Plants for axies?

[toffeebonbon]

hi!
im just wondering what pants would be best in a tank with axies???

 

[gr33neyes]

It depends whether you have lighting in your tank. I used real plants when i first starting keeping axolotls, but because I didn't have a light on the tank they slowly died, which created a lot more mess to clean up. Axolotls will also uproot some plants while snuffling about for food and just shift them out of the way whilst swimming. I now have a mixture of plastic and silk plants which are anchored down with rocks. Occasionally they still get moved around by the axies but its much easier to plant them back and the waste is reduced. I do however have some fairy moss floating on the surface of the water which helps to filter the light out a bit, so they aren't affected by the glare.
If you are going to use real plants, look for cold water ones.
I'm assuming you meant plants and not pants...lol look above at your post.

 

[peterj]

In my axie tank I curently have val, java moss, java fern, duckweed, and water sprite. The tank has no lighting but is is a reasonably bright part of the room. None of these plants are demanding and the planted tank seems to suit the axies well - the val is their preferred spot for egg laying.

 

[Bellabelloo]

oops...Sorry I had the over whelming urge to correct your spelling of plants..so did!



p.s missed the pants! only did the palnt in title.

 

[John]

Another vote for java moss - it's indestructible and very forgiving.

 

[MRIGUY]

I'll vote for anything your axie will allow to remain rooted

 

[John]

Well, java moss doesn't root. It sort of attaches itself to rocks if you do it right but it can still be yanked off. And getting it to attach itself takes a long time.

 

[MRIGUY]

I have a spare tank that I keep with a strip light and a bunch of java moss. I keep one or two pieces of wood in there so the Java attaches and matures. When I do a new viv I have the wood pre-planted. Sooner of later I will run out of room but till then.....

 

[oceanblue]

I'm a great fan of watercress, bought originally from the supermarket as salad cuttings and allowed to grow as a semi-floating tank clogging mass through which the axolotls hunt snails etc. I have to keep cutting it away from the light and no longer buy any! Its not everyone's style though!

 

[DantezGirl]

what is a good natural plant food in a planted axie tank?

 

[Daniel]

I am a big fan of java fern, java moss, Egeria densa (don't know the english name - over here it's called "water pest") and Ceratophyllum. Egeria and Ceratophyllum are fast growing and consuming a lot of "wastes". Java fern and -moss are slowly growing but very lasting and without need of much light.

The best natural plant food would be your axolotls excretions, now and then I add some dried clay - balls or -cones to plants roots as a source for minerals and trace elements. I made some of these myself, it's quite easy.

 

[ben_tajer]

I'm a great fan of watercress, bought originally from the supermarket as salad cuttings and allowed to grow as a semi-floating tank clogging mass through which the axolotls hunt snails etc. I have to keep cutting it away from the light and no longer buy any! Its not everyone's style though!

Wait, are you saying that all you have to do is buy watercress from the supermarket, and throw it in the water?

 

[peterj]

Watercress will grow from cuttings, it's very easy if you can get some root. It does need reasonably good light though, and might end up roting if it doesn't get enough.

 

[Lasher]

Watercress will grow from cuttings, it's very easy if you can get some root. It does need reasonably good light though, and might end up roting if it doesn't get enough.

I dont think its that straight forward. Thats going to depend very much on the age of the plant, if its cut from a new growth tip or old vegetative material, how long ago it was cut, water quality and temperature.

Just tossing it into an aquarium its likely to rot and make a mess, you would probably have more success rooting it before introducing it to a tank. I'd imagine you could do so with standard hydroponic techniques.

 

[oceanblue]

Generally watercress really is chuck it in easy. There are usually roots on it even near the tip. It does best in hard alkaline water, just like axolotls. Two fluorescents are better than one. If you live somewhere temperate plants for outdoor pools and marginal plants often do better than traditional "Tropical" aquarium plants. Don't ignore the native plants of your area (In my case watercress!) Plants are often temperamental, you may need to try several before you find ones that like your conditions. If they go rotten or become smothered in algae cut them out and try again with something else.