Never been one for remembering plant names but, historically, every floating plant I've tried (all 2 or 3 of them) has gone mental and completely taken over the water surface.. are there any that don't?
Non problem floating plants?
- Thread starter IanB
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riccia is easy to keep under control and didn't have a problem with salvinia natans but the one I recently found out was called duckweed is a nightmare to control.
I've become a huge fan of tiger lotus bulbs. The leaves grow tall and large and cover the surface of the tank really nice without taking over like duckweed. When I think the leaves are covering the surface too much, I simply cut the stem off down near the substrate. IMO, it's the best option I've found so far.
Liking the larger leaves of the the Tiger Lotus.. I think bigger stuff is where I'll be looking..
Only downer on that is that the tank will be covered and the water will be about 2" from the cover glasses.. looks like the Lotus, if allowed to float, prefers uncovered..
Only downer on that is that the tank will be covered and the water will be about 2" from the cover glasses.. looks like the Lotus, if allowed to float, prefers uncovered..
My tank is covered. I get so many leaves that I have to cut some of them off at the stem to thin them out. I've seen them flower too but I've never been that lucky.
Hi all,
High light + nutrients + CO2 = lots of plant growth.
Because you are from Suffolk, I would expect that your tap water may well be high in nitrates (NO3) and potassium (K) from arable agriculture, add in the orthophosphates (PO4) the water companies add to control heavy metal levels, and you have a perfect growth scenario.
You can use this quick growth rate to your advantage, when you remove the floating plants you export those nutrients. If you grow "Amazon Frogbit", you have something that you can possibly exchange with a LFS for credit, or sell it via Ebay to other fish keepers.
I actually use the growth and colour of the floaters as a measure of the nutrient status of the tanks, details here: <http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8254&page=4>.
cheers Darrel
This is a nutrient effect, it is telling you that your tank water is high in the macro-nutrients (N, P & K) that fuel plant growth. Because the leaves of the plants are floating they have access to atmospheric CO2, and because they are right up by the light they have a lot of PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) reaching them.
High light + nutrients + CO2 = lots of plant growth.
Because you are from Suffolk, I would expect that your tap water may well be high in nitrates (NO3) and potassium (K) from arable agriculture, add in the orthophosphates (PO4) the water companies add to control heavy metal levels, and you have a perfect growth scenario.
You can use this quick growth rate to your advantage, when you remove the floating plants you export those nutrients. If you grow "Amazon Frogbit", you have something that you can possibly exchange with a LFS for credit, or sell it via Ebay to other fish keepers.
I actually use the growth and colour of the floaters as a measure of the nutrient status of the tanks, details here: <http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8254&page=4>.
cheers Darrel
Is it right that floating plants can make use of CO2 more because they float on the surface. I read the closer the plants are to the surface the more they can access CO2. They are closer to the light too I guess that makes a big difference.
Hi all,
CO2 is quite a soluble gas, but there will be a gradient of CO2 values away from the gas exchange surface when the plants are photosynthesising and using CO2. The further from the surface the less CO2.
At night with higher CO2 levels you will get a gradient the other way, with CO2 levels lowest nearest the water surface. This is partially why oxygen deprived fish hang around the surface, O2 is higher and CO2 lower due to diffusion at the waters surface.
cheers Darrel
Yes, as soon as any green part of the plant is above the surface it has access to atmospheric CO2 (at about 350 ppm CO2) compared to the ambient 2 to 5ppm in the water.
CO2 is quite a soluble gas, but there will be a gradient of CO2 values away from the gas exchange surface when the plants are photosynthesising and using CO2. The further from the surface the less CO2.
At night with higher CO2 levels you will get a gradient the other way, with CO2 levels lowest nearest the water surface. This is partially why oxygen deprived fish hang around the surface, O2 is higher and CO2 lower due to diffusion at the waters surface.
cheers Darrel