# Rotala Rotundifolia color??



## Yassmeena (Jun 29, 2008)

I am thinking of using rotala rotundifolia as my background, but I keep seeing it take different colors in the online pictures, which I beleive is due to the various tank conditions, especially lighting.

What color will it take on in my tank with pressurized CO2 and 1.7 wpg in my 29 gallon using flourish and excel in flourite sand?

How about when I upgrade my lighting to 2.5 wpg?


----------



## Soujirou (Jun 16, 2008)

This is just from http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=39&category=genus&spec=Rotala:



> To encourage red coloration, R. rotundifolia should be kept well lit (2.5 watts per gallon or more) with no shading. Lean nitrate levels (~5 ppm), high phosphate levels (~1.5-2 ppm), and heavy iron/micronutrients dosing will help produce intense colors out of this plant. By varying these conditions, one is able to bring out various shades from pink to yellow.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Soujirou said:


> This is just from http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=39&category=genus&spec=Rotala:





> To encourage red coloration, R. rotundifolia should be kept well lit (2.5 watts per gallon or more) with no shading. Lean nitrate levels (~5 ppm), high phosphate levels (~1.5-2 ppm), and heavy iron/micronutrients dosing will help produce intense colors out of this plant. By varying these conditions, one is able to bring out various shades from pink to yellow.


I have it in high light, higher nitrates, idk about phosphates, and the tips of the leaves are turning red...I think it depends on how close it is to the surface and how deep the light penetrates the water.


----------



## Yassmeena (Jun 29, 2008)

So in my tank it will basically be yellowish at the tips you think?

(this would be fine with me)


----------



## BradH (May 15, 2008)

I have a 29 gallon with less watts per gallon than you and mine is reddening on the tips. Not alot, but a little bit.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

I have a question similar to this one. My rotala sp green is directly under my MH, with high CO2 and good fert levels. It's getting intense everything, yet it isn't growing very fast, and starts to bend in a sort of "leaning" manner, not like a "hook" bend. The crowns are also losing their green pigment, almost becoming see-through but not rotten or dead, still strong and healthy. They are still growing and moving on an hourly basis (exhibiting phototropism), but something seems not right. I think it may be sp 'green' 'narrow', as it looks smaller and thinner than an sp 'green' that I've had before. Maybe it has different growth spec's. Or maybe it just looks like that for the same reason it's losing it's pigment, IDK. 

I realize that the leaning might be the plant's way of optimizing light intake, as it's getting so much light that it doesn't need to get as high in the water column as possible, so it may be spreading out to take in even more light, but the loss of green pigment is what's worrying me. Also, once the lights have been out for an hour or so, they straighten up and close their crowns, not as much so as the colorata in the tank, though this may be due to the fact that the colorata is so much higher in the water column due to it's faster growth. My Colorata is also losing pigment on the crowns, and is looking more like rotundifolia each day (lack of vibrant colors), but growing extremely fast and straight up, not to mention pearling.

I'm dosing consistent K, Micros, and lean N and P. 35+ ppms of CO2 and a photoperiod of 6 hours, which today I'm raising to 7.

I just added glosso yesterday, which has already responded and started shooting up. I expect to see those upshoots come down and flatten along the soil today. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. There may not be a problem at all, but I just wanted to be on the safe side.


----------



## Avalon (Aug 14, 2004)

Bringing out the red in plants is not due to high light, it's due to healthy plants. Of course you'll need light intense enough to grow about any plant, but your best bet is to keep stable conditions and proper pruning techniques. I've experimented with high/lower light, and I have far greater results with lower light. The plants under high light grew too fast for their color to develop.

Stable conditions means that you'll need adequate nutrient levels that don't vary much. You don't have to run them lean or heavy--running lean can cause growth issues and running heavy wastes fertilizer. Enough is enough; find your mark and keep your dosing consistent (daily or every other day). Also, strong trace & iron dosing can greatly help the color of all of your plants, even the greens.

Proper pruning will allow the plants to grow in one place longer. Generally it takes a little time to develop the red coloration. Uprooting too often can hurt, as well as pruning a fast growing plant in the wrong place. If you prune Rotala when it's reached the water surface and you clip the tops off at the half-way mark, the sideshoots are not likely to develop their coloration before they need to be pruned again. It's best to prune in a progressive manner, allowing the sideshoots and tops to grow at the same rate and size.


----------



## kotoeloncat (Apr 12, 2006)

I would have to disagree on lower light brings the red out of the plants,

at least in my situation, if its shaded a red plant turns green. Theres probably a few things to factor in, light is only one of them.

a healthy plant, good iron dosing and high light brings out the best out of red plants.


----------



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i was taught, and saw that light is a major factor (though not the only one) in a plants coloration. the red blocks out part of the light that the plants chloroplasts would otherwise be able to use. so if the plant would benefit from more light, it can and will decrease the amount of red pigmentation; at least as i understand it.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

but in the sp 'green' the pigment is all but disappearing. And my glosso is going up a bit.

I have a hunch that my MH bulb is going... I've only used it for say 6 months, but whe I got it, it showed signs of being used atleast once, and who knows how long it was used for. I got it from AFA, it's an ADA 8000K. If it's going, with the variable spectrum cause unhealthy growth? Right now I'm running 5wpg and the plants are responding like it's 3wpg...


----------



## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

It is well known, not just in planted aquaria, but in hydroponics/indoor terrestrial gardening, that the age of a bulb (MH/HPS/flouro) can mean EVERYTHING to the plants' health. So yeah, if you are getting that hunch, and based on what you just said, I think it's in your best interest to change your bulb out.

Might not fix the problem, per se, but it can't be a bad thing to do.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Church said:


> It is well known, not just in planted aquaria, but in hydroponics/indoor terrestrial gardening, that the age of a bulb (MH/HPS/flouro) can mean EVERYTHING to the plants' health. So yeah, if you are getting that hunch, and based on what you just said, I think it's in your best interest to change your bulb out.
> 
> Might not fix the problem, per se, but it can't be a bad thing to do.


Yeah, it's not much of a problem... too bad ADA bulbs cost $90 + shipping!!

UGGH


----------



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

heh, thats what you get for going all ADA. 
well the good thing is, even if its not your problem, the new bulb wont hurt and you can always save it for later. replacinge a bulb is the easiest thing to fix (well, for flourecents, dont know how you change a MH).


----------



## Avalon (Aug 14, 2004)

Oh for Christ's sake, it's not an old bulb. From experience, I can't (nor can anyone else) troubleshoot everyone's tank without actually being with your tank. I also know that while one person may think things are growing great, another person might disagree. There are far greater things to consider than an old bulb. I've spent the latter part of 10 years dispelling these goofy myths about planted tanks. Planted tanks really aren't that difficult...people make it difficult. It's all about proper execution of CO2, nutrients & a dosing regimen, and regular maintenance. Throwing money at useless extras for your tank will NOT solve your problem. I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone experienced in the matter that will disagree.


----------



## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

I also doubt it's the bulb, but I can't find any other explanation. Everything is balanced and in check, they should be doing great.


----------

