# Did I get the right plant?



## sarcare (Sep 10, 2006)

I posted here earlier about wanting a background plant for my 55g. I decided to put blxya aubertii in, along with an apon. I bought three blyxa plants on-line. they were supposed to be seven inches tall. But when I got them today they were more like 3-4 inches. They also appear to have a different color then the aubertii I've seen pictured.

I need help identifying this plant, I put some in a 10g tank under a 24w cf light and the rest in the 55g:

























AND I need help figureing out how to save the plant. What light, ferts, positioning can I do to save this plant? How fast will it grow? The tank looks funny with these tiny little plants in the background.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Those plants look like auberti IMO. Their coloration can vary greatly, depending on lighting intensity and plant health. Yours look fine.

I keep mine in moderate lighting, with good CO2 levels, in soilmaster select with an occasional root tab. In three months I've divided a small single plant into 4 or 5 new ones. The tallest are now about 22" high. They take on a reddish coloration with intense lighting. I find it to be fairly easy to keep - at least in one of my tanks. Check out the info in the plant finder here.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Hard to tell, its a little small for aubertii, may be japonica, did you contact the seller about the state that you received the plant in? As far as getting it to grow fast, neither is really a fast grower no matter what you do to it.


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## sarcare (Sep 10, 2006)

Thanks for the replies!

This is my first experience buying off of aquabid, and while I'm really not happy with the state of this blyxa, I'm not sure really what I can do about it. It isn't just smaller then advertized, but it is actually in a pretty poor condition, even considering transportation--there is thread algae on it, and many of the leaves are breaking or decaying. I hope I can save it, because I don't see that I have any other choice.

I'm not looking for rapid--as in tomorrow at the top of the tank--but rather that I'd like to see it from behind the lobelia sometime in the next couple of weeks.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Don't expect it to show explosive growth. It seems to take a while to get established - like any new plant stressed by shipping (and these might have seen more than average stress). I'd guess you'll see very little growth for a week or two. After that, it will probaby poke along until you're a month or so along. Once it get's going it will pick up speed, but I don't think anyone would call it a fast-grower.


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