Pink Flamingo

[Jeff]

Am I going to get any more pink in the future? All the new leaves seem to be these green-ish runner ones.

 

 

[eatyourpeas]

Mine arrived completely melted. @Patrick_G has one that looks beautiful. I am going to have to wait a while before I try again. 🙄

[Patrick_G]

Mine is definitely not as pink as I know they can get. I’m not sure if it’s a bad specimen of if I need to do something different. 

[Jeff]

I've had mine for 5? months? 
@Patrick_G yours looks a lot darker than mine...and no green runners. Any tips?

I use ACO root tabs every month, and dose East Green. 
 

What's your regimen?

[Odd Duck]

Might need more light to get best color.  They seem to be similar to pothos, more light encourages more marbling and lighter color overall in pothos.  Less light triggers the plant to produce more chlorophyll to feed itself more.  Mine that do best and hold the best color are in shallower tanks (I don’t have any really fancy lights).

I have a couple that nearly completely melted when I got them (local sale, even 🤷🏻‍♀️) and I’m thinking I’ll try them in my 2 G cube since it’s got a very bright light for no deeper than it is.  I’ll put them in place of the Echinodorus ‘Aflame’ in that tank that have struggled no matter what I do in there.  Maybe the Flamingo will be better in that spot.  If they do well, it will really make this tiny tank special!

[anewbie]

Mine are completely pink; i have a fairly strong light but when it gets covered by floaters the leaves change from flat to pointed up and they slowly start going green; remove the plants blocking the light and it goes back to strong pink and the leaves go back down to the substrate - they always said that plants talk you just have to learn to listen.

 

I have a purple aflame next to it that is 2 years old. It is a tiny plant but it grows. purple aflame is a very difficult plant to grow and it really require a nutrient rich substrate (I use inert substrate) as well as strong light. The leaves on my plant are like 1/8 inch thick and barely an inch long (remember this is a plant over 2 years old).

 

This is a picture I had on my computer that  I cut up - it is not a great picture - if you want a better picture i can take one tomorrow when the lights are on that focus on the two plants:

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by anewbie

[Odd Duck]

I don’t feel so bad about my Aflame now.  It just seems to struggle and not do well. I guess I’m just expecting too much from it.  The one I have in the little jar in the 20 H is doing as well as any I have.  I will pull the 2 I have in the 2 G because I just got it sorted out and don’t even feel like I can add a root tab to that tank.  I’ll probably move them into another jar planter and see how they do.  Hopefully the Flamingos will do well in that spot.  They should stay nicely proportionate for this tiny tank.  I’ve never placed Flamingos as a background plant before.  😆 

[Patrick_G]

On 11/23/2021 at 6:06 PM, Jeff said:

I've had mine for 5? months? 
@Patrick_G yours looks a lot darker than mine...and no green runners. Any tips?

I use ACO root tabs every month, and dose East Green. 
 

What's your regimen?

More or less the same. Easy Green at the medium light level, an occasional root tab and aquasoil under the sand. The light is a Nicrew and it’s about 20” from the plant. I agree with @Odd Duck, I think it needs more light, but I’m giving it all I’ve got with my cheap lights. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Patrick_G

[Odd Duck]

On 11/24/2021 at 9:16 AM, Patrick_G said:

More or less the same. Easy Green at the medium light level, an occasional root tab and aquasoil under the sand. The light is a Nicrew and it’s about 20” from the plant. I agree with @Odd Duck, I think it needs more light, but I’m giving it all I’ve got with my cheap lights. 

That’s exactly why I’m going to try my puny ones in the 2 G.  It’s my shallowest tank with the same light as the current tank they’re in plus the Aflame are just not getting to what I wanted for that spot in the tank.  It’s so tiny, each plant needs to pull its weight.

[Jeff]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:16 AM, Patrick_G said:

More or less the same. Easy Green at the medium light level, an occasional root tab and aquasoil under the sand. The light is a Nicrew and it’s about 20” from the plant. I agree with @Odd Duck, I think it needs more light, but I’m giving it all I’ve got with my cheap lights. 

Thanks. What about these green runner leaves I'm getting? Did you just rip these out, or not get them at all?

[Brandon p]

Mine died but I when  cheap Ana’s though I could save two small ones and I could not.

[Patrick_G]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:11 AM, Jeff said:

Thanks. What about these green runner leaves I'm getting? Did you just rip these out, or not get them at all?

I didn’t get any runners. I’d let one be to see if it takes root. 

[anewbie]

On 11/24/2021 at 8:40 AM, Odd Duck said:

I don’t feel so bad about my Aflame now.  It just seems to struggle and not do well. I guess I’m just expecting too much from it.  The one I have in the little jar in the 20 H is doing as well as any I have.  I will pull the 2 I have in the 2 G because I just got it sorted out and don’t even feel like I can add a root tab to that tank.  I’ll probably move them into another jar planter and see how they do.  Hopefully the Flamingos will do well in that spot.  They should stay nicely proportionate for this tiny tank.  I’ve never placed Flamingos as a background plant before.  😆 

I purchased 4 from a friend who grew them outside in a pail and those were large plants - at least 1/2 inch wide leaves and 6 or 7 inches leaves. It took him 6 months to grow them for me and when i purcahsed them he said they were a pia and just gave the rest to me (I think 2 extra plants); he didn't want to deal with them any longer. The ones I purchased from him did not do that well as they all ended up getting shaded - i think one is still alive but doesn't have much in the way of leaves remaining. 

 

One of the problems i am constantly facing (esp in the 40B); is that i don't have enough space for the plants i want to grow and things get shaded - and a lot of the plants i want can't suffer shading. After i move i'll be able to setup more aquariums and larger aquariums and then i'll try again and spread things out more. I really thing it is silly to have a freshwater aquarium without growing plants. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by anewbie

[Brandon p]

I think my issue was the fish disrupted before i tried to move it and it probably doomed 

[Odd Duck]

On 11/24/2021 at 12:11 PM, Jeff said:

Thanks. What about these green runner leaves I'm getting? Did you just rip these out, or not get them at all?

I would probably give them some time.  If the runners were under the surface, they would think they would need more chlorophyll to get started and would make the leaves greener. More light getting to them should turn the next leaves pinker.  They also can revert to green, so that’s possible, too.  Just to keep us guessing, you know!

[Andy's Fish Den]

I've had a pink flamingo a few times, have gotten once as tissue culture and emersed grown, including once from the co-op. All have melted back and not really grown good, even in my tank with co2 and fluval light. I picked one up at a LFS last weekend and going to try it one more time and see if I can get it to grow. I left it in the pot and stuffed a root tab down in the rock wool and see how it does. 

[Patrick_G]

@Andy's Fish Den, that one looks nice. You could consider just removing the emersed leaves.