Plant ID and help

[flamechica]

I got this plant at the swap meet and it was so pretty, but it is the one plant so far that I have really failed with. I don't remember what it is. I got it from the guy with the big tubs of plants. He gave me the really long scientific name that I forgot almost immediately. He told me it would need high light and CO2 (which I told him I did Excel and he said that would be ok), so I put it in my 7g with the Ray2 which is lifted about 6in, because that tank has the highest light out of any of my tanks. Within a few days the top of the leaves turned brown like pictured, but not quite as bad. I upped the ferts thinking it wasn't getting enough. It just got worse. So, I opted to move it to my hexagon tank that has a Ray2, but that tank is 24" deep, so still a fairly decent amount of light, but not quite as high light, because I was thinking that maybe it was getting burnt or something. It has remained in the same condition. I am afraid to cut anything on the plant since I don't know what it is. I have tried googling aquatic pink or red plants and I can't find anything that looks like it. So, now, I am asking for someone here to help. What is it and how do I help it before it dies?

As far as ferts go....Right now, I use Seachem Flourish 2 times a week. Excel 2-3 times a week. API Leaf Zone 1 time a week. Also,I try to remember to keep Seachem root tabs under my plants as well.

I have tried scraping the tops of the leaves to see if it is algae, since I do a spectacular job of growing algae in my tanks, but no luck, it doesn't scrape off...




This is the underneath side and the whole plant was this color before I got a hold of it...

 

[Bob]

I'd guess Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'. I picked some up at a gsas auction a few months ago. I am not doing well with it either. I have over 100 par at the substrate and cant grow this for crap. It's still somewhat red and is not dieing off, just doesnt do anything.

I use dry ferts from http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html, and dose flourish excel. All other plants grow great and have really good color, just not this one.

 

[Kaosu]

It is i was just about tonpost this...we grow tons of it without co2

 

[flamechica]

I'd guess Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'. I picked some up at a gsas auction a few months ago. I am not doing well with it either. I have over 100 par at the substrate and cant grow this for crap. It's still somewhat red and is not dieing off, just doesnt do anything.

I use dry ferts from http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html, and dose flourish excel. All other plants grow great and have really good color, just not this one.

Thanks! Sorry you aren't having great luck with it either, but it does make me feel a little better that it isn't just my inexperience. Also, thanks for the link on dry ferts. I plan on going that route when my liquid stuff is gone. I just felt a little overwhelmed when I first got into the planted tanks and wanted to make it a little easier on myself and go with the liquid stuff first, but now that I have 4 tanks with plants in them, the liquid stuff is going fast!

Do you know anything about Metricide 14? I was reading something about it the other day. I guess some people use it in place of Excel because it is cheaper and is basically the same thing.

It is i was just about tonpost this...we grow tons of it without co2

What is your trick? This plant went south pretty quick for me. I mean, I always have a bit of die off when I get a new plant while it acclimates or whatever, but then it usually perks back up or gets new growth in a week or two. This one is just not coming back for me.

 

[Bob]

I have not heard of metricide, though just a quick google search has me intrigued. More to follow....

 

[flamechica]

I have not heard of metricide, though just a quick google search has me intrigued. More to follow....

Yeah, it had me quite intrigued too, but I would feel better if I knew someone that had used it before or at least could confirm the chemical make up should be similar to what Excel does, since I am so new at all this.

 

[Bob]

Looks like Tom Barr uses it, that's a pretty good endorsement.

 

[flamechica]

Looks like Tom Barr uses it, that's a pretty good endorsement.

That's good to hear. I think I will try it once my bottle of Excel runs out then.



I took a closer look at the plants in the hex tank where this particular plant just came out of so I could take pics of it. All the plants in this tank are starting to show deficiencies and they have been treated the same as they were in the tanks they originally came from....I know I have a water movement issue in this tank (which is one reason why I don't have fish in there yet), which seems to be a common issue with hexagons. All these plants were really healthy and gorgeous before I put them in this tank, so I think I am just gonna pull them all out until I can figure out a fix for the water movement issues. Which actually will solve another issue I have, which is I don't have adequate lighting on my 20g L. If I pull the plants out of the hex, I can just steal that light for the 20g L and just raise it a bit.

I still really don't know what to do with this Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'...normally if I see dead leaves, I would cut or pull them off, but the leaves only appear to be dead from the top view. Underneath they are still fairly vibrant pink. They don't seem to be really soft or mushy. It seems like it is a REALLY slow growing plant, so I am hesitant to chop the whole thing off at the base and let it start over...anybody have any suggestions on that?

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi All,

Metricide 14 (or 28) uses glutaraldehyde as the active ingredient. A couple things to keep in mind:
1) do not use the activator that comes with the Metricide
2) Metricide 14 (2.6% glut) is stronger than Seachem Excel (1.5% glut); do not dose the same as Seachem Excel or you may have major issues with your sensitive fish and/or plants.

 

[Bob]

I like being a guinea pig, ill order some, its cheap enough on amazon. Also ordered some seachem garlic guard for fun, because i like garlic.

 

[L190]

if you guys are interested, I believe the next gsas talk is about planted tanks. I know I will be attending because I got tons of questions about plants.

 

[fishloverRon]

I've had this plant from the same fellow who is a friend of mine and one from whom I've gotten several other plants and good information. It probably is A. reineckii. I have mine in a 55g. No CO2, but I use the full line of Seachem fert chems following the Seachem dosing chart I copied from the website. I have a 36" Finnex Planted Plus, 2x24" Finnex Planted Plus about 1.5" above the water surface directly on top of the tank. The plants are in the front of the tank with most light. One plant has stayed small and bushy, with about a 2.25" spread and 1.5" tall. The other one has grown to about 5" height with a 1.5" leaf spread. I've had them about 6-7 months. So for me, they are very slow growing. But I have propagated them and have several starts in another tank under different conditions and they are doing about the same in it.

Also, when I received them they were nice and red, and for the most part now, they are reddish brown...!

 

[flamechica]

Hi All,

Metricide 14 (or 28) uses glutaraldehyde as the active ingredient. A couple things to keep in mind:
1) do not use the activator that comes with the Metricide
2) Metricide 14 (2.6% glut) is stronger than Seachem Excel (1.5% glut); do not dose the same as Seachem Excel or you may have major issues with your sensitive fish and/or plants.

Thanks for the warning. I had read that it was stronger when I did a little research after stumbling across it.

I like being a guinea pig, ill order some, its cheap enough on amazon. Also ordered some seachem garlic guard for fun, because i like garlic.

Awesome! Can't wait to hear about your results! I hadn't heard of Garlic Guard, si I had to look it up. Sounds interesting.

if you guys are interested, I believe the next gsas talk is about planted tanks. I know I will be attending because I got tons of questions about plants.

I could always learn more bout this stuff. I will have to look and see when it is.

Been staring at this picture for a bit. This plant could also pass as ludwigia glandulosa. However think it may be Alternanthera reineckii (NOT MINI). Either way what you have there is a TOP clIpping of a once much taller plant. The leaves are all messed up and disorganized like bed head. Tells me it may have been a center stem of a larger bunch. Anyway, this plant may go through a shock period. What I would look for is new growth on the top and roots. If the top dies, and or stem disitegrates the plant is probably done for. What I see and read in your post is normal. But this is not a plant for a 7 gallon tank. It wants to grow into a larger plant. Your hex should support this plant but it may not grow well untill it reaches about half way up. At that time growth may enhance but lower leaves may fall off and roots may grow out the sides. I usually gorw this plant with a neat midground plant in front to hide the leaf bare stem and all the roots that gorw out the sides.

Those two plants look very similar. Just by googling, it's hard for a novice like me to tell the difference. The stem did not feel soft. The roots were a bit mushy though. Since most of the other plants in the hex are starting to take a turn for the worse, I think I am just going to move everything out of that tank until I get some stuff figured out in it. I don't think the water is circulating good enough to get the ferts to all the plants.

I've had this plant from the same fellow who is a friend of mine and one from whom I've gotten several other plants and good information. It probably is A. reineckii. I have mine in a 55g. No CO2, but I use the full line of Seachem fert chems following the Seachem dosing chart I copied from the website. I have a 36" Finnex Planted Plus, 2x24" Finnex Planted Plus about 1.5" above the water surface directly on top of the tank. The plants are in the front of the tank with most light. One plant has stayed small and bushy, with about a 2.25" spread and 1.5" tall. The other one has grown to about 5" height with a 1.5" leaf spread. I've had them about 6-7 months. So for me, they are very slow growing. But I have propagated them and have several starts in another tank under different conditions and they are doing about the same in it.

Also, when I received them they were nice and red, and for the most part now, they are reddish brown...!

Thanks. I am fine with it being small and/or slow growing. I just don't want it to die, which right now, it looks like death, but doesn't so much feel like it's dying (except for the roots being mushy). Being so new to this, I just hadn't seen any of my other plants do this. When their leaves turn brown, they get mushy and fall off. All of my plants have gone through an adjustment period of melting and then coming back, but usually they have shown signs of coming back by now. I guess this one just needs more time, since it is slow growing. I was just really starting to worry I was going to lose this plant and it was so pretty when I got it....even though it is starting to sound like it wont ever be that pretty again. Oh well, I like dark red too. My Tiger Lotuses are dark red and they are pretty.