[lotus]

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.

 

[TomC]

Some iron might help.

 

[eternity302]

Some iron might help.

I second that!

 

[jkam]

lots of iron and high intensity light

 

[someguy]

tailored aquatics iron rocks!

 

[kelly528]

Yeah watch what iron you use... some (Flourish Iron) suck, some to not.

 

[columbus]

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

 

[lotus]

Thanks everyone and I will need to find another hydroponics store since Solar closed down.

 

[neven]

which plants are you talking about? as i've had red plants turn red even under twister CFLs

 

[lotus]

Its Alternanthera reineckii "pink" and Echinodorus"red diamond".

 

[2wheelsx2]

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.

 

[BigFatLyre]

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?

 

[keitarosan]

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.

 

[neven]

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

 

[Bien Lim]

#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.