anyone keeping ludwigia?

[fadah]

Just picked up some Ludwigia repens from my LFS, gonna try it in my 20 gallon. Anyone got tips on keeping it red? My lights are pretty strong, but it's still kinda green.

[blueoceans]

Ludwigia repens needs high light and iron to stay red. What's your fertilizer routine? I dose Seachem Iron twice a week in my 40 gallon, and the reds pop.

[Carbon]

Just picked up some Ludwigia repens from my LFS, gonna try it in my 20 gallon. Anyone got tips on keeping it red? My lights are pretty strong, but it's still kinda green.

Yeah, light alone won't cut it. You need nitrates low and iron high. I keep mine at 5 ppm nitrates, and the reds are insane.

[coastguard1]

I've had luck with Ludwigia palustris too. It's similar but stays red easier. What's your substrate? Root tabs help if you're not running CO2.

[Vitaly]

I'm new to Ludwigia, but my friend swears by liquid carbon. Anyone tried that? My tank's low tech, so I'm nervous about dosing.

[florag1]

Ludwigia's chill, but it's a nitrate hog. If your tank's too clean, it'll stay green. Mess with your ferts, see what happens.

[_bloomer]

Ludwigia repens needs high light and iron to stay red. What's your fertilizer routine? I dose Seachem Iron twice a week in my 40 gallon, and the reds pop.

Same here. Iron's key. I also use a DIY root tab with osmocote, and my Ludwigia's fire.

[flavormist]

Mine melted at first, but it bounced back. How long does it take to adjust? My tank's been running for 3 months.

[Haven42]

Ludwigia's sketchy in new tanks. Give it time. Mine took a month to stop melting. Now it's growing like crazy.

[subway]

For reds, try lowering your phosphates. High phosphates can block iron uptake. I keep mine below 1 ppm, and the colors are vibrant.