# Water sprite turning brown



## redmary51 (Mar 17, 2011)

I have a water sprite in a 20 gal NPT that is now 6 weeks in. It was growing great. 

About a week and a half ago I switched the lighting from 2 15W strips laying on the top to 2 hanging clamp-type lights with 19W CFL bulbs about 6-7 inches from the water surface with no lid.

The lighting is the only change. The water sprite has been getting many brown branches of leaves. At first I thought it was just older parts and I trimmed them off. It is still putting out new shoots, but sections are getting brown faster than the new shoots are growing.

As it is an NPT, I have not fertilized.

Any ideas on what is going on with it?


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Brown Water Sprite*

_Good morning Mary. I remember you from a previous forum. Have you moved or just sharing your expertise with other forums?_

_To answer your question, I have a lot of Water Sprite and find it sensative to changes in water or lighting conditions. Your Sprite is likely reacting to the lighting change. Apparently, the plant is growing and will recover. I would trim away some of the brownest stocks. This can help stimulate new growth. If you have some stocks developing roots, wait until the roots are about 3 inches long and trim it from the mother plant. Float the trimmed plants for a couple of weeks. They'll grow fast because they're closer to the light. Then replant them in the gravel. Again, the original plant should recover in time._

_BBradbury _


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## redmary51 (Mar 17, 2011)

HELLO! Yes, I moved over here as I was told it is a much more active forum and more about plants. Good to hear from you since you got me started with plants.

If you are interested, I have a tank journal called Mary's 20 gal Walstad, which is where this water sprite problem is.

Thanks for the info. I was wondering about all those bunches of roots that seem to grow from everywhere. I wish I had known what you just told me before I cut the last stalk out. It was very brown at the bottom, but after I cut it, I noticed that there was a lot of green above one of those nodes or whatever they are with the roots growing out.

If one just sticks a piece of the plant into the substrate, will it root?

Mary


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