# Need help with ludwigia repens



## EDDIE PIGON (Feb 29, 2008)

I bought a few bunches of ludwigia repens last week and now the bottom red leaves are falling off and there are only a few green leaves on the top of the plant,will the plant produce new leaves on the bottom? The thank has high lighting 436 watts fert four times a week , two diy co2 50% water change weekly.Tank is 55 gal. Any help is appreciated.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

436 watts is an unusual number for lights. What individual bulb wattages are involved? If that is an accurate number you have way too much light, far too much to be able to use DIY CO2. 

What do you mean by "ferts four times a week"? What fertilizers are you using?


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

The ludwigia will take some time, about 2 weeks in my case, to start growing new leaves at the bottom. Remove all of the loose leaves from the tank while this is happening. Once it gets started it will go crazy. 

Do you mean 4x36 watt lights for a total of 144 watts and 2.6 watts per gallon? If not then 436w for 7.9 wpg is a huge amount of lights.


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## EDDIE PIGON (Feb 29, 2008)

I have a 36 inch comp lamp fixture with two 96 watt bulbs, 6700k and 1000k. I refitted my old 46in florissant lamp with four screw in comp lamps 6500k they are 13watts a piece but they put out 60watts each .I fert with kno2 3xa week 1/4 tsp ,kh2po4, 1/8 tsp, k2so4 1/8 tesp, trace 1/8 tsp,50% wc weekly. two diy co2 .the drop checker with 4 dk water is green.


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

OK I think I got it, 4.436watts per gallon. Things will be fine as long as all other parameters are OK. Make sure not to plant them too close together so that you get light to the lower parts of the plants.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The screw-in CFL bulbs are good for about half their wattage. (They don't produce the 60 watts shown on the package - they are roughly equivalent to 60 watt incandescent bulbs.) So, you have 2 x 96 watts plus about 4 x 6 watts, or 216 effective watts, or 3.9 watts per gallon, which is still very high for DIY CO2 being used.

You should dose about 1/2 tsp of KNO3, not 1/4 tsp, but the others are about right.

So, with that cleared up: the Ludwigia repens should be growing rapidly with that light and that fertilizing. It takes a week or two for it to really start growing well, and if it was emersed grown before you got it, it will likely lose a lot of leaves before it starts new growth at full speed. I suggest you use only the 96 watt bulbs, and with DIY CO2, only one of them would be the most appropriate light level.


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## EDDIE PIGON (Feb 29, 2008)

Tanks for all your help,I will use the 96 watt comp light onlyand add more kno3 and see what happens .Ed


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## tjc (Jan 17, 2006)

I have grown Ludwigia repens several times and each time it will loose the bottom red leaves and create a bit of a mess in the aquarium. I hand pick the floating leaves and siphon the leaves sitting on the gravel. Using a net helps too. It takes me about 3 weeks to get the Ludwigia to grow faster.

I'm using a Coralife CF fixture with two 96 watt bulbs, one 6700 K and the other 10,000 K. The 10,000 K is a bit dull and needs to be replaced. Under this lighting, I'm more successfull in keeping the red coloration especially at lower depths. Previously, I was just using one 96 watt bulb. My tank is 24 inches tall. My ottos help keep the leaves clean of detritus which I think is important also.


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