# Jungle Val - What should I expect?



## Firstaqua

I put this question in another thread I had running but thought it wise to start a new thread in an appropriate section.

I orderd Jungle Val online. 2nd day air. Temp outside was low 60's on the delivery days. I got the package right from UPS and immed put them in some tank water that I had removed from the tank the val was going to go into. The overall condition of the plants was as follows: about 12" long/top 3" was brownish and "falling apart". Top half or so was looking generally weak in color but had "stripes" of good green color. Roots varied from stubs to about an inch long.

Later that eve I put the val into the tank with a dose of fert. It has been in the tank for 5 days including today and they still look the same. Not coming apart in the tank but not improving either. (I don't expect overnight improvement)

What should I expect with these plants? 
How long until I see an improvement? 
What can I do to help as much as possible?

Thank You!!


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## mk4gti

ive never had success with vals in my 90 gallon. Its a high tech tank with injected co2 and t5ho lights. THey all just seem to melt away and all my other plants thrive.


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## Firstaqua

really? I am using them since I started a thread asking what a good beginners plant was for me to use. A few responses said jungle val. (majority)

I hope it was a good choice... i spent a lot of $

My lighting is as follows:
I have 2 T5 HO bulbs. 1 full spec and 1 grow
I run the grow 8hrs and the full spec 9 These are total "ON hours. (each bulb is on twice a day with a 3 hour off period in late morning)


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## beaslbob

are you getting any new leaves?


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## Firstaqua

beaslbob said:


> are you getting any new leaves?


Not 100% certain since I have so many in there but I don't think so. Almost sure that I'm not.
I shouldn't really expect to yet though right? (only 5 days)


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## beaslbob

Firstaqua said:


> Not 100% certain since I have so many in there but I don't think so. Almost sure that I'm not.
> I shouldn't really expect to yet though right? (only 5 days)


IMHO you should notice some but perhaps next week new leaves will become more noticable.

my .02


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## Firstaqua

beaslbob said:


> IMHO you should notice some but perhaps next week new leaves will become more noticable.
> 
> my .02


Okay. You have me curious now. I will have to go home and carefully inspect! I was just assuming since they looked so rough that they would need some time.
Would be great to see new growth!

BTY..what about fert.. okay to use once a week? more/less? no need?
any advise would be appreciated.
thanks.


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## beaslbob

Firstaqua said:


> Okay. You have me curious now. I will have to go home and carefully inspect! I was just assuming since they looked so rough that they would need some time.
> Would be great to see new growth!
> 
> BTY..what about fert.. okay to use once a week? more/less? no need?
> any advise would be appreciated.
> thanks.


I sometimes provide a little iron by dissolving a ferris gluconate pill in a 12-20oz soda bottle then adding a capful each week or so.

But usually all I do is just let the fish provide the fertz for the plants.

my .02


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## Firstaqua

Thanks!


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## Summer

I have a jungle val it started out as maybe 6-8 inches and quickly grew to the top of my 75, the leaves up by the light do sort of look crappy but the rest looks good. It has also had about 8 babies since I've had it.


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## Firstaqua

Summer said:


> I have a jungle val it started out as maybe 6-8 inches and quickly grew to the top of my 75, the leaves up by the light do sort of look crappy but the rest looks good. It has also had about 8 babies since I've had it.


Wow that is great! How long did it take to grow to the top of your 75?
How long have you had it?


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## Kehy

I've got a tiger val I added last week in my high light + every other day ferts vase. Haven't noticed a huge amount of growth from the main plant, but it had a runner with a .25" plantlet...The plantlet is now probably 1"+ in just a week.


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## ohiobr

Grows like a weed for me and i don't do anything special. It probably just needs time to adjust. I think mine looked like crap for a week or two after i first put them in. A little less than a year later and they've quadrupled in number with nothing but 8 hours of light/day and cory poop.


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## snail

I have found half dead vals bounce back well. But they grow like a weed for me too. My water is hard with a high pH, people with soft water might have more problems. They seem to do their best in a sand or dirt substrate but they will work in gravel too. They love to be fed from the roots so a nutrient rich substrate or root tabs are ideal. They don't seem to need high levels of CO2 to thrive which makes them good for low tech tanks with enough light.


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## Firstaqua

Thanks for all the comments. It seems like they will be fine based on your experiences.
I gave mine a "haircut" just taking off most of the ugly thin brown parts and did a close inspection. Overall they def look better than they did when I put them in and I see a few of what appears to be little "seed" looking things at the very bottoms of some of them. Maybe new growth coming out?
Thanks.


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## NeonShark666

Val is a very tough plant and only needs good light and some gravel to root in. I have raised it for years and never fertilized it. It seems to thrive in both high and low ph water. Very high and low ph water should be avoided. Years ago I grew it at my parents home with high ph ph well water and it trived.


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## snail

Firstaqua said:


> Thanks for all the comments. It seems like they will be fine based on your experiences.
> I gave mine a "haircut" just taking off most of the ugly thin brown parts and did a close inspection. Overall they def look better than they did when I put them in and I see a few of what appears to be little "seed" looking things at the very bottoms of some of them. Maybe new growth coming out?
> Thanks.


Could be new runners forming. Sometimes damaged Vals throw out new runners as a survival thing I think. Either way it sounds good.

I think vals can be a little sensitive to ferts dosed into the water so don't over do the ferts.


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## susankat

Vals are more of a root feeder, put some root tabs next to the plants in the substrate.


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## FishFlow

Lol. I've had terrible experience with Vals. But I know they are easy to grow.

Did your vals arrive folded in half ? 

When I *hair cut* my vals, they didn't do anything. After months, the leafs finally melted 100% away. Left roots in there for couple more months. No new growth, no old growth. Just dead plants. 


You don't want to burry the *nod* in the substrate. Ya almost have to at first, but ideally, you actually wanna see the roots growing into the substrate.


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## Firstaqua

snail said:


> I think vals can be a little sensitive to ferts dosed into the water so don't over do the ferts.


Thanks. Will do.


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## Firstaqua

susankat said:


> Vals are more of a root feeder, put some root tabs next to the plants in the substrate.


Thanks. Will have to look into that. Would like to see how they do with nothing after they stabilize though. we'll see.


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## Firstaqua

FishFlow said:


> Lol. I've had terrible experience with Vals. But I know they are easy to grow.
> 
> Did your vals arrive folded in half ?
> 
> When I *hair cut* my vals, they didn't do anything. After months, the leafs finally melted 100% away. Left roots in there for couple more months. No new growth, no old growth. Just dead plants.
> 
> 
> You don't want to burry the *nod* in the substrate. Ya almost have to at first, but ideally, you actually wanna see the roots growing into the substrate.


Wait a minute. Yours all died and your the one telling me how to grow them??? LOL Just messing with ya. Thanks for the info. No mine were packaged very well. surprising actually. I can only account for the poor condition by thinking that they must have been that way when shipped. Disheartening as that is.
Yeah I should have been more clear... I didn't really cut them. I just very lightly "brushed" them with my fingers to get most of the thin brown parts off. About half came off. If it didn't come off very very easily I left it alone. Hopefully doing that wasn't detrimental in any way. Can't imagine that it would be.


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## snail

Firstaqua said:


> I just very lightly "brushed" them with my fingers to get most of the thin brown parts off. About half came off. If it didn't come off very very easily I left it alone. Hopefully doing that wasn't detrimental in any way. Can't imagine that it would be.


Anything that came off that easy was dead or close enough to dead already so you won't have caused any harm. Even chopping them back shouldn't kill the whole plant it might just slowly melt the leaves that are cut but they will grow new ones if they are happy.


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