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How to get plants that are suppose to be red turn red in the tank

2788 Views 14 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  Bien Lim
I have a few red plants that should be red but isn't so I would like to know besides good lighting what else I should be doing. I dose EI weekly at the moment but that might change. I have a 75 gallon tank with pressurized C02 and ADA soil. I just changed the light strip and its 65 watt 6700K. Its on 10 hours a day. I have two Coralife light fixtures and only changed out the lights on the back one as the plants that need more light is at the back of the tank.
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Some iron might help.
I second that!
Yeah watch what iron you use... some (Flourish Iron) suck, some to not.
there are great reviews about GE F55BX/AR/FS power compact bulbs. A comparison has been shown on the following site.
9325K The Difference - Lighting - Aquatic Plant Central

anyone interested in group buy from US to save shipping costs? We could get them for apprx. $15 USD a piece versus $50-65 in Canada
Thanks everyone and I will need to find another hydroponics store since Solar closed down.
which plants are you talking about? as i've had red plants turn red even under twister CFLs
Its Alternanthera reineckii "pink" and Echinodorus"red diamond".
I actually started a thread on plantedtank.net last year as I was having trouble with my L. Aromatica not going red. The results were these main points:

1. If you want red plants, get ones that are really red to start with.
2. Make sure you CO2 is bang on (30 ppm). Get a drop checker if you don't have one.
3. Dose DPTA iron (I use Tailored Aquatics right now, but Aquaflora sells DPTA chelated iron which I will try next).
4. Watch your nitrate dosing and try to keep it slightly lower than ideal (around 5 ppm I was told)
5. Get lights that enhance red.

The ones which made the biggest difference for me was 1, 3 and 5.
Solar closed?

Thanks everyone and I will need to find another hydroponics store since Solar closed down.
i know i'm off topic but did they "retire" or were they "assisted" by Burnabys' largest biker gang?
Its Alternanthera reineckii "pink" and Echinodorus"red diamond".
hmm.... that's odd. i have this plant in a non-dosing tank and still retained its color. mine is Althernanthera "purple" though.
is the Alternanthera reineckii "pink" even pink at the tips? when i had the plant it would only show colour near the top with the lighting i had, until i added a third cfl then it went halfway with vibrant colour. the bottom still looked washed out though
#4 is on the money

I actually started a thread on plantedtank.net last year as I was having trouble with my L. Aromatica not going red. The results were these main points:

1. If you want red plants, get ones that are really red to start with.
2. Make sure you CO2 is bang on (30 ppm). Get a drop checker if you don't have one.
3. Dose DPTA iron (I use Tailored Aquatics right now, but Aquaflora sells DPTA chelated iron which I will try next).
4. Watch your nitrate dosing and try to keep it slightly lower than ideal (around 5 ppm I was told)
5. Get lights that enhance red.

The ones which made the biggest difference for me was 1, 3 and 5.
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