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Hi,

I just participated in a thread that concerns plants in a low light tank.
One issue that came up there is how far our opinions stray from each other.
Let’s take the plant Hygrophila Difformis (a.k.a. Water Wisteria) as an example:

I have never used it, so in order to provide a viable response to the questioner in that
thread I researched the web and found that it requires 2.5 to 3.0 WPG for perfect
conditions. Somebody who actually used it (thanks for that info to sneaky_pete)
says pretty much the opposite:

I would highly disagree with this light requirement for Wisteria.
I have found Wisteria to do the very very best at under 1 wpg.
Otherwise I have found it gets burned and shrivels away leaving
only an ugly old stem. In my 25g tank I keep wisteria, in either
of my other 2 tanks one with 2.6WPG and my big tank that has
1.8WPG and the wisteria just grows algae and gets burned.

I am sure that there are more of you that could back up sneaky_pete or actually
have an entirely different experience that either one of us.
Well, I researched the web some more and found more information regarding
its light requirements like:

[font color="#000080"]-Medium to very high
-Bright
-It thrives in most lighting conditions from medium to much
-Moderate to high light (the Krib)
-Does well in moderate or bright light
-Normal
-2 watts/gallon +
-0.42 Watt/liter (=1.6WPG)
-Very good light[/font]

You get the point, this is a rather wide range.
How come that, even for one of the easiest plants to have, there seems to be such
a broad spectrum of what is considered its optimum requirements?
Can’t we trust any statement anymore and do we have to find out everything
for ourselves?

Thanks,

Ingo


Last edited by LITTLE_FISH at 23-Jun-2005 05:13

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I have water wisteria in my 30 long. The tank is pretty shallow, only 16 inches, and I've got 4 wpg, so they're getting lots of light from not very far away. I havn't had them burn up, and I had an unrelated algae problem that has more or less cleared up. The only problem I have with them is that due to the bright light, they tend to grow horizontally rather than vertically. I have something that looks like an umbrella of wisteria taking up a lot of space in my tank. Otherwise it's very healthy and growing like mad. I think the trick is soft water and Ph as neutral as you can get it, with consistant dosing of ferts.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

i have wisteria under 3wpg...its doing great...its fast becoming a jungle in there...actually, im planning to cut some stems and move it to another tank...unfortuantely, that tank used to be a low light one..but now...its at 2.3wpg ..so..i guess..ill never now for myself if my wisteria will do as well as...who knows.

H. Difformis is called difformis because the leaves will take different shapes under different light intensities.

I have had the plant under less than 2 wpg of light and in 3 wpg. Although water parameters and substrate were the same, the plant did not perform well in under two wpg of light. With 3 wpg of light, I have become a major dealer in wisteria. Every month, I remove the wisteria from my 125G and replant three sprigs. Over the following 4 to 5 weeks the plants grow to the top of the water (20 inches) and begin the emerge from the water surface.

Light is only one consideration for the plant's growth. Other considerations are substrate, temperature, pH, hardness, nitrates and phosphates. My tank is: 84F, 7.5 pH, 5 KH, 3 wpg, NO3 < 25 ppm, substrate is CaribSea Eco-Complete, no CO2 injection. NO3, nitrates, are low because of heavy water changes in the planted aquaria and the use of wisteria as a nutrient sponge.

Last edited by Bob Wesolowski at 23-Jun-2005 12:11

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Bob,

At some point in the very near future I would like to talk to you about your tank anyway.

I want to set up a 125G as well and whenever I see one of your entries regarding your tank I think to myself “wow, that’s the tank I want”. From lighting to filters, you seem to have all the technical features that I am looking for.

So, hopefully till soon,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I haven't noticed much difference in it's growth under various lighting conditions. It did send out roots faster in 4wpg with co2 but didn't really gain any leaves or other growth. Under 3wpg in 10g tank it's gained alot of growth. There's also some floating in the 29g under 1wpg and some floating in my outside pond both of which are growing about the same. I do think it does better in softer water and seems more upset about my hard well water than what lighting conditions I put it in.

I was under the impression that the leaves changed in shape as a result of temperature changes.

Leaves can change for a number of reasons; light, emersed/immersed growth, even an abundance or lack of certain nutrients can cause leaves to change shape. It depends on the plant I'm sure.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Cup,

Light is the trigger for leaf differentiation with h. difformis.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright