Cryptocoryne pink flamingo

[Phillip]

My crypt pink flamingo is starting to put up green leaves. Is this a nutrient or lighting issue usually?

[Phillip]

This is my current lighting schedule. I usually do 25% ish water changes every week to keep nitrates around 20, and add easy green. 

[Scott P.]

I would turn that light up some.

 

ETA: Turn them up a little bit at the time and see how it likes it.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Scott P.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I can’t help with your 3.0’s lighting schedule but can help with general crypt care. Where are your nitrates at? TDS, gh, kh? Any root tabs? What’s the substrate? Is this the first leaves after melting? 

[Phillip]

On 7/12/2021 at 8:16 PM, Scott P. said:

I would turn that light up some.

 

ETA: Turn them up a little bit at the time and see how it likes it.

Thanks. I’ll start slowly increasing and see if it helps. 

[Phillip]

On 7/13/2021 at 3:29 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I can’t help with your 3.0’s lighting schedule but can help with general crypt care. Where are your nitrates at? TDS, gh, kh? Any root tabs? What’s the substrate? Is this the first leaves after melting? 

Thanks. Appreciate any help you can offer. 
I try to keep nitrates around 20. 
tds 220

gh/kh both 7 drops. Can’t remember what that converts to

I put a couple root tabs down before I planted. I’ve had them for about three weeks. 

Edited July 13, 2021 by Phillip

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’d give it more time as it’s converting to your tanks environment. I’d repeat the root tabs at regular intervals every 6-12 weeks. Column ferts help some. What substrate do you have? Which ferts and root tabs? 

[Phillip]

On 7/13/2021 at 6:19 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I’d give it more time as it’s converting to your tanks environment. I’d repeat the root tabs at regular intervals every 6-12 weeks. Column ferts help some. What substrate do you have? Which ferts and root tabs? 

Substrate is just typical aquarium gravel. I use easy green liquid and easy root tabs. I usually dose easy green once a week. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Gravel doesn’t have a lot of CEC to hold nutrients in the substrate. You definitely want to stay on top of your ferts and root tabs. You’ll get it to grow. Just stay patient not always easy. 

[Patrick_G]

Your light settings look a little low to me, but it depends on how deep your tank is. 
I have my Fluval light max out at 50% on a 14” deep tank. 

[Phillip]

On 7/13/2021 at 10:40 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Gravel doesn’t have a lot of CEC to hold nutrients in the substrate. You definitely want to stay on top of your ferts and root tabs. You’ll get it to grow. Just stay patient not always easy. 

What is CEC?

[Phillip]

On 7/13/2021 at 11:41 PM, Patrick_G said:

Your light settings look a little low to me, but it depends on how deep your tank is. 
I have my Fluval light max out at 50% on a 14” deep tank. 

It’s a 75 gallon.  I think it’s 20 or 24” high. The lights are only a couple months old and I haven’t really played with them. Everything else seems to be growing fine though. I guess I could slowly start increasing it and see what happens. 

[Patrick_G]

My gut feeling would be to increase it. I recently added a second light to my 75, partiality to help my new Pink Flamingo but also because I was having trouble with some other substrate level plants. It’s to early to report results but so far so good. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@PhillipCation Exchange Capacity- ability to hold the elemental minerals the plants need in the substrate. Aquarium gravel will hold on to nutrients just not quite as well as eco-complete, flourite, stratum etc. 

Also here’s a bit on light from The Barr Report https://barrreport.com/articles/light-in-planted-tanks.48/

 

[Phillip]

On 7/14/2021 at 1:27 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@PhillipCation Exchange Capacity- ability to hold the elemental minerals the plants need in the substrate. Aquarium gravel will hold on to nutrients just not quite as well as eco-complete, flourite, stratum etc. 

Also here’s a bit on light from The Barr Report https://barrreport.com/articles/light-in-planted-tanks.48/

 

Thanks for the info! I’m fairly new to the hobby and learn something new everyday. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

The Barr Report is a wealth of info and is totally overwhelming so take it in doses. You can always research there and ask questions here as they are not super tolerant of newbies over there. The Planted Tank is another online forum resource.