My L. cuba does quite well by anyone's standard's judges etc.
Some folks do not like stronger reds, most do, some want precise colors and leaf forms, but that is much more a rate of growth issue.
At faster rates, the plants have less time to assimilate the nutrients and structure
Differentiating between isolating growth rate(reduction) and providing non limiting conditions for a given CO2 and light intensity is not easy nor implies that adding NO3/PO4/K etc is the cause, it likely is secondary in their effects on plant form.
U grammifolia is fairly robust and weedy however.
Seems to require fair aggressive pruning after an initial grow in phase.
The same is true for many species, once established under a stable set of conditions,m they can grow quite rapidly. Stem plants respond quickly compared to Crypts and foreground plants tend to take a few weeks to get started and then need attention.
However, if you "top" stem plants, they get established in a similar manner and have fast growth rates as well, Myriophyllum species for example do this and can be quite aggressive.
Glosstigma is extremely aggressive and HC is as well. Many in the USA suggest that aquarists use high light for these! Ack!
No!
Use lower light, that slows their growth rate way way down and makes things more mangable!
Using less light(limiting growth) rather than less nutrients makes more sense. Thats' where growth starts and what drives CO2 and nutrient uptake.
That is basic plant science.
All the comments about it cannot avoid addressing that.
Plants do not grow on nutrients alone.
Reducing and adjusting light is far more stable, easier, cost less, requires little if any testing, reproducible etc, cost less, uses less electricity, gives nicer colors/no washed out colors from high light.
Many advantages to less light.
It also allows aquarists to use less fertilizer if they so chose as well and have a larger workable range for CO2 and for NPK, Fe etc.
For Uticularia, the entire genus is very fast growing, I find them in Florida, up in alpine regions in CA, in my tank (U gibba):evil: and nicer species such as this one.
Regards,
Tom Barr
