# Blyxa japonica what does it need?



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I really like this plant's look, any input on what it needs. I have eco-complete substrate and wondering if some sort of root tab under these plants would help as the fish load is low. I use EI dry ferts each week with 50% WC.

I bought 3 bunches that were really healthly looking and all 3 are slowly declining.
I have 108Watt T5H0 over 75G tank (can up to 216W if needed) running 8 hours a day.
pressurized CO2 and reactor so CO2 levels are good.

I have HC, crypts and ludigia which are all doing really well in the same tank.

This is what they looked like when healthy









Now they are translucent leaves and I don't see any new growth in over a month and half.

Any ideas?


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

Everything sounds good with what you are doing. What are your tsp measurements for the ferts? I have eco-complete and have not used fert tabs under them and they do fine for me. Sometimes, it takes alittle while for them to adapt but if you want to help them along, fert tabs would be fine. I would suggest getting the these. I use them for some of my harder to grow plants and they go crazy!

Also, these are not fast growers, at least for me. It will take awhile to develop more.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Are you doing a burst with the second set of bulbs? Even one hour makes big difference.


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## shane3fan (Nov 2, 2009)

In my experience with Blyxa, it doesnt need root tabs or a nutrient rich substrate to grow. Ive got some in inert gravel dosing with EI and no root tabs---grows wonderfully. As a matter of fact, I had some that wouldnt stay rooted and I left it floating because I was tired of replanting it----it grew just fine floating around without the roots in the substrate.


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## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Yes, I recently tried a burst with the 2nd set of bulbs about 2 weeks ago for 1 hour a day to see if the extra light helps. The drop checker is 30 ppm everyday, using SMS122 to control CO2 and this is working well.

I'm using the EI TSP dosing from the sticky in the ferts forum but adjusted lower since the tank is not fully planted. 

I am not using the full dose yet but I also have absulotely zero algae either. I will try going to a full dosing for a 75G tank. I'm also adding Flourish trace.

I think I can get the plant to recover as it's not dead, just slowly declining.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

I had this happen when I put some new Blyxa in my tank. I don't think it likes to be moved around and has a tendency to melt when conditions change. Give it a little time and it will bounce back rather quickly.


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

Do you dose iron at all? I don't know for sure, but I have heard that blyxa is an iron hungry plant and I dose EI with extra iron and my blyxa grows like a weed.


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## leaf (Jun 27, 2009)

Blyxa does grow like a weed, after it has adapted to your water conditions. It also hates being uprooted and replanted. It benefits from good water currents and EI dosing with co2. I may be a little concerned that the plants are located on the end of the tank with the least flow.


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## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm using Flourish trace for iron content. Is there something else that has more iron to dose with? I have good flow with 300GPH CO2 reactor pump and Canister pump.

I think I will up the EI to a full dose and watch the plants for signs of recovery.


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

There is a flourish iron, or you can add dry iron with your ei ferts.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

ua hua said:


> I had this happen when I put some new Blyxa in my tank. I don't think it likes to be moved around and has a tendency to melt when conditions change. Give it a little time and it will bounce back rather quickly.


+1 That does happen quite often. If you doing the burst and all the other things mentioned you should be fine. I've grown this plant alot and never provided extra iron above what is in Flourish.


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Does anyone here have blyxa in a tank that has BBA? Im noticing that BBA is thriving all over my pygmy chain sword, but theres not a single strand of it to be seen on my blyxa. Whats to explain this?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

BBA grows on my Blyxa just fine...


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## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I read the bottle on Flourish trace and iron is not listed (I assumed). I might try and get some Flourish Iron and see. The leaves that eventually turn translucent go yellow first which is a good sign of lack of Iron.

I think light (open top tank with T5H0 4" from the water) with 216W burst and 30ppm CO2 should be fine.


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## leaf (Jun 27, 2009)

I would actually suggest breaking up that blyxa on the right into 2-4 stems and the one on the left into a couple stems. More surface area = more light absorbed... dunno? Maybe I just like alot of blyxa in a scape.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

does blyxa need soft water?


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

ikuzo,

see here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/17-Blyxa_japonica_Blyxa_japonica.html


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

My Blyxa was growing very nice up til I had to spot treat with excel an anubias besides it and "burned" some of the leaves of the blyxa. At that point my pleco decided that melted blyxa was a delicacy and started munching it all.

I evicted the pleco and clipped off the dead leaves, but now the plant is melting... any advice on what to do? Am I going to loose it?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Wait it out. Blyxa is much tougher than it gets credit for. It'll bounce back.


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