# tank-noob with unhealthy red jungle val



## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

Lot of people here (not me but...) use eco-compleat.

Dosing any fertlizers?


----------



## Rock_Dove (Sep 12, 2014)

I just recently shoved some diy osmocote capsules down there, but it was going red and weird before that. I was hoping it would help.


----------



## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

Not sure about vals as I've never kept them, but many plants are water column feeders and use roots to mostly hold them in place. Lookup (in the fert section) the EI concept and start dosing the water column would be my advice. If the vals don't need them surely the other plants do, and healthy plant growth eliminates algae problems


----------



## Rock_Dove (Sep 12, 2014)

I had no idea what that was searching made me feel like it was reading a foreign language lol 
Is this stuff I can buy? 

*40-60 Gallon Aquariums*
+/- 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/8 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


----------



## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

This member sells dry ferts, they also have a premixed solution they sell.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=690881

A lot of people (including me) buy from here. As a side note I wish I would have went with Nilocg's products as they seem to be a better deal... At lest to me 

http://greenleafaquariums.com/


----------



## Rock_Dove (Sep 12, 2014)

I've defiantly got some reading to do on all this. Thanks for all your help!!! roud:


----------



## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

I actually think the redness your seeing is normal for Val's in that much light


When I see this stuff in the lakes its a deep red color and its healthy.


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

It could mean either of 2 things, they are are growing transparent and slowly dying or the light is very bright and they are turning a reddish color. One of my vals that is right under my cfl is a pinkish red at the tips and it hasn't died yet. 

Since you mentioned that you have a small algae issue, it's more than likely the 4 lights. If they continue to turn transparent and melt away, then it may be some nutrient deficiency.


----------



## bigtrout (Sep 6, 2014)

I collected val americana from the allegheny river for my tank, in the river in shallow water high sunlight, most leaves are red and copper red like yours, in my low tech med light tank, the collected vals turned green except the tips near the surface which get red like yours, or almost a copper brown for the ones immediately under the light.
Verdict is, the light level causes the red, and yours look normal


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

I hope you find the solution as I have something similar, though with low-mod light, what is weird about mine is some is growing like mad, I mean up, bending over, being trimmed, spreading, very green. Others are transparent and off color, much like your photo. Same water column, same substrate, nothing I can see that's different. In fact a couple of the bad ones are right near a root tab, and the biggest have no root fertilization near them.

It makes me wonder if I have two different kinds, though they otherwise look the same (i.e. structure, roots, shapes).


----------



## Rock_Dove (Sep 12, 2014)

I love the idea that they are just red, That would be awesome if they could be red and healthy!...but I don't think that is the case. A lot of my other plants aren't doin so hot either. 
I was wrong about my lighting as well. I have 2 6500k and some how ended up with 2 5000k?
Must have grabbed the wrong ones. I am not totally savvy on lighting, but they were just from home depot. 
I had an expensive light the aquarium store sold me that held 1 t5ho. It broke like a few months later and there was no way I was going to pay that again, so I DIY'd it.
in the time between the broken light and the new diy deal a lot of plants died. This is them coming back so maybe they are just still adjusting and I am impatient? The funny lookin plants are still sending out runners so either they might be ok after adjusting, or they are trying a last ditch effort to survive? 
I know orchids can pop out a keiki when they are dying as a last attempt, not sure how aquarium plants work though. 
I'm def gonna get on a good fert. routine. I just bought some water wysteria to try and soak up excess nutrients and get this algea under control. it seems to be suffocating my poor amazon sword trying to come back.


----------

