Scarlet Temple not so scarlet

[Kalita]

Hoping I can get some advice for getting Scarlet Temple to redden up. I know it's considered a finicky plant by many and I can see why. When I first added it and during the weeks after, it was doing super well - sending out roots, showing nice colour, new growth (see photo), however now, it has become more brown colour, not growing as much.

Some changes happened 

• brown-algae phase in which it could have suffered from
• added more light (a second Nicrew SkyLED Plus)
• added more plants
• added more fish (6 endlers and 3 guppies)
• added more root tabs & dosing EZ green
• trimming

Parameters:

• Temp = 77 +/- 1
• pH = ~7.4 
• Ammonia = 0
• Nitrite = 0
• Nitrates = 10 -15 ish
• Hardness measured at Petsmart, and all they told me was it was mid range (suggestions for good hardness test kit?) 

I don't do CO2 so I'm sure that could be part of the reason, but there is good surface agitation (2 HOBs and 2 sponge filters).

 

Before & Now

Edited April 26, 2021 by Kalita

[KBOzzie59]

Easy Iron should help.  Maybe up the Nitrates a bit.  What is the light cycle?

[lefty o]

most red plants that arent red lack iron.

[Kalita]

8 minutes ago, KBOzzie59 said:

Easy Iron should help.  Maybe up the Nitrates a bit.  What is the light cycle?

Light cycle is on pro timer. If I remember correctly, starts at 9 am but only at 10% intensity, 50% at 11, 100% at 1 pm, 50% 6, 10% at 10 off at 10:30. It's quite a long "on-time" but algae seems to be under control now with a lot of new plant growth on my other plants. I also have floating plants so helps block out some light too.

I'll try adding some iron - thanks guys! 🙂  

 

[Ragnarok12]

What kind of growth are you seeing on your other plants? The scarlet templates are looking a little stringy and not very bushy, which makes me think they may not be very happy overall. You've also got a lot of aerial roots coming out of the plant, which makes me think maybe it is lacking nutrients in the soil? I agree with the easy iron, but it could also be that the plant just isn't growing very well more than it not having enough iron specifically. I think I would try some root tabs at the base of the scarlets. and maybe trim back the aerial roots to encouraging rooting below. Once they are established and feeding from their anchoring roots, I have found that the plant starts doing better overall and will produce more vibrant and bushy leaves without any of the aerial roots. Good luck figuring it out! Gorgeous layout on this tank btw

[Kalita]

31 minutes ago, Ragnarok1200 said:

What kind of growth are you seeing on your other plants? The scarlet templates are looking a little stringy and not very bushy, which makes me think they may not be very happy overall. You've also got a lot of aerial roots coming out of the plant, which makes me think maybe it is lacking nutrients in the soil? I agree with the easy iron, but it could also be that the plant just isn't growing very well more than it not having enough iron specifically. I think I would try some root tabs at the base of the scarlets. and maybe trim back the aerial roots to encouraging rooting below. Once they are established and feeding from their anchoring roots, I have found that the plant starts doing better overall and will produce more vibrant and bushy leaves without any of the aerial roots. Good luck figuring it out! Gorgeous layout on this tank btw

Thanks! I'm still tweaking but I'm happy with the growth of other plants - new leaves/taller on pretty much all of them (anubias, buce, crypt, wisteria, java fern, marsilea). It's only the ST that's really lagging. There were lots of aerial roots at first (top pic was from earlier on when I first bought and didn't have root tabs). I actually see little to none now. I did relocate one or two plants for better light access and noticed the roots were decent (definitely grew since first planting!). I know moving those ones didn't help but I added some more root tabs (they were due) around them so hopefully that will give them a boost. 

The brown algae diatoms really seemed to love their leaves when it peaked, and having the structure it does, the snails didn't really go for it as much as the other plant surfaces or other surfaces in general. I really wanted to get a group of otos to help but they've been hard to find locally. I'm hoping now that the diatoms are under control that it will be able to grow fresh leaves... 🤞