Our initial plant purchase consisted of bunched plants as we did
not realise the benefits to be gained from potted ones. Despite our
lack of knowledge and the low light levels in the tank, most of them
did reasonably well for six to nine months. During the summer of 1996,
we had a plant blight and most of them died or became thin and
straggly. We removed most of them and replaced them with potted
plants. At the same time, we added an extra light bulb and changed
fertiliser.
The following table shows the plants that we have or have had in
the tank along with comments. Plants marked "gone" (and
described in dark green for those with modern electric browsers) are
no longer in the tank. Some of the plant names are linked to the appropriate page on Tropica's web site. :-
| Plant
| Comments
|
Amazon Swords
(Echinodorus Amazonus) |
Our original plant purchase in August 1996 included three Amazon
Swords, which are our only remaining original plants. Three more were
added in November 1997 and another three in December 1997. I suspect
that these last three are not actually Amazon Swords, but some other
variety of Echinodorus as the leaves more closely resemble our
E. schlueteri. |
Baby Tears
(Micranthimum
micranthemoides) |
This group of bunched plants was bought on a whim as they were
cheap and very pretty. They are growing very well and can be seen on
the picture below. |
Cabomba
(gone) |
A beautiful and delicate plant with fine
feathery filament-like leaves that spread out form the central
stem. It requires very high light levels and does not like a
current. As out tank had low to medium light levels and a current,
this only lasted a few months before dropping all of its leaves. It
was cleared out after the plant blight of summer 1996. |
| Cryptcoryne
beckettii |
This low growing plant was added in the summer of 1996. It has
been badly hit by algae, but is slowly recovering, following the
introduction of four Flying Foxes which are clearing the algae. It has
delicate purple leaves and grows in small clumps. |
| Corkscrew Tapegrass |
This tall bunched plant was added in November 1997 to hide the
filter. It grows fairly easily and is happy in a current (ie near a
filter). |
| Echinodorus schlueteri |
This was added in the summer of 1997. The main plant has not grown
too much since we bought it, but it has sent out a runner which has
produced a very leafy daughter plant. This daughter plant is only
about three or four inches high, but has a dense array of healthy
leaves. |
Giant Nomophilia
(gone) |
This plant consists of large dark green
leaves that rise up form a single stem. We had a reasonable selection
of these which unfortunately died during the plant blight of summer
1996. |
| Hygrophila
"Siamensis" |
This plant was added in the summer of 1997. It is our least
successful (but still surviving) plant. New leaves grow fairly
regularly, but the older ones drop off with the same regularity. It
has been badly affected by algae and I am hoping that if we can remove
the algae, this plant will recover. |
Java Fern
(Microsorum
pteropus) |
Added in December 1997, this plant is still in its pot awaiting a
suitable piece of rock on which to grow. Java Fern is an easy plant to
grow, not needing much light. |
Java Moss
(Vesicularia
dubyana) |
Probably the easiest aquatic plant to grow. We originally bought a
small bunch around January 1996 which subsequently grew madly. Every
now and then we remove a large clump and feed it to our neighbours'
goldfish. |
| Nesaea |
This plant was bought cheap in a sale on the basis of "it
looked nice". Although we normally research our plants and
fish before buying, this was cheap enough to justify a gamble. Despite
being described as a difficult plant, ours is growing very well,
requiring pruning every week or two. The top half of each stem is
bright pink, with the lower half being green (due to the lower level
of light nearer the bottom of the tank). |
Twisted Vasillis
(gone) |
Included in our intial purchase of plants in
August 1996 were several bunches of these grass-like plants. They grew
very well for about nine months, sending out runner after runner until
the tank was full with them. Many were donated to a neighbour or to
our dentist. In the summer of 1996, we had a plant blight and most of
these died. We replaced most of the plants in the tank with potted
ones. |
Water Wisteria
(gone) |
part of our original plant selection,
Wisteria is a beautiful delicate plant that enhances a
tank. Unfortunately it is also very difficult to keep healthy. We have
had several atempts to grow this plant, but with no long-term
success. It only seems to be avialble as bunches, never in pots and it
only seems to last for a couple of months before losing all of its
leaves. |
