Water Lettuce

[karawr]

I have some water lettuce in my 20g. When I first got it, it would always float and continued to float for a month. Now, this past week it has been falling down because of the HOB water fall. I can't get it to stay up. What's happening? Are the leaves not healthy enough to keep it up or something?

Also would it be cheap to do a DIY fire extinguisher CO2 on this tank. I kind of want to go the CO2 route but I'm really worried about cost. I want something cheap to upkeep. I just have one t8, would I need to change the lighting for co2?

 

[karawr]

Bumppp my thread's falling down lol

 

[ATK!!!]

FE CO2 costs around £80-100 for a 2kg cylinder and all the rest of the stuff that you would need, which would last a considerable amount of time before a refill was needed (about £15 locally for me). I can't say that I know anything about water lettuce so sorry bout that. What wattage is your t8 light?

 

[three-fingers]

Does your water lettuce look like this #1 or #2?

If it looks like #1, then it was probably grown outdoors (loads of light) in a colder climate than your tank and its old foliage is dying off. If your tank has enough lighting, it should grow new foliage or offshoots like #2 .

If it looks like #2 then it was probably grown in an aquarium, if it's dying off or suddenly unable to float you probably need more light for it or less likely its become deficient in something.

 

[Caprichoso]

I have some water lettuce in my 20g. When I first got it, it would always float and continued to float for a month. Now, this past week it has been falling down because of the HOB water fall. I can't get it to stay up. What's happening? Are the leaves not healthy enough to keep it up or something?

Also would it be cheap to do a DIY fire extinguisher CO2 on this tank. I kind of want to go the CO2 route but I'm really worried about cost. I want something cheap to upkeep. I just have one t8, would I need to change the lighting for co2?

HOB filters will do that, it's pretty normal. If you want to keep the lettuce in one area of the tank or away from the water fall, try the following: take a piece of tubing that you would use for attaching to an air stone and feed one end into the other. It can be tricky so patience is the key. The ring will float. With either fishing line or a suction cup, attach it to something in the tank(the canopy or glass if using the suction cup). Put the plants in the ring and voila, they will be contained. I make my rings about 5 inches in diameter. When the water lettuce gets bigger, I find that the water fall isn't strong enough to push them under.

Good luck

 

[karawr]

Sorry all for taking so long to reply... tbh I completely forgot I made this post as school has started up again and I've been very busy.

It's a 15W T8 that I have on for 8 hours I think. Would the FE CO2 run out fast on a 75g or 90g tank?

The lettuce looks like #2 it is small and the leaves lay flat on the water.

I'll make a ring for the hob... I have done this before for duckweed. When I first got the water lettuce I was surprised that I didn't have the same problem but I guess it's needed now!!