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RE: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #1414
1) For a vivarium half emersed/half submersed I have got several things
growing in my 'filter' that do that well, many of them ordinary house
plants. Of the aquarium plants, the most interesting to me are the java
fern, anubias (which doesn't seem to like it out of the water, probably not
enough humidity), and a few crypts (which mostly act like water lilies- the
leaves reach the surface, but only rarely stand up- maybe again because of
low humidity?). The coolest thing about the crypts is that they flower
fairly regularly in the filter, but not in the tank attached. Of the house
plant stuff, I don't know the scientific names of most of them, but the ones
that are doing really well include wandering jew (mine is supposed to have
deep purple striped leaves, but is more green and pink in the filter),
rabbit's foot and prayer plant, a parlor palm and a big old numb cane
(Dieffenbachia). A few ferns- an Adiantum, and a silver painted thingy seem
to be doing the best. My Spathiphyllum did great for over a year, then
suddenly collapsed on me. Rotted from the base for some reason. Others I
have tried but that get overgrown in the jungle with the rest of the plants
but that seemed to work for short periods of time include Ficus triangularis
(did great but I think needed more light and died), Lysimachia nummularia,
baby tears (Soreilia or something like that), Ismene, Alternanthera, Bacopa,
Hygrophylla, and a number of others. I tend to throw cuttings of anything I
trim into the filter to see how it does.
2) Hmm, can't help much here.
3) Petsmart (depending on the branch) actually often has decent plants if
you get them as soon as they get into the store, and their prices are as
good or better than anyone in town. In particular, look for the bare root
crypts at $1.49 or cheaper. Often a decent deal, and sometimes they mix up
anubias and swords in with them and sell them for the same price. Also try
The Fish Store (the Bellevue store has better plants and more knowledgeable
people about plants in general than the Seattle store, but they share stock
so I am not sure why the plants in the Seattle store always look pathetic by
comparison. If you go into the Seattle store, look down- all the plants are
at your feet in the tanks on the floor.) I prefer Fish Gallery and Pets
(which also owns Blue Sierra in Issaquah. The Issaquah store is worth the
trip, IMHO, otherwise try the one down in Renton.) I live on the eastside,
so I am mostly familiar with the stores over here, but there are probably
other stores in Seattle that do a good job with plants. These are just the
ones I am familiar with and like. For emersed plants, don't bother with the
LFS. You'll get blank looks and a few scraggly marginals that haven't been
given any light and tend to melt on impact with water. Better to go to
Molback's or a similar place that carries houseplants, buy a few you like
and take cuttings. Root the cuttings in the tank. The ones that do well for
you keep, the ones that don't grow on the windowsill and be done with it. I
wouldn't recommend palms unless you have lots of room for them to grow up-
you can't trim them back to be lower once they grow too tall, and the ones
available just get too big for tanks IMHO. Unless you have a much bigger
tank than mine.
Or e-mail me, and we can trade. Your tank sounds really interesting, I'll
bring some plants over if you'll show me what you've got?
Brett Johnson
Green Man Gardens
bnbjohns at home_com
-----Original Message-----
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 03:53:11 -0800
From: Empty <empty at emptiedout_com>
Subject: The Fiasco.
Greetings, all.
Brief delurk-
1) What plants grow well immersed? I am turning a ribbon snake terrarium
into a half-land-quarter-marsh-quarter-water tank, and I want plants that
will grow well in a few inches of water. Will hairgrass work? I plan to use
Anubius for the background, but I need a foreground
2) What plants will survive my fish? I grabbed the crinums because they
are solid and non-leave, and the fishs fins do not seem to catch ahold of
them as they swim through. The java fern and moss are doing really well,
and I have anubius emersed in a 5 gallon 100% humidity spa to get rid of
some BBA. Any other ideas?
3) Anyone here in Seattle know a better place to get plants? I shop at
Petsmart(gotta feed the zoo- the tanks, 5 snakes, 2 geckos, 2 cats, and a
dog... in a 1000 squre foot apartment.)
~Empty