Re: Stem Plants

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Stem Plants
From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 20:54:03 -0400

Subject: Stem Plants

David Huie writes:

>      Anyone have any recommendations on good stem plants for 18"
>      tanks.  My h. polysperma gets too wiry when you have to cut
>      often so it doesn't grow out of the water.  The rotala rotu
>      looks fairly good, though.  Any other recommendations?  I n
>      high-light eaters and preferrably something red-brown...but
>      good, too.

There are so many it's hard to know where to start.  If you have 
strong light and supplemental CO2 you have _lots_ of choices.  
Rotala macrandra is a stunning magenta leafed species, while R. 
wallachii is needle leafed, and greener, but with pretty rosy 
tips.  There is a red Cabomba (from S. America, I beleive) that I 
haven't worked with but have seen in a fellow hobbyist's tank, 
Ludwigia is dark wine red on to and brighter below,  Ammania is 
either rusty or red depending on the species.  For green species 
H. difformis (Water Wisteria) is pretty, as are Cabomba and 
Limnophilla.  For me, the hardiest is Ambulia, which sends out 
runners and is very prolific.  Another one I like for its shiny 
round leaves, a little bigger than R. rotundifolia, is Bacopa.  
I'm sure other people can think of other favorites to try.

Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Assoc.
Boston, MA