# How to get plants that are suppose to be red turn red in the tank



## lotus (Apr 22, 2010)

I have a few red plants that should be red but isn't so I would like to know besides good lighting what else I should be doing. I dose EI weekly at the moment but that might change. I have a 75 gallon tank with pressurized C02 and ADA soil. I just changed the light strip and its 65 watt 6700K. Its on 10 hours a day. I have two Coralife light fixtures and only changed out the lights on the back one as the plants that need more light is at the back of the tank.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

Some iron might help.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

TomC said:


> Some iron might help.


I second that!


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## jkam (Apr 21, 2010)

lots of iron and high intensity light


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## someguy (Apr 21, 2010)

tailored aquatics iron rocks!


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Yeah watch what iron you use... some (Flourish Iron) suck, some to not.


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## columbus (Apr 28, 2010)

there are great reviews about GE F55BX/AR/FS power compact bulbs. A comparison has been shown on the following site.
9325K The Difference - Lighting - Aquatic Plant Central

anyone interested in group buy from US to save shipping costs? We could get them for apprx. $15 USD a piece versus $50-65 in Canada


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## lotus (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone and I will need to find another hydroponics store since Solar closed down.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

which plants are you talking about? as i've had red plants turn red even under twister CFLs


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## lotus (Apr 22, 2010)

Its Alternanthera reineckii "pink" and Echinodorus"red diamond".


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I actually started a thread on plantedtank.net last year as I was having trouble with my L. Aromatica not going red. The results were these main points:

1. If you want red plants, get ones that are really red to start with.
2. Make sure you CO2 is bang on (30 ppm). Get a drop checker if you don't have one.
3. Dose DPTA iron (I use Tailored Aquatics right now, but Aquaflora sells DPTA chelated iron which I will try next).
4. Watch your nitrate dosing and try to keep it slightly lower than ideal (around 5 ppm I was told)
5. Get lights that enhance red.

The ones which made the biggest difference for me was 1, 3 and 5.


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## BigFatLyre (Apr 22, 2010)

*Solar closed?*



lotus said:


> Thanks everyone and I will need to find another hydroponics store since Solar closed down.


i know i'm off topic but did they "retire" or were they "assisted" by Burnabys' largest biker gang?


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## keitarosan (Apr 21, 2010)

lotus said:


> Its Alternanthera reineckii "pink" and Echinodorus"red diamond".


hmm.... that's odd. i have this plant in a non-dosing tank and still retained its color. mine is Althernanthera "purple" though.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

is the Alternanthera reineckii "pink" even pink at the tips? when i had the plant it would only show colour near the top with the lighting i had, until i added a third cfl then it went halfway with vibrant colour. the bottom still looked washed out though


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## Bien Lim (Apr 21, 2010)

#4 is on the money



2wheelsx2 said:


> I actually started a thread on plantedtank.net last year as I was having trouble with my L. Aromatica not going red. The results were these main points:
> 
> 1. If you want red plants, get ones that are really red to start with.
> 2. Make sure you CO2 is bang on (30 ppm). Get a drop checker if you don't have one.
> ...


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