# Red Plants



## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Any secrets for keeping red plants staying red besides dosing iron?


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Lots of light. If the plants lose the red, you need more light.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

That's right. Iron and lots of light.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I decided to add a desklamp as an experiment with a daylight bulb in it and spotlight the red plant. All the new growth was bright green which 24 hours later is starting to turn pink. If this supplement works I may need to rethink my lighting as its not as pleasing to look at a desklamp on top of my tank. Haha.


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

I upgraded my lighting from 2.2 wpg to 4 wpg and all my red plants were a nice and deep colour, huge difference from before. Though, I had to up the CO2 and evidently had excessive growth. Too much to the point where I was throwing away maybe 2 pounds of plants or more every week.

I don't dose extra iron as feel there's more than enough in the chelated trace.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

shadow_cruiser said:


> I upgraded my lighting from 2.2 wpg to 4 wpg and all my red plants were a nice and deep colour, huge difference from before. Though, I had to up the CO2 and evidently had excessive growth. Too much to the point where I was throwing away maybe 2 pounds of plants or more every week.
> 
> I don't dose extra iron as feel there's more than enough in the chelated trace.


 Your lighting, what exactly are you using?
I don't dose too heavy on the iron but I do add a little


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Big Jim said:


> I decided to add a desklamp as an experiment with a daylight bulb in it and spotlight the red plant. All the new growth was bright green which 24 hours later is starting to turn pink. If this supplement works I may need to rethink my lighting as its not as pleasing to look at a desklamp on top of my tank. Haha.


How is experiment going on?


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> How is experiment going on?


It worked turning the plant slowly red, but the area that extra light was in added algae to the same section on the front glass. So in the middle of my tank is slightly cloudy looking. But someone I know is upgrading their lighting and I can buy their fixture and bump up my lighting. Should fix the lack of red colour soon.


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Big Jim said:


> someone I know is upgrading their lighting and I can buy their fixture


Just tracked the new lighting and it has arrived - in Mexico.

Hope you're not in too much of a rush, sounds like I'll be waiting awhile for this shipment..


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Greg_o said:


> Just tracked the new lighting and it has arrived - in Mexico.
> 
> Hope you're not in too much of a rush, sounds like I'll be waiting awhile for this shipment..


No problem. When ever it gets there.


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