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Success with Pondweeds?


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#1 Guest_andyavram_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 10:04 AM

I collected a few species of Pondweed (Potamogeton sp.) in some old beaver ponds yesterday and threw them in my tank. One is a narror-leaved species and the other in an awesome broad-leaved species. There were acres of these plants I didn't notice any with floating leaves.

So, has anyone had luck with Pondweeds in aquariums? I tried doing a search here but didn't come up with much.

Andy

#2 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 10:38 AM

Potamogeton richardsonii is one of the plants that I have always really wanted but can never seem to find. It's adorable, if a plant can be adorable. If I had some I'd tell you how I was doing at growing it, but sadly I could never find any while out collecting when I lived in Ohio. :(

Edited by EricaWieser, 10 October 2011 - 10:41 AM.


#3 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 10:42 AM

The Potamogeton I've tried do fine for me outside, but I've had no success indoors. I would assume it's a light issue, since the tubs I've thrown them in outdoors are not necessarily nutrient rich.

#4 Guest_MrCatfish_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 11:10 AM

I have tried many different ponds weeds. And have only had success in tanks with higher lights.They did well in my 40 breeder that had four 15 watt 6500k CFLs. But melted away in my 125 with four watt 6500k T12 bulbs.

#5 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 11:18 AM

I have tried many different ponds weeds. And have only had success in tanks with higher lights.They did well in my 40 breeder that had four 15 watt 6500k CFLs. But melted away in my 125 with four watt 6500k T12 bulbs.

'K' is kelvin, the color temperature of light.
Example photo demonstrating what color temperature is: http://upload.wikime...-comparison.png
More info: http://en.wikipedia....lor_temperature
It does not have anything to do with the intensity of the light spectrum in the ranges of wavelength that plants use for energy. A large number of different combinations of peaks will cause the same color to be emitted. 6500K bulbs do not necessarily have the same individual light peaks, just the same sum of peaks. That's like how 8+2 and 7+3 and 4+6 all equal 10. A variety of different combinations can sum up to 6500K.

A better measure of the value of the bulb for plant growth is its output spectrum.
This is the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll: http://www.chm.bris....l/chloroabs.gif
If the light did not produce peaks from 400-500 and 600-700 nanometers, then the plants would not have been able to get energy from them.

Edited by EricaWieser, 10 October 2011 - 11:24 AM.


#6 Guest_MrCatfish_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 11:24 AM

'K' is kelvin, the color temperature of light. It does not have anything to do with the intensity of the light spectrum in the ranges of wavelength that plants use for energy. A large number of different combinations of peaks will cause the same color to be emitted, so 6500K bulbs do not have the same individual light peaks, just the same sum of peaks.
Example photo demonstrating what color temperature is: http://upload.wikime...-comparison.png
More info: http://en.wikipedia....lor_temperature

A better measure of the value of the bulb for plant growth is its output spectrum.
This is the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll: http://www.chm.bris....l/chloroabs.gif
If the light did not produce peaks in those regions, then the plants would not have been able to get energy from them.

Yeah, I know that. I was just letting them know what lights were on the tanks. The bulbs were all full spectrum bulbs.

#7 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 11:30 AM

Yeah, I know that. I was just letting them know what lights were on the tanks. The bulbs were all full spectrum bulbs.

Ah, okay. So if both tanks had full spectrum, I guess light intensity was the reason why the pondweeds melted away in the one tank and not in the other. Good to know, thanks :)




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