# Help me get my A. Reineckii red



## axelrod12 (Mar 15, 2011)

Standard 29g tank. Lighting is typically 3 x 24w t5ho strips with individual reflectors. Sunblaster nanotechs. 2x 6500k and one giesemann aquaflora. However, right now there are only 2 strips over the tank one of them had a bulb that kept flickering on and off so I sent it back under warranty.

Substrate is MGOCPS capped with play sand. I also dry dose EI.

Since I got it I can't seem to get the A. Reineckii to grow in nice and reddish pink like I see in pictures or how it was when I received it. The undersides of the leaves have a decent color to them but the tops always grow in like you see in the picture. I've tried adding a couple root tabs filled with clay to the substrate right near the base of the stems. It didn't do much.

I'm not sure what else to do at this point.


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## Tattooedfool83 (Jul 7, 2013)

Iron? Usually brings the red out of plants. How long have u had it


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

The pictures you see are of different varieties of reineckii. The standard one is pink/purple under the leaves and greenish/pink on the tops.

Look around the for sale section for different varieties (they are pretty uncommon to find though). Or try other red plants like the ammanias or R. Macrandra. They develop fully red leaves top and bottom.

See the article on A. Reineckii on the PlantFinder:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=58


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## axelrod12 (Mar 15, 2011)

Tattooedfool83 said:


> Iron? Usually brings the red out of plants. How long have u had it


I added those clay tabs for an iron source and from my understanding the Plantex CSM+B that is dosed in EI has some iron in it? Perhaps this isn't cutting it and I should dose something like Flourish Iron?



Zapins said:


> The pictures you see are of different varieties of reineckii. The standard one is pink/purple under the leaves and greenish/pink on the tops.
> 
> Look around the for sale section for different varieties (they are pretty uncommon to find though). Or try other red plants like the ammanias or R. Macrandra. They develop fully red leaves top and bottom.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure what var. of reineckii I have but they were much redder when I received them than they are now.

Also forgot to mention in the original post that this tank has pressurized co2 at around 5 bps. Enough to keep the drop checker green. Although I could probably up that a bubble or two per second if needed.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Sometimes when they are grown emersed they get redder, where did you get yours from?

Also, I've noticed that increasing the intensity of light tends to make plants produce red pigments (sort of like how a person tans in the sun). Perhaps you could give that a try.


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## Tattooedfool83 (Jul 7, 2013)

I'm not 100% certain, but that plant may be a column feeder so idk if the clay in the substrate helps much or not. And yeah the can+b does but maybe not enough?


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## axelrod12 (Mar 15, 2011)

Zapins said:


> Sometimes when they are grown emersed they get redder, where did you get yours from?
> 
> Also, I've noticed that increasing the intensity of light tends to make plants produce red pigments (sort of like how a person tans in the sun). Perhaps you could give that a try.


I ordered them from members on TPT at two separate times. Both times they were part of a trimming package so they were grown submersed. Hopefully my fixture will get back quickly and I can get the full lighting going again. Until then maybe I'll try lowering the 2 remaining fixtures.



Tattooedfool83 said:


> I'm not 100% certain, but that plant may be a column feeder so idk if the clay in the substrate helps much or not. And yeah the can+b does but maybe not enough?


I believe they are column feeders being stem plants. I figured they could still draw some iron from the clay through their roots. Maybe I should look into a better column dosed iron source.

More pics:


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## Tattooedfool83 (Jul 7, 2013)

Can't hurt to hit with some flourish iron


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## foster (Mar 7, 2013)

This Alt. Reinekii is growing under around 200 watts of 6500K lighting. The PAR is over 100 at the substrate. I dose PPS Pro ferts twice a week, plus extra KNO3/ 1/8 tsp.


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