Elodea Growth in 3 months, WOW!

[ryan]

Here is my tank now,

look how much elodea there is! I haven't bought any more from when I first got it, here is the thread where I first posted a picture of my tank http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/7618/75820.html?1170290336, Its grown a lot hasn't it. I even had to through some away!

 

[dawn]

Nice, Ryan! As soon as I buy mine, it begins a slow death ending in rotten leaves that have to be cleaned out of the tank. I never saw any actually grow!

 

[kaysie]

Dawn, mine met the same fate. I can't grow live plants in my tanks. Except Java moss. but that doesn't seem to do anything. No growth, no death.

 

[dane]

awesome, I wish mine did that,it kinda died off instead

oh well

 

[ryan]

I wonder why everyone's died? They need a lot of light and cold temps, did you guys offer your elodea those things that could have been the problem.

 

[dawn]

I think my pets are just too rough on it. Also the snails eat it, and no matter how hard I try I always have some snails.

 

[rodrigo]

Mine grows really really fast. They don´t need a lot of light Ryan, just a proper one.

 

[ryan]

How long do you leave your light on Rodrigo? I have mine on for 12 hours.

 

[richard]

Mine is on from 7 in the morning until 11 at night and I have very hard water. Maybe the iron in my water is what makes my plants grow like crazy. I had 5 strands of elodea at christmas and now I cant even see through the tank and its a 10 gallon. I am pretty sure the more minerals in your water you have, then you will experience more growth. I have tons of snails too, but they cycle in a predator/prey relationship like deer and wolves.

 

[kara]

I had this in my fishtank, and my apple snail sucked it up like spaghetti...it was a little bit creepy.

 

[eldaldo]

yeah, I got mine out of a pond and most of it immediately died off but for a few "stalks." Surprisingly it is just now starting to grow like that. I think the roots had to get established first because since I just tore out a clump there were originally no roots. I give it about 8 hours of light every other day or so, just ambient light otherwise. Pretty much the amount of light Pittsburgh gets normally haha.

 

[fishkeeper]

I have this stuff growing in a pond. This spring my Dad and I pulled out to 5 gallon buckets worth of it just to have the pond somewhat open(made nice compost). I've only had success with it in a tank(as in, growing fast and lush) with a lot of light, trimming(to keep the bottoms from getting scraggly you pull them up, cut out and toss the lower half and replant the upper half or so) and fertilizer(whether it be from the critters or purchased).

 

[chris_dishmon]

i find it grows the best under a "cool" or blue shade bulb.

 

[invertkurt]

Some of it is cold water and some is warm water. The warm water species (most often sold in pet shops) do best in aquariums, even cool water ones. My elodea grows like mad and I have to thin it out at least monthly in my aquariums.

 

[i_love_necturus]

I should probably post a more updated picture. The elodea is all in knots on one side of the tank and blocks out most of the light so my mudpuppy "hangs" back there in full view a lot. Thats pretty cool cuz she is usually very secretive. Maybe soon the whole tank will be like that and she'll always be out. I'll try to post a new pic soon...

 

[i_love_necturus]

Alright here is 2 updated pics, one of the whole tank and the other of the "dark side" of the tank. Notice Bart laying under the darker portion.