How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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SCORPIO
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How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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Most important in plants are pigments. They are responsible for the color of leafs, flowers etc. Plants are green due to chlorophyll but other types of pigments are also present in plants such as anthocynins, carotenoides and porphyrins etc. All other pigments play the role of accessory pigments. These pigments absorb a range of light of definite wavelength for convert solar energy into chemical energy. While the reflected wavelengths of light determine the color appears to human being.

Anthocynins are flavonoid molecular pigments in plants. They are water soluble and appear red to blue shades. The colour of these pigments depends on various factors such as light, temperature, nitrates etc.

Anthocynins reflects red and blue light and absorb UV-B. More light can also lead the plant for death so they produce anthocynins to protect from the ill effects of intensity of light.
How to increase Anthocynins:
1. Increase light with UV-B. The plant will produce more anthocynin to protect itself by excess light (Photo oxidation damage). Production of Chlorophyll reduces as the level of anthocynin increases.

2. We need to increase the production of anthocynin and decrease the production of chlorophyll for more redness. By reducing some type of intensity of light wavelength and other nutrients, plants can be come in stress and in result, plants will produce more redness in leaves.

3. Iron dosing is not responsible for red colouration in aquatic plants. Although, it helps in increasing the rate of photosynthesis. Plants are not able to control the rate of photosynthesis but they can increase the amount of anthocynins. They adept themselves by changing pigments from chlorophyll to anthocynins.

4. High amount of Nitrate enhance the growth of plants but reduce the production of anthocynins. To maintain redness in plants, Nitrate level should be low.

5. High pH increases the production of anthocynins. If aquarium water having high nitrate level, pH level will be drop. Plants growth will be enhance due to reduced production of anthocynins.

Note: After reading lots of, I am publishing above lines. I have gain all the information from Internet and compile in my own words.


Comments are welcome.
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

Unread post by sushant »

rajiv ji, thanks for the compilation, all the points are summed up well.
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

Unread post by Zakk »

Nice writeup Rajiv.
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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sushant wrote:rajiv ji, thanks for the compilation, all the points are summed up well.
Thanks Sushant.
Zakk wrote:Nice writeup Rajiv.
It will be nice writeup, if some aquartists will be get success in growing red plants. :lol:
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

Unread post by maaz »

nice...good too know these thinks..
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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:clp

Thanks for such an important discussion
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

Unread post by Rohan »

Rajiv ji could you please elaborate on the first point.
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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Rohan wrote:Rajiv ji could you please elaborate on the first point.
I want to say in first point that if the production of chlorophyll is more, the green color is more. Every plants protects itself by unfavorable conditions. To protect itself from high light, plants produce anthocynin. It is a red pigment. When the production of anthocynin increase due to excess light, production of chlorophyll falls and the result is more redness in the Red Aquatic plants.
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

Unread post by superbsite »

Thanks Rajiv
On the 3rd point does this mean that If I start to dose more Fe the plant will produce more anthocynin ?
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Re: How to increase Redness in Aquatic Plants?

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superbsite wrote:Thanks Rajiv
On the 3rd point does this mean that If I start to dose more Fe the plant will produce more anthocynin ?
Cheers
Exact, but there should be balance between light, iron dosing and CO2.
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