Tips On Vall...its Is My Only Difficult Plant!

[craynerd]

I have a tank full of plants....i have riccia, glosso, amazon swords, tiger lotus, ..........ect (see my journal) all doing brilliantly!

Yet Vallis both twisted, straight and giant seems to be the most difficult to keep!! I`ve been told its an easy grower, yet although i havent had any out right die on me, it just doesnt look lush and green and as healthy as it could!

Just to recap, i`m running CO2 at 25/30 ppm, i`m running EI of a sorts (just getting it going really and with sick fish its hard!) and 3wpg lighting.

Like i say everything else is doing perfectly, the vall just seems a little lifeless, areas that are colourless and transparent and orange / dieing colour rather than green.

Anyone any thoughts what i could be doing wrong with this plant?

Chris

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

The jungle (giant) vallis will turn different colors in strong light. At one point mine was as red as rhubarb. I changed my lighting from 8000k tubes to 6700k and now it is much greener. Also this type requires a very nutrient-rich substrate. (I also recall that when it was starting to turn red, it went through an orangey, yellow stage...)

Also, do you use Flourish Excel? I've read that vallis is very sensitive to this product and will actually melt after a while. I've never used it, so I certainly can't say this from experience. Here's where I found this:

http/www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=193

 

[tigerbarb420]

Most Vallisneria's do best in alkaline/basic water. Is your water soft/acidic maybe?

funny that you have trouble with it cuz my vall's are doing better then my anubias nana's

 

[nmonks]

Vallisneria is a temperamental plant. As tigerbarb420 mentioned, it prefers hard and alkaline water. It also thrives in low-end brackish. I have mine in soft, acid water conditions and growth is steady rather than strong.

I have also noted periodic die-back events, usually after I have uprooted the plants. I can lose over 50% of the leaves within the space of 2-3 days. The plants usually recover, but for a few weeks they look terrible. Don't despair of "dead" Vallisneria -- it will usually come back!

They do have a deep root system, and I've kept mine in sand/laterite/gravel mixes and sand/pond soil mixes. They seem to do well in both.

There are two things people do to Vallisneria that they don't like. The first is to bury the roots too deeply. The crown of the plant (the brownish "stem" from which the roots and leaves emerge) needs to be above the level of the sand/gravel. Secondly, gravel must never get in between the leaves. Sand seems harmless, but gravel stresses the base of the leaves as it sinks downwards, breaking the vascular tissues in the leaves, and eventually killing the leaf. A damaged leaf will not heal and should be removed.

Trimming Vallisneria is a pain. If you cut too much at once, the plant goes into shock and dies back. Cut a leaf or two per week, per plant. Leaves are best cut off at the base. You can trim leaves with scissors higher up, and sometimes it's okay, but sometimes the leaf dies however carefully you do it. The best thing is to get a variety of Vallisneria suited to your aquarium.

All in all, Vallisneria is a misunderstood plant that is assumed to be easy because it is cheap. It isn't easy at all. My understanding is Sagittaria spp. tend to be hardier and easier to look after, but they are also more expensive. Likewise Crinum spp.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[craynerd]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replys.

My water is V acidic...its 6.8 out of the tap then with CO2 injection it goes down to 6.2ish at times!

Well i`ll see how it goes. I`m using aquatic compost so substrate is nutrient rich, and light is intense, 3wpg.

I`ll keep you all informed of its progress.

Chris

 

[IovaykInD]

Not to hijack this thread, but I have a question related to vallis. Someone sent me some, but the leaves are all broken off. If I put the roots into the gravel, with the one last bit of leaf on it, will it grow new ones?

Isaac

 

[nmonks]

Probably, assuming the rootstock is still healthy. Are there white roots coming off the thing? Or just brown or cream coloured dead-looking things?

Cheers,

Neale

Not to hijack this thread, but I have a question related to vallis. Someone sent me some, but the leaves are all broken off. If I put the roots into the gravel, with the one last bit of leaf on it, will it grow new ones?

 

[IovaykInD]

Most of it is still sort of white I guess, its not pure white but generally its white. Does that mean new leaves will sprout from it?

 

[nmonks]

There are obviously no guarantees, but it's certainly worth a try. I've had vallis that has come back from the dead. Actually, most plants seem able to come back from the dea, provided the roots are healthy. Ask any gardener: take care of a plant's roots, and the plant will take care of the rest.

Cheers,

Neale

Most of it is still sort of white I guess, its not pure white but generally its white. Does that mean new leaves will sprout from it?