How to growing dwarf sags well?

[lake_tuna]

So, I had a 10g tank, where I had some dwarf sags with a crappy 20w fluorescent light setup and no CO2. They never really grew to much, and melted away one leave at a time. I've recently set up a 20g long with 36w T5 lighting and DYI CO2, and they are growing better, but not quite as fast as I have read. They're growing too slow that algae started appearing on the leaves. Even the slow-growing java ferns grow faster than the sag and have no algae on them yet.

So, what do you guys do to make the dwarf sag shoot runners like crazy? Is a root tab the only way to make this plant grow fast? I have corkscrew vals that seem to be mainly a root plant, too, but those are growing really well.

 

[tanker]

What is bulb K rating??

How long are lights on??

Sag is not a plant that needs much "root" food, they get food from the water. My sag grow slower then my vals, but not that much slower (I still have to pull some out every 2 weeks).

 

[lake_tuna]

What is bulb K rating??

How long are lights on??

Sag is not a plant that needs much "root" food, they get food from the water. My sag grow slower then my vals, but not that much slower (I still have to pull some out every 2 weeks).

Two T5's, one with 6.7K and another is a "Color Max" pinkish light for plants. They came with my Corelife freshwater light fixture. I kept the light on for 12 hours but reduced it to 10 a few days ago.

I dose Flourish once a week as directed, but how do I know if I should dose more often?

 

[tanker]

Which "Flourish" are you dosing?? Excel?? If so, I am not sure how it effects sag. I know it effects vals (from experience) badly.

PS--Pinkish Light??? For plants?? Never heard of this. Most lights that are good for plants are very yellow.

 

[lake_tuna]

Which "Flourish" are you dosing?? Excel?? If so, I am not sure how it effects sag. I know it effects vals (from experience) badly.

PS--Pinkish Light??? For plants?? Never heard of this. Most lights that are good for plants are very yellow.

I use the regular Flourish with basic supplements in it. I don't use Flourish Excel because it melts my vals and anacharis (sp?) that I have.

 

[tanker]

It sounds like everything is right. I would dose twice per week. Once during week anytime, and once right after a water change.

 

[mellowvision]

I have dwarf sag in 6 tanks, all with different set ups. Growth is really easy going, but the plants adapt and grow differently in different situations. There are also 2 variations of dwarf sag, one that I consider truely dwarf, and another that looks identical, but grows much taller.

Here's what I've noticed....

I have some in a tank with almost no light... that is, it gets all it's light from sunlight, and receives no direct sunlight. The plants grow super slow, and the leaves stay fairly thin, and are susceptable to algae growth... but they're steady and growing nice without ferts or added light, after 2 years. The viewing light for the tank is rarely on, but is only 7w. The leaves do stretch for light.

I have some more in the 20 gallon cork tank in my signature... and they've grown exceptionally well with 40w of light, occassional ferts, and no co2. But in the last month and a half, I've let the surface of the tank get completely overgrown, and the sag shows it's disliking by nearly doubling in size. It's as if it got used to the higher light, and still wants it, so it's getting huge to absorb more light.

Then, I have a 15 gallon breeding tank that I threw a few smaller sag in maybe 6 months ago. The tank has had a variety of lighting situations over the past 6 months, but the most consistant aspect is that the front of the tank gets strong sunlight from 2-4pm. These have stayed TINY. They're healthy, and spread like wildfire, but they stay way smaller than in my other tanks, truely looking dwarf. I like these the best, but it takes a ton of them to fill any area. I have 16 in the 15 gallon, and it looks completely empty from a distance.

So I guess what I'm saying is, dwarf sag has always been one of my favorite aquatic plants, because it's so adaptable, and I've had really good luck with it. I find what it doesn't like is when it gets too warm, and when it's disturbed. I've never found it to have special requirements. Melting could be from something other than not enough light, such as Excel dosing, high temps, or disturbed roots. The algae growth on the leaves may just be from placement... it's possible they get more light than they need right now, and the algae is taking hold... or it's possible you have another imbalance. The last thing I'd mention, is to make sure to plant them correctly. If you bury anything more than the roots, you will get melt off and eventual death. ideally, you should be able to just see the top of the root where it meets the leaves. I usually acheive this by burying it too deep and then pulling it back up a bit, or by using the roots to pull it through sand until they're buried where i like em. takes a bit of practice, but not really hard.

 

[lake_tuna]

The last thing I'd mention, is to make sure to plant them correctly. If you bury anything more than the roots, you will get melt off and eventual death. ideally, you should be able to just see the top of the root where it meets the leaves. I usually acheive this by burying it too deep and then pulling it back up a bit, or by using the roots to pull it through sand until they're buried where i like em. takes a bit of practice, but not really hard.

Thanks for all the info! I did have the dwarf sags somewhat too buried it seems. I pulled them out a little so that the top portion of the root can be seen. They have well established roots it seems as there was a good resistance when I tried to displace the plant. They are stay low and not growing tall, FYI.

I'd also like to add, since I've upgraded my setup, the java moss is no longer "stringy." Instead, it's much "fuller" and looks much better, too.