# Telanthera & Sunset hygro issues.



## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

I have Alternanthera reineckii, and Hygrophila Polysperma in my 125 gal. I can't get them to grow taller. Both are looking great and healthy. The AR is bushy, and has root shoots all over it. The HP is very crisp looking, not nearly as bushy but very healthy leaves, no discoloration on either . I thought it was possibly not enough light, but my glosso is creeping along the gravel rather quickly and is doing great, which is a sign of high light i thought? They arent crowded, or covered higher up. Plants nearest to them are Myriophyllum hippuroides, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, and Echinodorus Osiris.

I have seachem root tabs scattered below, I use seachem flourish, and tetraplant florapride liquids. I have co2

temp is 74°f, pH is 6.8 - 7.4 depending on co2

i bought the reineckii at lfs about 6 mos ago, it was dreadful looking, barely any leaves, soft stems etc. It has done a complete 180 but wont get taller. 

AR is about 6", and Hp is about 4" 

on another subject, by staring at my plants forever, at times falling asleep in my chair, i could swear that the two are related... aside from color differences, so maybe it is something with this particular family?

any thoughts please?


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## bastalker (Mar 11, 2006)

If ya have a 125G, and yer glosso is stayin low to the substrate, you just dont have the c02 ya think you have...:slywink:

The root tabs wont do much for yer stem plants. They like takin the ferts right outta the water column.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

yea i gotta get a drop checker.

i have the root tabs broken up and mixed in the gravel, there are a few swords in the area


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Stem plants like to grow rapidly, although A. Reineckii is one of the slower growing stem plants for me. So, they need fertilizer and a complete fertilizer too. That means dosing the water column with potassium nitrate (KNO3) for potassium and nitrogen, and mono potassium phosphate (KH2PO4) for phosphorous, as well as the trace mixes you are now dosing. The Hygrophila also needs a complete set of nutrients, and it does grow very fast, requiring pruning at least weekly if you have at least 2 watts per gallon. I suggest making sure you are dosing enough CO2 and buying those two chemicals from RexGrigg.com and dosing them per either the EI method or the PPS Pro method.


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## MNellis3023 (Oct 3, 2007)

I also keep sunset hygro in my 46g tank. It never really grew well untell I started dosing seachem potasium, iron, excell and flourish. Since then the plant has taken off, Ive measured some stems grow 2''+ a day. There is a pic below of my sunset hygro.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Your plants are probably starving for macro nutrients, but Alternanthera is finicky and sometimes is tough to figure out. Mine grows about 6 inches per month in a high light setup.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Here are the two. It makes sense, that the ferts arent there, so the roots are all over the place searching. I will get them asap, thanks a bunch guys. 

The sunset hygro leaves dont show pink in the photo, but the white lines are pure pink, i am a bad photographer, and or I have a crap camera


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Well I've increased the micro liquids while I wait for the macro nutrients, and the a
A. Reineckii has already started to grow. I am buying. 1 liter bottles of seachem iron, potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. And will continue with flourish and florapride daily. I read also that the tabs do help even with stem plants but I'm not sure if I will need them there. Seems like a simple oversight to you guys lol, but I didn't realize how much ferts made the difference. Thanks a bunch for the insight, already its like having a new tank, I'm excited to see what happens with proper doses. Happy holidays all.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

The seachem ferts are perfectly fine and you should see a huge improvement growth within a week or two. With a 125 gallon tank you'll probably want to go with dry ferts eventually to save $$. The usual staples are KNO3, KH2PO4, a micro mix of some kind, and perhaps K2SO4. $30 worth will easily last a couple of years for a tank that size. Rexgrigg.com and aquariumfertilizer.com are two popular places to get them.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Between the two, Sunset Hygro, (Hygrophila polysperma var sunset) is the fastest growing. It is one of the fastest of any stem plant, and highly adaptable to it's surroundings, (which is why it has become outlawed) If it has stopped growing then that would be an obvious indicator of a nutrient difficiencey. I agree its probably NPK, (nitrogen, phosphate, potassium) Flora Pride is all potassiuim and iron.

What exactly is your lighting? What is your nitrate level? Plants take nitrogen in the form of ammonium and nitrate.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

Rookie move, i should've given as much info as possible first post, sorry Robert

74ºF
Ammonia and nitirite both at 0ppm
PO4 0ppm
co2 i dunno waiting for drop checker  plants are respirating alot tho
13dKH
GH isn't reading for me, after 30 drops it doesnt change color?
20% weekly water changes, up to 50% once in a while

lighting is diy, 
4x40w 6500k t-12
4x32w 6500k t-8
2x32w 18000k t-12

substrate is pea gravel


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