# how fussy is Rotala Macrandra



## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

I watched 3 bunches of Rotala Macrandra disslove away over the past few weeks. All my other plants are doing well, my lighting is over 3 wpg.....

The only thing I could think is that it doesn`t appreciate my hard water. Gh is 10-12 and so is kh. Could this be what killing it?


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Macrandra does appreciate softer water, so you KH is not helping. Macrandra is a very picky plant IME. My water is high in KH as well. IME not enough nutrients, it will stunt. Too much nutrients, it will stunt. I wish I could offer a sure fire way to grow it, however I dont know one.

jB


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

I have similar water to yours, and while it didn't die quickly, it did die. I hear that some of the nurseries here in Florida grow it using hard water, so I am sure it can be done, I just don't know how.


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

I grow macranda fairly well in hardwater. I do have a high light tank. In general I have found that most macranda varieties do well with higher nitrate dosings.

David


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

macranda is a weed. In my tank anyway. It grows like crazy in any conditions.


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## Pieter (Jul 3, 2005)

Hey,

me to I would love to find a way to grow rotala species in hard water.
Just moved back to Belgium, tap of GH over 30 and KH of 17.
And none of the rotala's seem to like it very much.

I think it is maybe a problem with the micro's. I think they don't stay available long enough for the plants to take them up.
A lot of the chelaters only work properly with lower pH I think. With my KH it is very difficult to lower it using only C02.

Any comments.

Pieter


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

Hey pieter! HOpe all is well in belgium!

David


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

Pieter said:


> A lot of the chelaters only work properly with lower pH I think.


hmmmm, I didn`t know that. I`m off to research more about that. Thanks for the tip.

On the otherhand, all the other plants do well. If it was a micro issue, wouldn`t it affect all the plants?


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## oceanaqua (Oct 24, 2005)

I had green water problem and been doing rapid water changes with tap water, now my ph is over 8 and the macrandra still growing. I think its the nutrient defficiency you are experiencing.


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## titan97 (Feb 14, 2005)

My macrandra is growing like a weed, along with the rotundifolia and ludwigia repens. My tank parameters:

35 gallon hex tank

4x (4xODNO) 24" 18W plus
2x (4xODNO) 18" 15W plus
2x 13W spiral
total light (Assuming 3x efficiency for the ODNO): 216+90+26=332W or ~10WPG

DIY CO2 around 50 ppm
NO3: 40ppm
PO4: 1 ppm
GH: 28 degrees
KH: 14 degrees
pH: 6.6 to 6.8
micros: 5mL daily (usually) each: Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Traces

-Dustin


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## Pieter (Jul 3, 2005)

That's good news Dustin.
Seems like it is possible after all to grow it in liquid rock.
But I noticed that you dose very high amounts of traces and daily. I think this is the key to keep the micros available for the plants.

Pieter


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## imatrout (May 12, 2005)

I have hard water too. I dose micros daily too and mine grows so much I'm thinking of getting rid of it.


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

Well dang it. I figured if my crypts and anubias pearl, I must be doing something right.

Maybe it`s that spot is cursed. I never got my vals to grow very well there. Neither did the nymphea. Cursed I tell ya.


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