# Ludwigia in lowtech?



## toadpher (May 25, 2015)

Well, I was at my LFS today, just looking, when their 3 plant deal caught my eye. of course just looking turned into, I'll take those three and I walked out without a clue if the plants I just bought would even work in my tank... 

Sooo, I now have two bunches of Red Ludwigia (the common type I believe), and one bundle of Ludwigia Ovalis. 

I have a planted+ 24/7 25.5" above the substrate, as well as an 18" T8 with a Floromax bulb in it, directly above where the plants are in the tank and another T8 on the other side of the tank not doing much but spitting out UVB for my frog. 

I dose liquid macros and flourish comp once a week each on different days than the other and water changes when the nitrates get over 20ppm. 

Are these stems going to thrive or even grow with my setup? The internet says they will live in moderate light with no C02 injection, but then I read that high light and C02 injection really makes these guys thrive. 

Is anyone successfully growing either of these two plants in a medium light, low-tech tank, or did I waste 8 dollars? 

Thanks!


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## HeavyUser (Jan 23, 2016)

I don't see why you would have a problem. Mine grow great in my 20 Gallon low tech and I also use a Finnex 24/7


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## toadpher (May 25, 2015)

That's good to hear. I guess my main concern is how much PAR do I even have at 25.5" with the finnex? I'm trying to find a chart, rather unsuccessfully at the moment.


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## SwissCheeseHead (Dec 24, 2014)

I have not had any luck with stem plants in low light. IME, the lower leaves tend to die off in a low light set up. The plant still grows though, but you only have this top portion growing closer and closer towards the light with a long leggy stem. I've had this happen with L. repens, Wisteria, H. corymbosa, amonst many others. I just couldn't get them to establish and thrive.


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## ct60g (Dec 15, 2015)

I have L. repens in my low-light, low-tech setup and its doing great now, although it died back in the beginning quite a bit. I started with about 6 small stems, and 3 of those melted and disappeared. The other 3, however, took root and are now tall and strong, the tallest poking out of the water a bit (I need to clip and re-plant them, I just haven't gotten around to it)

The interesting thing about them in my low-light setup is that the lower leaves that don't see as much light are a brownish-green color, but as it grows and reaches closer to the light it becomes redder and redder. The tops are pretty bright red. I like the variation in color.

I also have L. brevips which is thriving as well (and shows the same color variation) and some L. red which grows quite a bit more slowly.

Anyways, in my experience it depends on the plant establishing itself. I can't tell you why some died and some survived, but the ones that made it grow really well. You should be fine growing those ones you got in your setup, you have way more light than I do.


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## toadpher (May 25, 2015)

What are your guys' lighting distance to substrate and fixtures? 
It sounds like it's hit or miss then. 

My substrate is pretty crappy, just a little peat moss on the bottom, then some sand and capped with river pebbles. I stripped all the lower leaves off the stems that are under the substrate, as I read that helps promote root growth and I'm running the Finnex at full blast to help get everything established. I guess it's now the waiting game, time will tell. 

I really would love to swap out substrates, now that I'm getting into this more. Gotta figure out what's the most comprehensive non-dirt/heavy ammonia producing substrate I can put in first, because I don't have an extra paludarium for everyone to go in while it would be cycling.. 

Thank you all for sharing your experiences!


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## ct60g (Dec 15, 2015)

I have two T8 Life-Glos about 19" from the substrate, which is just pool filter sand with Osmocote root tabs.


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## toadpher (May 25, 2015)

Good to know! I've only been able to keep Anubius Nana and petite, and Jungle Val alive, so I'm very excited to hopefully keep these new plants alive and more.


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## sevendust111 (Jul 15, 2014)

I didn't have luck with this plant in my low tech setup. Basic rotala does much better for me as does wisteria and pennywort


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