Val melted

Deadeye

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So, after adding a Val to my tank, it completely melted over a few weeks to the point where no green is left. Is there any chance it would come back or is it done for?
I didn’t dose anything except for some root tabs.
 

Red Cichlids

Piranha
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The problem with buying val is that the roots are often dead-something they usually can't recover from. I've had the same experience multiple times and have given up on planting it. If you have soft water, a lot of light, and can get some with living roots, you have a decent chance.
 

Deadeye

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Just stock lighting on an aqueon 36 bow front
No special substrate
No CO2

So I kind of realize I’m setting up to have only low maintenance plants...
 
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robmcd

Goliath Tigerfish
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Just stock lighting on an aqueon 36 bow front
No special substrate
No CO2

So I kind of realize I’m setting up to have only low maintenance plants...
The stock lighting is nowhere near enough to grow even low maintenance plants like valisneria.

Great for viewing fish, but not much else....
 

duanes

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Because my tanks are outside, no artificial light, during the rainy season (its fairly dark) my Val melts .
It comes back once the dry season starts and the sun is more intense.
CB0C7202-6505-443B-841B-76D39D71204D_1_201_a.jpeg
above last dry season at its peak.
Then rainy season hit and it all melted back.
Below dry season starting, it just started coming back
3E72A443-7FF2-4CBB-835E-4B565669D624_1_201_a.jpeg
Many plants die back when newly planted in a tank, with different substrate, slightly different lighting, even different flow than they were in before, Crypts are known for this, sometimes it just takes patience enough to allow them to come back.
 

esoxlucius

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Just for the record I don't consider myself particularly good with plants. I've failed with many but val has been my saviour, my 180 is full of it now, it's thriving. This is with 2 x 3 foot nicrew led fittings, nothing fancy. The substrate is about 2" of plain pea gravel with seachem flourite and fluval stratum mixed in. I occasionally bury small pockets of osmocote in the gravel as ferts. No CO2. As you can see from the pic my val has really got a hold now, there's runners all over the place, i love it. I also have cryptocorene crispatula in there too which is very much like val, that is thriving too.

If I have achieved this then trust me, anyone can do it, keep at it. Good luck.

20210426_204300.jpg
 

Deadeye

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Thanks everyone!
esoxlucius esoxlucius , those rainbows look amazing, so does the scape!
Looks like I’ll be getting a better light, I had a feeling I was gonna have to at some point.
 
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