plants on driftwood

[aspen]

i want to try this, and i am wondering if there are any particularly easy species that this will work with. anyone have some pics that show the way the root structure looks like on the wood? i want to use these in a tank with ~1 wpg, with a bare bottom.

tia, rick

 

[xtr-xtr]

can you send me a pic? i'm not sure of that you want?
I have some roots in my tank and i make a background for my tank. maybe can i help you...?

 

[xtr-xtr]

ok, i think i understand what you want. the easy species are anubias and some kind of Microsorum like M. pteropus

here, you can see my anubias and here anubias nana and versicularia dubyana ( it's not a good photo)

 

[cootwarm]

Hi xtr-xtr,

I have the Java Moss and Java Ferns. How does the Anubias take root? Does it have roots that cling to the wood like a vine? Or do you have to tuck it into a split in the wood?

My Java Moss, I attach it to the wood by tying it down in places for a few weeks. I use rubber bands where I can, then plastic tie wraps, or use a rock to hold it in place for a few weeks. Sometimes I use many, little pieces wedged into little cracks in the wood, it doesn't take long to begin spreading and clinging to the wood.

I've only recently started the Java Fern. One I wedged the roots in a split in the wood, the other I was able to hook the root stock under a branch, it appears to be taking root OK but it's hard to tell. The one I wedged in the crack looks natural, like it's rooted to the wood.

I'll have to track down some Anubias. I also like to see that it's tolerent of low pH.

Michael

 

[xtr-xtr]

well, it depents of the wood. Some times i tie with a fine wire of nilon and others y can push inside the wood
you can see an example

 

[tjudy]

The best anubias for rooting onto wood are the many Anubias barterii varieties. Nana obviously, but there is another small variety out there called 'pygmy' that is good as well. My favorite of the larger barterii is caladifolia. Anubias root surprisibgly well and fast to wood. I use a soft balck thread and tie them loosly but securely...several wraps. The thread will soon be unnoticable.

An anubias note.... those really huge, thick, dark green leaves that look absolutley amazing on the plant web sites are most likely emergent grown. Especially the huge potted ones. Avoid them if you can. Rehoboth Aquatics, www.rehobothaquatics.com, sells only submergent grown wild anubias. Toyin often offers his plants on Aquabid. His ID there is Sb. The emergent plants MAY lose their leaves, and the new growth will DEFINITELY be different looking. Anubias leaves last for so long that the plants that are part emergent, part submergent look really odd.

Another great plant for rooting to wood is Bolbitus fern. If you can, buy clumps of hairy rhizomes, not the tall couple of leaves with just a short rhizome. Wrap the rhizome in a crotch or cavity on teh wood, and them place it so that the surrent of a filter hits it directly. Bolbitus grown is a current grow very fast.

One trick for java fern, buy a few plants with BIG leaves, then wrap the leaves flat against the wood. Ne wplantlets will form all along the leaf. This process takes a bit longer to prodice a great look piece, but three or four java ferm leaves will COVER the wood with new growth in a few months.

 

[aspen]

thanks guys, the anubias nana is the one i'm most familiar with, but i am surprised a bit at some of the plants you have mentioned. the trick of simply tying the plant down and having plants come right off the leaves is really neat. i want to just place some wood on the bottom and have plants growing, with crevices for dwarfs and plecos etc under the discus. i definately do NOT want to use a plant like java moss, i find it collects a lot of junk.

>>'Anubias leaves last for so long that the plants that are part emergent, part submergent look really odd.'

ted, i know what you are talking about, and that is NOT the look i want. thanks for pointing that out.

>>'three or four java fern leaves will COVER the wood with new growth in a few months.'

will this take this amount of time in a tank with low light and no co2? or will this take a lot longer? the other option i have is to jam the pieces into a 30 gal with high light and co2, then move them into the 90 gal when they are grown out. maybe i will do that. i don't want the leaves to melt though, i think i can arrange it so the change in water type and light levels is very gradual. might the leaves melt if i do a quick change to lower light and no co2? i want to have no more than say 3 x 32 watt lamps over the 90. i might even just go for 3' lamps, and place the pieces in the middle.

any problems with any of these plants at temps above 82 deg, say up to 86 deg? any plants that will do better at high temps?

rick

 

[mtchye]

Hi all,

some great tips there. Another interesting thing i've found is that these slow grower's growth is greatly accelerated even in low light by CO2 supplementation! Try it and be amazed at a tank chockers full of 'slow growing' plants in a few months ... In particular nana and bolbitis have done well - i took out enough bolbitis out of a 2ft tank to stock all my tanks... I just use a bit of riccia at the top of the tank as an indicator of nutrient levels, if the riccia is growing well, no need to dose, if it shows deficiencies, i can correct them before the affect the slower growing plants. Make sure you don't have too much ricca as it will compete too well for the CO2 and nutrients - you want a small clump that is growing nice thick bright green bits....

Another interesting plant I have is a sinking form of riccia, that is dark green and transparent like bolbitis, it is a great plant that does well submerged or emerged and is a slow grower that doesn't need as much light submerged as the normal riccia. Heres a link to a pic, another nice plant to consider if you don't have too much light..

http://members.iinet.net.au/~chye/sinking riccia.jpg