Plants stringy ...

[quenton]

I have noticed that since adding CO2 and using EI (couple of months now) that the length of the main stems (bunch plants) seem to be longer between the whorls of leafs. As if the "growing fast" grows the stems faster, grows nice leaves, but does not start new leaves fast enough.

Is the normal? Am I maybe low on something?

 

[a1matt]

Re: Plants stringy ...

Am I maybe low on something?

I remember reading in practical fishkeeping magazine back in the 80's that the level of light can affect the distance between sets of leaves on stem plants. Sadly my memory isn't too good so I can't remember the details. I *think* it was along the lines of...

more light = less space between whorls
less light = more space

 

[quenton]

Re: Plants stringy ...

I remember reading in practical fishkeeping magazine back in the 80's that the level of light can affect the distance between sets of leaves on stem plants. Sadly my memory isn't too good so I can't remember the details. I *think* it was along the lines of...

more light = less space between whorls
less light = more space

The 80s -- Hm. Might to be too bad
When I got back into planted (as opposed to SW) 6 months ago, I pulled out some of my old books -- from the 60s. One of the key debates was wether or not to ever change any water -- with most on the side of never change, just top-it-up -- "I have had my tank for 10 years and never changed a drop!!" being the kind of phrase. Lighting? incandescent mostly, flourescent was better if you could afford it -- one strip light would do just about anything. Times and ideas change

I currently have on my 65g 4 old 40w flourescents (old fixtures, not old bulbs). That is getting up to 2.5w to 3w per g. I can't get any more there, so will be looking into some dual fixtures in the near future and that will let me increase it. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[a1matt]

Re: Plants stringy ...

Times and ideas change

I couldn't agree more! That's why I made sure to quote my reference as being 20 years old :gw

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Plants stringy ...

Back then they seldom used CO2, so the non CO2 method was correct for them back then as it is today.

When you add CO2, nutrients, the rate of growth increases dramatically. Roughly 10X.

Light has less to do with it.
Good nuttrients all around and trimming can produce shorter internodes, among other things: low CO2, PO4 limitations will reduce the internode growth to some degree.

I'd just trim well and also say which plants are doing this and what light system you have.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[quenton]

Re: Plants stringy ...

Back then they seldom used CO2, so the non CO2 method was correct for them back then as it is today.

When you add CO2, nutrients, the rate of growth increases dramatically. Roughly 10X.

Light has less to do with it.
Good nuttrients all around and trimming can produce shorter internodes, among other things: low CO2, PO4 limitations will reduce the internode growth to some degree.

I'd just trim well and also say which plants are doing this and what light system you have.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Thanks for the reply tom.

Nothing fancy in plants -- some red ludwigia and some hygrophila polysperma, and some cabomba being the ones showing the long internode stems.

I also have swords, some crypts -- they of course cannot show that

My lighting is 4 40w 48" floruescents in half decent white reflectors (I bought them as aquarium strip lights about 15 years ago, and updated the balasts to self-start). The lights are 2 philips sunshines and 2 philips daylight bulbs, not sure of the K, I think the daylights are 6500 or 6700.

I want to gradually replace those strip lights because they are huge, heavy and single-bulb per fixture -- but that will be over the next year or so.