# how do i get ludwigia repens and rotala roundifolia to turn red?



## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

I bought both Ludwigia repens and rotala roundifolia from aquariumplants.com, they arrived in a beautiful deep red color, however after i put them in the tank they turned green! Is it not enough wpg, or co2 or nutrient? What makes them go red?

My setup is finally complete now, they are

biocube 14 gallon

have 24watt light 8 hours per day, then i turn on the 2nd light (making it 48watt) for 2.5 hrs in the morning and 2 hrs towards the end of the 8hr light cycle

co2 at 1 bubble per sec


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## aquatic_clay (Aug 17, 2009)

Might need more light for them to turn red. My rotala and ludwigia are both very red under 3 24 watt T5 HO.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

More light, less N, more iron, and traces.


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## James0816 (Oct 9, 2008)

Zapins said:


> More light, less N, more iron, and traces.


x2

Iron is a much needed nutrient for the red plants.


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## El Exorcisto (Aug 10, 2006)

You need to give the plants optimal conditions to get them to give optimal presentation. That means CO2, good lighting, and proper fertilization (whether EI, PPS, or a soil substrate). If you're lacking on something, your plants won't look their best.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

El Exorcisto said:


> You need to give the plants optimal conditions to get them to give optimal presentation. That means CO2, good lighting, and proper fertilization (whether EI, PPS, or a soil substrate). If you're lacking on something, your plants won't look their best.


Truuuee... but optimal growth conditions are not the same as optimal visual conditions when it comes to bringing out the reds in plants.


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

i have nothing in the tank but plants right now, so no livestock to worry about.

I have began a full high tech schedule with 3.5wpg, npk+trace+iron, and co2 at close 3 bubble a sec, on a 14 gallon. The only thing is i dont have a proper diffuser yet, so have the co2 tube plugged into a sponge right now. Lets see how it goes.

On a side note, my dwarf sag are all dieing or dead, with yellow/mushy leaves, i am not sure if this is just going from immersed to submersed transformation or they are really dead... I remember when i had dwarf sag a few years back, they were growing like weed (see my signature's old picture).

Not sure what is going on with this tank yet, but at least algae is very under control.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

My ludwigia grows green like you stated, but once it gets over halfway up in the tank (75 gallon), it turns red. My problem is about three leaves down from the top they start to curl and get covered in algae [smilie=t:


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

As others like Zapins have said, more light intensity and iron. Also, use bulbs that have a lot of blue in the spectral emissions output.


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

flashbang009 said:


> My ludwigia grows green like you stated, but once it gets over halfway up in the tank (75 gallon), it turns red. My problem is about three leaves down from the top they start to curl and get covered in algae [smilie=t:[/QUOTE]
> 
> yes same here, everything but the top of my ludwigia melted, mush leaves everywhere. I pulled all of it out today, and cut off all the leaves except the healthy few on the top (imagine what a single red rose looks like), then replanted them back. It looks kinda weird right now, but lets see how it develops.
> 
> ...


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## James0816 (Oct 9, 2008)

newguy said:


> Sorry do you know which light has more blue? I am using 2x 24w 10000k bulbs.


While some will say this is ok...I would recommend cutting down on the k factor. Look for daylight bulbs 6500. You will get much better growth than the 10000k bulbs.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

He's not looking for growth. He wants the red pigmented plants to be more red. Red plants photosynthesize with blue (and other wavelengths) as the red is reflected. 

Blue light optimizes plant leaf development and makes the plants more compact and bushy. Red light will help with stem elongation.


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

not working, i am doing 8hrs of 48watt over 14 gallon, full dosing including flourish iron, and pressurized co2. 

the ludwigia just wont turn red, the leaves are dark brown/green and looks bad.

what am i missing....


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Baffled


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Stronger lights for sure as your lights right now are enough to grow/keep them.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

What is the total distance of your light source from the bottom of the plants? Height IMO is 'almost' everything when it comes to light and reds.


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## aquatic_clay (Aug 17, 2009)

It'll take some time for the reds to start showing. Keep doing what you're doing now and it'll happen.

The ludwigia melting might be a side affect from the excell. I dosed excel directly over ludwigia once and they melted with in a day. Now I make sure that I dose on the opposite side of the tank from the ludwigia.


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

ok the problem is lighting! one of the ludwigia stem came loose and was floating on top of the tank directly under the light, i didnt have time to replant so left it floating for 2 days, and lo behold the leaves turned red!!!

that kind sucks as i have an all in one biocube, so it's very difficult to add additional light....should've gotten the quad light version, i was afraid 3.5wpg is too much lighting, but as it turns out it's too little lighting! argg


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## jeremy1 (May 6, 2007)

I use one pink bulb in combination with 65K and really see a difference.


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## peanutbowl (Mar 25, 2009)

I recently saw this topic discussed on another forum by plantbrain. He presented a tank with 1.8 watts/gallon with awesome reds. He supplied some really good information that suggested it has more to do with CO2 (go figure) than high light or iron. Basically what was stated was that of all the processes that plants use carbon for, the last would be for making pigments. I could be wrong but that's how i understood it. I've been slowly upping CO2 and am already seeing more color on the new growth. Haven't changed anything else.
He also made the point that our perception of light from different bulbs, like "pink" ones, have something to do with it as well.
He did discuss how increasing light or reducing NO3 levels can have an effect, but not because there are increased amounts of pigment in the leaves.

eep:


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## insectocean (Dec 8, 2009)

peanutbowl said:


> I recently saw this topic discussed on another forum by plantbrain. He presented a tank with 1.8 watts/gallon with awesome reds. He supplied some really good information that suggested it has more to do with CO2 (go figure) than high light or iron. Basically what was stated was that of all the processes that plants use carbon for, the last would be for making pigments. I could be wrong but that's how i understood it. I've been slowly upping CO2 and am already seeing more color on the new growth. Haven't changed anything else.
> He also made the point that our perception of light from different bulbs, like "pink" ones, have something to do with it as well.
> He did discuss how increasing light or reducing NO3 levels can have an effect, but not because there are increased amounts of pigment in the leaves.
> 
> eep:


Link?


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## cbwmn (Dec 18, 2007)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/89186-keeping-red-plants-red-please-share.html

Go down to plantbrains post.
Charles


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## goddessjen (Dec 30, 2009)

Light and iron


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

I increased my iron supplementation using the Cleate iron. I started dosing twice as much and put in new bulbs (4X 55W CF 3 1000K _ 1 6500K ( two of them was to much for my liking - unlesss you like pink....lol). I definetly see a diffrence in the redness of some plants. 
Naturally I dose & use a version of EI. Hmmmmm come to think of it I have also been double dosing K.


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