# change in plant shape



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

My vals always used to grow up straight. I have started to use Seachem ferts and now the vals are shorter and are separating in the centers so they look splayed out and squat.
Anyone care to hazard a guess if this is actually caused by the ferts?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Probably. Plants usually grow differently in response to available light & nutrients. Finally having enough food, they might not be in such a mad dash to reach the light so much anymore.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

so I look in my tank this week and the vals are all dying off. I had this problem with Seachem exel but I thought that plain seachem flourish was supposed to be ok with vals.
Does any one know about this?
The java fern on the other hand is doing better than with the Tetra ferts.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

vals are still struggling! I have pretty much changed out all the water in the tank so I am hoping they will send up some new shoots sometimes soon. I don't want to buy plants when I used to have to give them away because I had so many!
I also noticed that the algae has died off in the tank too. Kind of an unexpected bonus I guess but I would rather have my vals!


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

What's your wattage?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

what else is in there? vals are slow growing and thus good for low-light. But in high light with lots of ferts, other plants will out-compete them. 

Did anything else change? How about temp. I am getting different pest algae now my tanks are cooler.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

well I have new bulbs but the same wattage(36) that I have had since starting the tank about 6-7 years ago. Position of the tank hasn't changed although the sunlight now hits the tank. ususally at this time and throughout the winter i have had to thin vals every 2 weeks. The only thing that is really any differnt is the fertilizer.
I had been using Tetra until I switched to the seachem Flourish.


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