# SOS - Utricularia gramminifolia, help needed urgently.



## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Please help me to grow the plants. I am new to it.

I am attaching some pics after planting it in my grow out tank.
Conditions,

Used ADA Amazonia ii
DSM
Tank 24x12x12 inches
Light 24x4 T5HO 12000k
Lighting period 12 hours.

Am I doing this right? If not what should be done? Is water in excess? Please help me before the damage is done. I have planted the plants yesterday evening.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Bump


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Looks right to me, but I've never done one with this method. I know you have to keep the humidity up. I'm pretty sure you have to have a top on it.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Thanks Tex gal for the reply.

Just a small update, yesterday morning, I sprinkled some sphagnum peat to absorb the excess water.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Utricularia gramminifolia is not easy to grow out of water. I have grown it both ways and it takes 2-3 months to get going when it is grown out of water. If you grow it submersed it will grow much much faster. I recommend you fill the tank with water and let it grow like that.


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## James0816 (Oct 9, 2008)

If you want to start growing with this method, I recommend as Zap mentioned. Fill the tank to just about an inch over the plants to start. Again, this is for starting out using the method you are trying. Otherwise, just fill it up completely, inject CO2 and hopefully away they go.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

One doubt - with 1 inch of water, wont I have algae issues?
How did you control it?

Problem at hand - I am finding the tank temperature much higher than the room temperature. Room temp 30c while tank will be 33c I guess.

I am afraid, I am not willing to risk changing ambiance now if it is not a absolute necessity. I mean going submersed from emersed.  
I will let them be as they are if you think it can work.

Why do you think that emersed is more problematic? What all needs to be done to ensure it grows emersed? Please let me know.

I have a bad feeling that I should have done some more research before the plant landed with me. Actually, I have done as much as I could find on the net but it seems that I am not very confidant at this very point of time.

Thanks for your replies and keep them coming, they mean a world to me.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

You need to keep the humidity high to grow plants emersed. This plant in particular does not convert very well to emersed form.

It will however, eventually convert and grow emersed. But you are looking at 2-3 months for it to change over and grow this way, then another 2 months or so to carpet the bottom of your tank.

If you grow it submersed (i.e. fill the tank up add CO2 and fertilize like normal) the UG will carpet the bottom in 1-2 months.

What you can do if you are worried about this plant not surviving is take a clump of it and grow it separately in an emersed tub. Then you can fill the tank up and grow the UG underwater in the main tank. This way you'll have a small culture of emersed UG to fall back on if the submersed UG doesn't work out.

Honestly though, UG isn't very demanding underwater. You just need to have good light, fertilization (it loves soil or aquasoil like you have) and CO2 helps a lot. As for algae... it isn't usually a problem with UG since UG grows SO fast underwater.

You can also let a small chunk of it float at the surface of the water. It will get a lot of light here. Basically split your UG up into multiple different sets of conditions, this way it is more likely that one set of conditions will work and you can grow more UG like this. I grew mine at 77°F in potting soil capped with inert pool filter sand, 2.5 wpg, and 3 bubbles per second pressurized CO2.

You can see the progression of my UG in my journal thread here: In about 1 month it had carpeted the bottom of the tank quite thickly.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/journals/67372-55g-sand-rock-tank.html


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Thank you for the detailed answer. 

I have actually placed it in 3 tanks. The other 2,in negligible quantity. That is why I did not mention it here. One in a 6 months old established tank with some ADA Africana, full blast Co2 ( 6-7 bubbles per second) Ferts. Some is floating in the same tank. 

The other is in a soil based substrate with 1 inch of water in a shady place. Lets see what happens. I am seeing one small green frond picking up its head. Its just 3 days now. Will it be the UG? I frankly do not know. The tank has had some lileopsis, long back (1 year). Last 6 months it had no plants, only water and fishes. I am keeping my fingers crossed as it looks like emersed growth.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Good to hear you split it up into different tanks. I have noticed that when UG is grown emersed it seems to develop a substantial root system, and it seems to grow stems under the soil (almost like a spiderweb), then after many months it starts sending up leaves once the underground system is established. When it is grown underwater it doesn't seem to make such a large root system, it seems to put all its energy into making leaves, so it appears to grow more quickly.

Anyway, I'd like to see pics when it grows in if you want to post them later on.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Pics...will take much long time, I guess. Hope that I will be able to come out with a pic.

Hmmm... then it is not UG that is rising its lettle head in my tank. 
Will wait and watch.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Zapins,

Now the UG has completely melted. No sign from the top that it is having any presence in the tank what so ever. I am hoping that it is growing the roots now, under the substrate, as you have mentioned in your post. So, I am keeping lights on. Hydrocotyle siberpothoides is throwing uo lots of new emersed leaves. Hope I do good to the UG. out:


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Yep. I thought mine had melted as well, I only saw maybe 1 leaf in the whole emersed tub. Then 2-3 months later it started growing above the soil where I could see it.

Has it melted from all your tanks in all conditions?


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Due to busy schedule, and random out of city tours and unforeseen incidents like a leakage in a tank, other minuscule setups have not been able to be pursued by me.

All I have is this setup with 90% of all the UG I had. May be I will get some more and start a parallel submerged setup. 

I will come back with developments in this tank, what ever be may the outcome.


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

Since it is not showing any sign of growth out side the substrate, how much light is required at this point of time, keeping in mind that tank size of 24x12x12 inches.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I kept 65 watts of light on the tub from 10-12 inches above the surface of the soil.


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## DetMich (Jun 17, 2011)

Can you give a quick rundown on how the tank is doing now? It looks like you have submerged grown UG? If that was the case it will probably take much longer until you see new growth. 
Down below I listed the tanks I have growing UG emersed that maybe could help you out.

My 3 tanks (5.5,10,10) currently growing UG emersed.

ADA 45-P DSM
AS Amazonia
AS Amazonia Powder
Lighting: 36Watts 8000k @ 14hrs/day
Maintain water level JUST below substrate height
Plastic wrapped top
Mist once daily w/ diluted Do Aqua! Be Bright
*22 day comparison of my DSM*









5.5 Gallon (Emersed grow out)
AS Amazonia
AS Amazonia Powder
Lighting: 40Watts 6500K @ 14hrs/day
Maintain water level JUST below substrate height
Plastic wrapped top
Mist once daily w/ diluted Do Aqua! Be Bright

10 Gallon (Emersed grow out)
AS Amazonia
AS Amazonia Powder
Lighting: (AH Supply retrofit)36Watts [email protected] 14hrs/day
Maintain water level JUST below substrate height 
Plastic wrapped top
Mist once daily w/ diluted Do Aqua! Be Bright


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## severumkid (Apr 2, 2008)

I failed in this attempt, but , I got it once again and it is growing nicely submersed. I believe its a very easy plant to grow submersed and a very difficult one when grown immersed. Will take some photo and post it here. Present tank stats,

15X9X9 inch
DIY Substrate and substrate balls.
No dosing, no Co2
Water change nearly 50% once three days, kept in partial shade in the portico.


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