# what kind of plants are these?



## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

i picked up some plants without getting a name on them. the hair like stuff is turning yellow and i'm not sure what i'm missing for it. the 'moss' i was sold is starting to brown.
thanks!




























sorry they are so big. i am new to posting pics and dont know how to resize them


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

1st one looks like pellia sp.
bottom is blyxa sp.

2nd the same as bottom?


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## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

ya 2nd and 3rd are same
do you know why it is turning yellow? i know some plants regrow after you take them home...or is it dying?


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

looks like not enough nitrate. How much light do you have in the tank? any CO2? substrate? Do you know what environment the plant came out of? substrate, light, pH etc.


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## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

its a 55 gallon high with have mineralized dirt, with laterite capped with ecocomplete. i have DIY jello C02. the lights are 2 'sun blaster' 54 w T5 HO. i use seachem flourish for fertilizer. am i missing anything? the tank has been running for almost a month. i seeded the filter with the floss from my other filter.
i dont know the parameters of the tank they came out of..i bought them at king ed's. i know the water in kamloops is quite different than the water there.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

pretty sure there is not enough nitrate in the water column. I would give it some time until the roots hit the mineralized soil. plants should take off once the plant can draw nitrate from a source. blyxa do prefer slight acidic water. not sure what the pH is in the tank.


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## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

my pH is quite high..the water out of the tap is that way around 7.8 ish. how do i add more nitrates? i always thought too much was bad? should i add more fish?
i have 10 white clouds
8 threadfin rainbows
4 dwarf blue rainbows
2 bn plecos
4 panda cories


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

How long have you had the plant? Have you noticed any new roots? I am wondering if the higher pH is affecting the plant uptake and or maybe not enough CO2 from jello mixed.

I have not grown blyxa in higher pH so I won't be able to answer much more beside its showing signs of NO3 deficiency. Problem is, nutrient deficiency doesn't always relate to not enough nutrient in the water. i.e. pH level affecting nutrient uptake, CO2 slowing plant growth, lack of Oxygen, could be a lot of reasons.. 

Someone who has grown blyxa in higher pH and DIY CO2 would be a better gauge as to what is causing your blyxa to show signs of yellowing.


A couple source of nitrate is potassium nitrate, seachem nitrate. They are better choice than using fish waste for nitrate. fish waste needs to go through the nitrifying process. Plants will not have access to the Nitrate right away.


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

I won't be of any help as my Blyxa died quickly after I got it. It is a very sensitive plant. But sounds like you've got some good advice so far - good luck and let us know how it progresses!


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

With regards the pellia, I have never had success with it in a high tech tank. 

Everytime I have added it to a tank with 'planted tank' lighting with or without CO2, it either just sits there or dissolves and dies. When I ignore it and stick in a small 5 to 10 gallon with 4 hours of light and no fertilizer or gravel whatsoever, it grows to fill the tank. 

I have some growing in a fish bowl on an East facing window and its actually growing!!

...just my personal experience. I have seen pics of other people growing them beautifully in hi tech planted tanks


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## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

hmm..interesting. my pellia isnt doing so hot..it's starting to turn brown. maybe i'll stick some in my 20 and see waht happens


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## RDonald (Apr 25, 2010)

I'm using mineralized topsoil capped with pool filter sand in a 55g, using DiY CO2 and dosing liquid potassium, nitrogen, and flourish from Seachem. I bought my Blyxa at King Ed's a few months ago and thought that I had thrown my money away because they all started to wilt and die back. I wasn't nearly patient enough, I left a few bunches in and once they got settled in and took off they are threatening to overrun the entire tank. They look gorgeous now, so hang in there for a few weeks and ensure that you are at least dosing in some nitrogen.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Pellia and mini pellia is an algae and no different than some of the stuff we get rid of. However it can form unique shapes and be awesome scape for wood and foreground in a planted tank, they can deal with a large variety of conditions from low light to high light along as they have enough nutrients to suck up they will thrive as all algae do... However if you dose alot of metricide or excel they will melt! I find pellia and mini pellia grow pretty good with less light although it grows well with lots of light (for me too)

Do you dose metricide or excel?

Blyxa is not an easy plant to grow even I have troubles...


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