What mm lens are you using for this shot?
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Journal 20 gallon Rotala florida tank
- Thread starter Dennis Wong
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- #82
Dennis Wong
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For these shots (and all of the macro shots in this journal) I'm using the Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro.
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- #83
Dennis Wong
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Moved the anubias white from the pond back to the 2ft tank. Changing the 2ft layout a bit, focus is to showcase Anubias white. I think the Eriocaulon vietnam doesn't serve as a nice background for the anubias, so I'm going to switch them out for more BG2011.
Is this the same as Anubias Nana Pinto? I have that in all 3 of my tanks. I was worried it was all reverting back to green but am again seeing more white growth. Not sure if it's just a natural cycle or changes in my parameters. Also tried Anubis Snow White but had no luck with it at all. I knew it would be difficult so wasn't surprised.
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- #85
Dennis Wong
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These are Anubias white petite that I recently shifted out from more shaded holding tank. white petite has quite a bit more white than anubias pinto when grown in well lit location. Quite robust even with most of the leaves being white, so its quite a good variegated plant to grow.
Snow white is a more recent made up name. I'm not sure if it is even a consistent variant - I grew out some years back, and they turned out to be anubias white petite. Quality seems in consistent though - different batches different farms different outputs. No governing body. That's the state of the hobby unfortunately.
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- #86
Dennis Wong
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Comparison photo of Rotala 'blood red' grown in zero residual nitrate system vs 15ppm NO3 in water column. Light levels are similar around 300+ PAR on the bushes. The color difference at the shoot tips is very large, and even at 5ppm residual NO3 vs a zero-bound system it is significant. This is one of the convenient indicator plants I use to tune fertilizer dosing in my tanks. As the tips get very evenly red, its a sign that the aquarium is becoming increasingly N limited. Folks that say that 'blood red' is as red in high N is the same as in lean conditions need to get their eyes checked.
hi Dennis, do you find this to be the case with Ludwigia Super Red too? Would love to find a stem that maintains good red coloration with 15ppm NO3 or more in the water column.
Red Rubin has always been nice and red for me with higher nitrate, just needs lots of light which you have plenty.
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- #89
Dennis Wong
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Ludwigia super red, Alternanthera reineckii, Lysimachia parvifolia, Rubin swords, Nymphaea zenkeri red, red Cabomba, Rotala macrandras, Ludwigia senegalensis, reddish crypts - all these are red regardless of low N or not
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- #90
Dennis Wong
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Reporting back on the Lysimachia parvifolia "mini". It does seem to keep its smaller form, about half or 60% of the size of the regular plant. Makes for an interesting foreground plant. Propagated it for around 4 months by now. When old leaves are trimmed from the regular version, it produces new leaves that are the same large size to replace old growth. Trimming the mini version seems to keep the leaf sizes small. However, the mini version seems a tad more sensitive than the regular version.
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- #91
Dennis Wong
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Added some Hypessobrycon Peugoti to the tank. Wondering how much the CRS shrimp community will be hit. Half the joy of fish photography is the background plants I think haa
Well, depends what type of tanks folks have... in my interpretation,, you and for instance @Naturescapes_Rocco seem to have very pale R. 'Blood Red SG' crowns when N is the water column in decent amounts. Let me give a comparison photo of my tank:
These are grown in the same non limiting amounts of nitrogen. I know N is non limiting because all my RRF don't have nowhere near red leaves (as an example is to be seen in the picture as well.)
I think there are key differences between your tank and mine:
1. I don't have 300+ umol/m2/s, but roughly 150 at crown height.
2. I don't inject CO2 (but heavily aerate my tank)
So my hypothesis is the R. 'Blood Red SG' gets so much more photons and carbon availability, their metabolism is in overdrive. And therefore they can't keep up with their coloration of new leaves.
What do you all think about this?
I think that's some beautiful rotala AND anubias for a non-CO2 tank! Tons of color.
I think a lot of my color is washed out with iPhone photos. Maybe I'll get my real camera out soon and try that out.
Also, my Rotala Blood Red is definitely less colorful (or at least, less red) when I dose a lot of NO3. That's a for sure thing.
I think a lot of my color is washed out with iPhone photos. Maybe I'll get my real camera out soon and try that out.
Also, my Rotala Blood Red is definitely less colorful (or at least, less red) when I dose a lot of NO3. That's a for sure thing.
In the same line, are there different species of rotala blood red ? Is the SG variant just a different name for blood red ?
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- #95
Dennis Wong
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Low tech tanks have other limitations [carbon etc] and it is possible to delay chlorophyll productions through other mechanisms. However, the N limiting effect on colouration is obvious and universal in other situations where other components are not limiting - it is also the most common (but not necessarily the only) influencing factor for Rotala rotundifolia coloration. Your RR doesn't look healthy, despite the high N availability - the tips are uneven and the leaves are crumpled. There well be more issues affecting their long term health.
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- #96
Dennis Wong
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There used to be. Rotala 'blood red' used to be one varietal that existed on the market, but it was similar to H'ra where you needed very steep nitrate limitation to get any significant red. The 'SG blood red' varietal was popularised in singapore and thereafter internationally, after I highlighted that it was the one varietal of Rotala rotundifolia that did not need nitrate limitation to be quite red. The locals named it blood red also which created confusion with the earlier blood red varietal available.
Years down the road, most sellors now only sell the 'sg blood red' now because its the version that gets red easily without N limitation. Even farms recalibrated their naming. Most 'blood red' on the market now, are actually 'blood red sg'.
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- #97
Dennis Wong
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Rotala macrandra mini type 4 green top views
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- #98
Dennis Wong
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Some shots of the CPD. Small fish are so much harder to film
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- #99
Dennis Wong
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Argh, the variegated Eriocaulon vietnam did not contrast the Anubias white petite well (I think). I switched them out for more BG2011 instead, to have a dark background against the white. before/after pic:
When you plant anubias like that, I ussume you're keeping the rhizome above the substrate. Were those already mature enough that you had enough roots to anchor the plants in the soil or is there something else keeping them in place?
