# Vallisneria Gigantea (Giant/Jungle Val)



## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

The Jungle Val is a big plant and leaves can reach 1m in length and since I have seen very few tanks that are a full meter in height, their leaves will trail across the water.

Here is one leaf that I cut out of my tank this morning:


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

They can use alot of surface space which can hurt the plants beneath if you are not carefull. I use Jungle Val, Hygro with Anubis and Java Fern in this tank. See how much of the water surface is 'eaten' up by Jungle val:


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

And from the Top:


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

In High Light they grow moderately fast. I use DIY CO2 injection and Tropica Grow Master fertilizer along with almost 3 watts per gallon. (3 Watts per gallon is not techinally "High" light but they grow well) All the surface Val that you saw comes from only three plants:


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

You can see the reproduction by runners in the above picture, this one shows how Val will grow in a line in your tank if you let them (Note this picture is Vallisneria Asiatica var. biwaensis or Corkscrew Val not Jungle Val but Jungle val behaves in a similar fashion.


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

Like any fast growing plant the Jungle Val likes iron and will turn yellow when there is not enough available.

Here is how the Val looks when the tank is full...
From the Left:


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

And from the Right.
(Keep in mind that this is a 72 Gal tank and is 4 feet across. That's alot of Val coming from only three plants!!)


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

That's a nice bit of information, and cool pics








Thanks for sharing!

So leafs turning yellow means an iron-deficit? I have giant valls in my redbelly tank, and it used to do great, but now, some 8 months after planting, some leafs start to turn yellow or even seem to disintegrate.
I laid a layer fertilizer soil below the gravel, and people told me it should be enough for at least 2-3 years: appearantly not...


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

Yeah watch those sub-surface fertlizers (I use laterite clay in all my plant tanks). Hungry (fast growing plants) will eat through the stuff. I pour in laterite when first setting up my tank and then I use Tropica Grow Master to keep iron levels high as the laterite is consumed.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

auto303615 said:


> Yeah watch those sub-surface fertlizers (I use laterite clay in all my plant tanks). Hungry (fast growing plants) will eat through the stuff. I pour in laterite when first setting up my tank and then I use Tropica Grow Master to keep iron levels high as the laterite is consumed.


 Does that mean, since the valls are thinning out appearantly, that I need liquid supplements to keep them alive? If so, what should I look out for?
Light is practically non-present (one three-year-old 4ft 36W Grolux plant light - don't laugh, lol) because my redbellied piranha's hate bright light, but the valls did well without it before....

Thanks for your answer, btw


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

thats alot of great info
and why is the water level low and whats in that amazing tank


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

Nice pics man!









First of all i have to say that your Vallisnerias are not Gigantea.Your plants are 'Vallisneria americana Var. Natans' it is the same spiece as the 'Vallisneria americana Var. Gigantea' but the leaves are narrower.

I suggest you also to prune them (even thought they are very beautifull) cause your bottom plants thrive by lack of light.Even your Anubias are yellow....

And last i must say that another factor that can turn the plants 'yellow' is the lack of potassium.....

Here is a pic of 'Vallisneria americana Var. Gigantea':


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

Comparison pic of 'Vallisneria americana Var. Gigantea' and 'Vallisneria americana Var. Natans':


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

That's my current Pride and Joy. 72 Gal Bowfront, half rockwall along back right.

I took some of the pictures during "low tide" (weekly cleaning and water change).

Flora:
Vallisneria americana Var. Natans (Not Jungle Val afterall : ( )
Vallisneria Asiatica var. Biwaensis (Corkscrew Val)
Nymphoides Aquatica (Banana Plant)
Microsorium pteropus (Java Fern)
Microsorium pteropus var. Windelov (Windelov's Java Fern)
Hygrophila Polysperma (Dwarf Hygro)
Echinodorus -- unsure of the species Amazon Sword
Cryptocoryne Wendtii (Crypt)
Anubias Barteri var. Nana (Nana)
Anubias Barteri var. Barteri (Barteri)

Fauna:
12 Capeota Tetrazona (Tiger Barb)
1 Cypriniformes Actinopterygii (Red-Tailed Shark)
4 Otocinclus Affinus (Ottos)
4 Corydoras (uncertain of species, possibly reticulated)
12 Algae Eating Shrimp (again uncertain of species, LFS just sells them all as "Algae Eating Shrimp")


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

Judazzz said:


> auto303615 said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah watch those sub-surface fertlizers (I use laterite clay in all my plant tanks). Hungry (fast growing plants) will eat through the stuff. I pour in laterite when first setting up my tank and then I use Tropica Grow Master to keep iron levels high as the laterite is consumed.
> ...


 Jonas i suggest you to change your lighting.I use Hagen's Flora-Glo (warm photocynthetic tube) which has less bright light like the normal tubes and promotes plant growth and gives to fish a great colour!!!









As for liquid fertilizer i suggest you to use Seachem's 'Flourish' and if you want you can buy separate the 'Flourish Iron' and 'Flourish Potassium'.IMO the best liquid fertilizer!









Now as for substrate you can use once every three months Brustmann's 'Terra-Bona' tablets in order to create a nutrient rich substrate!


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

Thanks Husky. learn something every day! Gotta update my flora list now dammitt!!

Anubis are yellow because I had a bad case of Beard Algae, out of desparation tried the bleach method and left them in too long.









I don't prune them much, but I add 110 watts of lighting on weekends to make sure there's plenty for everyone.

Judazz, add some liquid fertilizer and definitly listen to Husky, not only is your light underpowered to begin with, it is probably down to about half it's lumens now due to age. Upgrade time. at least replace the bulb..


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Got it - thanks a lot guys, you rock


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

auto303615 said:


> Anubis are yellow because I had a bad case of Beard Algae, out of desparation tried the bleach method and left them in too long.


 Tell me about!!!!I currently have more than 3 different types of algae







but i have succed in keeping a balance









Did you try the *Oxygen Peroxide* method?

If you want some info about i can write...


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## auto303615 (Jun 30, 2004)

Husky please tell me what you can. I don't want to have to bleach those beauties ever again. I have never run across a method using peroxide...

Fill me in man!


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

auto303615 said:


> Husky please tell me what you can. I don't want to have to bleach those beauties ever again. I have never run across a method using peroxide...
> 
> Fill me in man!


 i will write a short article tomorrow.It is late now in greece....


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