or I am trying to achieve a different goal.

jB


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

Try normal micro/traces routine with bonus(or not) Fe/Mn and small NPK daily dosage (NO3/PO4 close 0). Light is not a clue .

This is my DD in 45cm high tank with 2.52WPG/KH 4/GH 5/ph 6.8


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

That's some really red DD, Norbert!

I would not hesitate to increase to 3mL daily, Andre. I believe that if someone else is growing it red/greener/healthier than you, then figure out what to do to get it growig like that someone else.

By the way, KH of 6 is soft water, not hard. KH of 11-14 is hard. 

Carlos


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Jason yes I´m happy with my DD but my goal is to make her red. 

Norbert wow, nice DD! Incredible really. For traces I´m using Flourish, I think it´s good enough. I´ll wait another week to see the results. As for NPK, I will follow your advise and let them close to 0. Have to get a PO4 kit though.

Carlos that´s what I thought. I will maintain Flourish with 1 ml/day and will add 3 ml/day of Fe. ALways thought kH of 6 was hard. 

Thanks all for the tips. I will be posting pics of the results in one week.

Regards,
André


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