# Blyxa alternifolia - new to me!



## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Just thought I'd share a px of a new blyxa. It's new to me. I think it's gonna be really neat. I don't know how it grows yet. I just have a few small stems (thanks jojo!!).


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

This was featured by someone who received TOTM about one year ago, Drinda! This is a super rare specimen; keep it in bright light with plenty of iron and phosphorus. I would urge you to move it to your main tank, as it will need the nutrient load in the water column to stay in tip-top condition. It doesn't need to be directly in the flow of your CO2, but it should be close and left in an open spot, though that is probably becoming difficult with your tank! 

Nice job! It should grow pretty tall (like aubertii), so place it in the mid-ground to back ground. Certainly a very nice specimen plant! 

Great job in getting it, TexGal, and thank you for sharing!


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## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

Give it lots of iron, lights, and CO2 and it will shoot up quickly branching along the way. It likes softer water too. One of my favorites too bad it isn't more common.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

And as I see you have the "red" form. From what I see on Google there is a green form. It also looks like the water must be soft.

How does that thing look when fully grown? Like a stem plant or like B. japonica?

--Nikolay


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Don- you would be proud of me. I have pulled several plants out of my 125. I can actually see the substrate. I'm in the process of a re-arrange. Got new DW to make my trees look better. Soaking phase.

Niko- I understand that it's a stem plant. That's all I know. We'll see what happens as it grow out. So exciting. Perhaps I should put a few stems in my big tank too, in case it decides it doesn't like one of the tanks.

Just to give you an idea of the size. The grass sprigs you see in front of it are UG. It's very little right now.


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## Coralite (Nov 29, 2008)

Hey Tex Gal, 
I hope you get that baby growing well so I can pick up a piece when I visit your house in several weeks. 

I dont know that there are distinct red or green forms of Blyxa, I've seen specimens go back and forth between red and green depending on the environment.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

I am curious to know if this is may be how bylxa aubertii will get pretty red-tinged under high light with high doses of iron and phosphorus. Is this blyxa green under "normal" conditions? Do you have to stress it in order to keep the red coloration.

TexGal--if you sell enough plants, you will see the bottom!  You must have several grand from your latest sale alone! HA!


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

I've had this plant and trying to grow it was very tough! Hope it works out for you!


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

About the red and green form...

Uwants can't lie. If Uwants says there is a red and there is a green form than that's it, case closed. All the HelloKitties and Schnauzer doggies can't be wrong!

Here's Uwants in all is splendor; Scroll down to posts #9 and #10 on the following page. And look carefully - don't miss the animation of a planted tank mixed with Kitties and Schnauzers. See if you notice the "Bear-Bee":

http://www6.uwants.com/viewthread.php?tid=5213282&extra=page=2

haha

--Nikolay


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Jdinh04 said:


> I've had this plant and trying to grow it was very tough! Hope it works out for you!


I hope it grows for me. So far it's holding it's own. No leaf loss. No melting. I guess we'll see.

BTW Don- I sold everything at $1 per stem. By the time I bought new tape, ink for the printer,zip lock bags, sharpies, paper shreds, I think I may have lost money!  At least I didn't have to throw them out. I had my daughter and hubby helping me for 2-3 hours boxing, weighing, taping, pasting.


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Tex Gal said:


> I hope it grows for me. So far it's holding it's own. No leaf loss. No melting. I guess we'll see.


Yea mine had melted to the point where there was only the tip then sadly it disappeared


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

I think this is the one that used to be pretty common a few years back, then kinda fell off the map. Good to see it coming back, looks like a nice plant!


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

That one was _Blyxa vietii_ ('Vietnam'). Too bad, because it was nice, if a tad weedy.


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## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

Does the nitrate level have to be keep low to give this plant a deep rich red look?


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## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

That was mine from a few months back. It is red as long as it has enough light. Nitrate levels didn't really affect mine that much.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

THHNguyen said:


> That was mine from a few months back. It is red as long as it has enough light. Nitrate levels didn't really affect mine that much.


That's pretty neat looking. Does it grow quickly? Any special instructions? I have it where it can get the light.


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## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

This plant is a WEED! It will shoot up to the surface when conditions are to its liking. It took a few weeks before it settled in and started growing for me. 
Just make sure you keep it in soft water with lots of iron and CO2. That seemed to be the most important thing with mine. If I didn't dose iron regularly the leaves around the tip would melt. It also nearly died when I tried growing it in hard water. Without CO2 it doesn't really grow but just survive. It liked did well it a tank with erios and toninas not that it necessarily needs those conditions. 
Good luck and spread that stuff around!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Well I think I'm ok. I dose extra iron, have soft water because of the Amazonia and have CO2 and high light. Should be fine. I will spread the stuff around when I get it going. That's what I love to do!


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