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Aquatic Plants?

Wildebeestking

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How does everyone here keep their aquatic plants blooming and healthy. Mine always seem to struggle to grow at all. I use a potassium and iron fertilizer, but not much is happening right now. I've seen on Planted Tanks that people diffuse C02 into the water. Can this be done with newts?
 

Jennewt

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Blooming? LOL

Most aquatic plants just aren't compatible with newt tanks. The plant has to be able to tolerate fairly low light and low temperature. I'm not a fan of adding fertilizers, but they're probably harmless. I know of someone who has used CO2 in an amphibian tank, and it's OK as long as you know about the possible affects on pH and are managing that.

The plants commonly known as elodea/anacharis are actually two or more different species - it's possible to get a kind that works in newt tanks, but the other variety needs warmer temps. I have some that does OK, so I assume it's the cold-tolerant kind. I also do OK with java moss, java fern, and naja grass. My approach is to stick with the plants that tolerate the conditions.
 

jasper408

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I've had success with elodea (Egeria densa), hornwort (Ceratophyllum submersum), java fern, java moss, and Anubias nana personally. I don't add fertilizer or CO2, and they have been growing just fine at below 70. I'm pretty amazed they are doing well at all, especially since my tanks are bare bottom and I use a turkey baster and siphon nearly every day.

What plants have you tried that you have met with little success?
 

evut

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There is also the low-tech Walstad method which results in lush tanks. The soil can be topped with sand which is newt friendly. I have three tanks running like that and really recommend it. Not everything I've tried grows (temperature and water hardness are obviously still issues for many plants) but I currently have at least 10 species which grow with great vigour.
 

otolith

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Like others in this thread I have had excellent luck with java moss, Anubias, Cardamine lyrata and coldwater Egeria species. I've had luck with other plants as well but these are the staples in my tanks and do well with little or no extra work; my main requirements! :)
 

Wildebeestking

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I currently have some Anubias Frazeri, Anacharis, Java Fern, Java Moss, and an Amazon sword. The anubias is beautiful, doesn't have any problems, but the java fern has browned and looks like its going to die off. Its smaller probably two or three inches long. I might be better off just buying a mat from my LFS for $20 sooner or later. The anacharis does well, its just a pain to try and root. My amazon sword is always a yellowish green. It hasn't died, but it never really looks very attractive. I recently started dosing my tank with Flourish- Iron.
 

sallie2010

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I have rotten luck with plants. The only thing I can grow is those bamboo sticks and Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). So I have given up on most plants and went to plastic and silk plants to give the tank some color.
 

Martin21114

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I have rotten luck with plants. The only thing I can grow is those bamboo sticks and Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). So I have given up on most plants and went to plastic and silk plants to give the tank some color.

Do you grow your pothos totally underwater?
 
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Niels D

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Don't forget Hydrocotyle. They're doing well here. Floating plants like duckweed, frogbit and pistia are also an option. Duckweed can form an infestation in your tank though.
 

hitower1575

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I have tried many of the plants, I have much success with many that Jasper408 mentioned. Although I must say I learned when dealing with big bruisers such as Spanish Ribbed Newts; it is best to stay with Anubis, Swordtail, and Mondo Grass. Petco usually has some pretty smoking plants in their little grab bin of aquatic plants. 5 bucks for and Anubis is not to shabby.
 

asfouts

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Like Niels D said I have had success with hydrocotyle in my goldfish tank (and my goldfish graze on that plant like no tomorrow, its a wonder its still alive)... When I had newts I bought an Anubias hastafilia from petco and it grew really well emersed and went on to crown into 5 daughter plants fully submersed. The only plants I could add to the list of plants already given are a dwarf lily and water onion. It is a slower grower in cold conditions, but still very hardy bulb plant. Also would like to add that the mother Anubias plant stayed alive for 10 years, and I still have the daughters in my tropical tank.
 

sallie2010

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It started on the land side of the tank and it is now in the water side now. When I got back to school it actually grew through the screen.
 

kwarzym

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Don't forget Hydrocotyle. They're doing well here. Floating plants like duckweed, frogbit and pistia are also an option. Duckweed can form an infestation in your tank though.

Haha yeah, duckweed is so easy to grow, and it looks nice, but next thing you know the surface of the water is a solid mat of it. I kind of like it though, just occasionally clear out some of it so light can filter down to the plants below.
 

caleb

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Blooming? LOL
I had some Elodea/Egeria flowers this year, in a bare-bottomed tank on a north-facing windowsill. First time ever.

Haha yeah, duckweed is so easy to grow, and it looks nice, but next thing you know the surface of the water is a solid mat of it.
Ivy-leaved duckweed is worth trying instead- it doesn't form an impenetrable mat, is a bit more decorative (in my opinion), and can be used for egg-laying.
 

Wildebeestking

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Anyone know where I can find hydrocotyle? Surprisingly duckweed hasn't managed to set in on my tank. There's just a few leaves here and there.
 

kwarzym

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Anyone know where I can find hydrocotyle? Surprisingly duckweed hasn't managed to set in on my tank. There's just a few leaves here and there.

Ebay has some
[[link removed]]

I also found some random aquarium forums that had them, any they LOOKED legit, but that is always a bit more sketchy. I don't know what your local stores look like, my local selection is pretty limited here.
 

jane1187

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Hi, need to butt in here quickly.

Apparently Anubias have been banned by our government agency (I believe DEFRA are the ones that have banned it) for the last 12 months because the countries from which they are imported use pesticides which linger on the plants and are transferred to the aquariums at home.

Just be careful about buying anubias! If they have been imported they could be contaminated. I do not know if the import of them from culprit countries has been banned in the US. If they are grown in the US then they should be fine. If you can try to get them from someone else you know who has them in their tank, they're quite easy to propagate, though slow growing in general.
 

Wildebeestking

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Wow. I'll make sure to be careful about buying anubias. I'll definitely check out ebay for some hydrocotyle. My LFS is usually really good for aquatic plants, but winter is always when their stock becomes a bit more skimpy. They aren't very well stocked with any kind of floating plants sadly.
 

Molch

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I'm guessing most Anubias sold in the US are actually grown here as well - or am I wrong?

I use densely planted tanks planted with the Walstad method; I like those best for health of tank, beauty, and ease of maintenance. Check my photo albums for some pics :)

Here some plants that do very well in my tanks at 55-65 F and under low-to medium light:
Sagittaria subulata
Vallisneria spiralis
Anubias barteri nana (always slow-growing, even when happy)
Eleocharis (a grass)
Hydrocotyle
Cardamine lyrata
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Rotala rotundifolia
hornwort
Anacharis (Egeria densa)
java moss
Myriophyllum
Lloydiella/Lysimachia, creeping jenny
Lilaeopsis
heteranthera zosteriofolia

doing so-so:
Nymphaea (dwarf lotus) (dies and comes back, dies and comes back)
java fern (always goes brown after a while)
Bolbitis fern (got only one plant; looks ok but growing very slowly)

tried these, but they die:
amazon swords
Ludwigia
Mayaca fluviatilis
Limnophila
Glossostigma
Bacopa carolinensis
Hygrophila

Note that pH and hardness also play a big role in determining which plants succeed and which don't. My water is relatively hard and alkaline (pH 7.6).
 

jane1187

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Probably Molch, I understand the ban is on importing them from certain countries. It just so happens that 99% of the imports of anubias in the UK come from there, so they're pretty much off the market. As I said I don't know if the US have banned imports from those countries. Hope I didn't unecessarily scare anyone!
 
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