Re:Emergent growth

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> Tom, I like the idea of growing some anubias emergent, specially if it will
> grow better.

_If_? I promise the plants will grow much better. This is how they grow
Anubias commercially without algae. But critters can be a problem(Aphids
etc)

> What would you use as a soil or substrate while growing the
> anubias emergent?

Good old dirt, peat, sand does the job. You can also use Turface or flourite
also. Then set the pots in some water up to the crown of a tad below that.


 Same gravel, water and fertilizer tabs used in the
> aquarium?

Sure. You can make it richer etc without any trouble.
And I would considering there's no leaf/foliar uptake except for CO2.

> Also do you have to keep the leaves moist or anything like that?

Yes, a terrarium.

> I had read that anubias grows along water streams and not under water
> naturally, any other plants you can think of that would grow better
> emergent? (perhaps java fern?)

Well perhaps most of the year Anubias are above the water. But during
periods of heavy rains they are likely submerged for perhaps months at a
time and encounter fast flow rates.
Many plants grow better emergent.
Only a few don't/true aquatics. Cabomba, Egeria, hornwort, Vals, Potamogeton
etc but even these can live in seeps. But these grow like mad and are easy
to grow this way.
But Crypts, and most rarer plants do super.

You can follow the advice from the Crypt's list.
http://users.bart.nl/~crypts/

and the Lag's:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/lagenandra/index.htm

some of my favorite plants.

Regards, 
Tom Barr

> 
> Regards
> Giancarlo Podio