yet another question before deciding

[Lady G]

Ok, every time I think I've made my mind up I see something else :thud: ,
does anyone use flora base by Red Sea? It says it releases CO2 and makes the roots warm, and that you don't need to add any fertalizer for 6 months if you use it...does anyone know if this is true?

Also, I keep getting conflicting information on crypt wendtii (red), one site says it can be in low light then I go to another sitr and it says it needs higher lighting than most crypts, does anyone have one and know what the right lighting is for one? I am trying to get a good variety of crypts and would like a couple, but I will only have about 2 watts/gallon would it be o.k. in this light?

Thanks again,

Gin

 

[djlen]

......it releases CO2 and makes the roots warm, and that you don't need to add any fertalizer for 6 months if you use it...
Huh!?!

I keep getting conflicting information on crypt wendtii (red), one site says it can be in low light then I go to another sitr and it says it needs higher lighting than most crypts...
Not in my experience. I don't know the depth of your tank (top to substrate) or the type of lighting (CF or NO), but I'd guess that cryptocoryne will do fine for you.
May not get as red or bronze as under higher light, but should grow slowly.

Len

 

[Lady G]

I don't know what the depth is either yet, I do not have the tank yet...I will be getting it Monday, but it is a 55/g with 2 40/watt bulbs. So actually it will be a little under 2/watt/gallon. But I think I will add the crypt, I liked it and it was only like 1.89 or something like that at that pet place.

Flora base: That is what it said? I thought it sounded like one of those "to good to be true" situations, but you never know I learn things everyday that amaze me?! That is why I thought I'd ask and find out. I most likely will stick to my original plan of florite but I figured if someone posted it (flora base) really worked I might get it.

Anyway thank you for the info on the wendtii red,

Gin

 

[Galaxie]

I have two 15 watt cfl bulbs (800 lumens each) over a 20g tall tank. The wendtii is semi-obscured by java fern, but is approaching a year old and continues to grow. No special substrate, no fertilizer.

 

[Aries]

IME, Red Wendtii will stay alive in almost any tank regardless of specs. I have had it in low light tanks (.55WPG) with no ferts or co2 and it grew - just a weekly water change. VERY SLOWLY it grew, but it grew nonetheless. I have had it in high light high tech tanks and it grew like wildfire creating MASSIVE root systems.

If you want Red Wendtii, I think you should be fine regardless of your setup.

As for the Flora Base, sounds too good to be true - but I have not heard anything about it.

Aries

 

[Roan Art]

Gin,

If you are going to go CO2 and want a gorgeous red background plant, take a look at Red Rubin (Echinodorus rubin). I'm at about 2.2 wpg on my 36g with DIY CO2 and that plant has TOTALLY taken off. It's beautiful and doing better than my crypt, which is doing well, too.

The rubin is the one at the front, which should have been put in the back:

Roan

 

[Galaxie]

Gin,

If you are going to go CO2 and want a gorgeous red background plant, take a look at Red Rubin (Echinodorus rubin). I'm at about 2.2 wpg on my 36g with DIY CO2 and that plant has TOTALLY taken off. It's beautiful and doing better than my crypt, which is doing well, too.

The rubin is the one at the front, which should have been put in the back:

Roan

Great looking tank you have there. :thm:

 

[Sully]

Hopefully that actually inserts the image.

That is a red crypt wendt (someone suggested to me it might be a Becketii--i do not know for certain) that grew amazingly well for me in a low tech type of tank (2 watts per, flourite and gravel substrate). It tripled in size in that environment. It is now 9" tall and 18" across (leaf ttip to leaf tip) and rather bushy. It grew well with minimal algae.

I went to 4+ watts per, ferts, root tabs and CO2 in that tank a couple of weeks ago (long story, but it is 2nd time this year with that tank). It continues to grow well. Hopefully the algae that it has started to sprout in the "better" plant environment will disappear in another week or two.

Yours should do well in a low tech tank--mine did. And, i tend toward a brown thumb.

dang it. the photo showed as a link. How do I publish photos here?

 

[Galaxie]

dang it. the photo showed as a link. How do I publish photos here?

Post the direct link to the picture (from the Properties/right click on your picture/copy full file address.jpg) instead of the web page link.

 

[Lady G]

Post the direct link to the picture (from the Properties/right click on your picture/copy full file address.jpg) instead of the web page link.

Aww, that could be my tank in the future :thm: that looks like my dwarf neon gourami he is so great!!

Thanks everyone for the posts, I am definately getting one :clap: or two, in the future once I learn alittle more about it I most likely will get into the CO2, but for now I am going low tech...one step at a time here

Gin