[AquaticLife] Plant questions
As I mentioned, you can simply lower the water level a bit to provide the room needed, which has a side benefit of making it a bit harder for your escape artists to get out of the tank. My first experience with plants blooming happened when I was but a young teenager. I was maintaining a 20 gallon tank that had been specially designed and built by my father to fit in a specific location in a house my parents had owned at the time. I am trying to remember if it was only 6″ or, maybe, 8″ wide, which meant it was taller than the normal twenty. (I had found it in the attic, pulled it down and repaired it (pre-silicone days) and set it up. It is once again living somewhere in the attic of my parents’ home in MA.) It was some anacharis (elodea) that bloomed there. I had already seen anacharis bloom in the pond when we were living in NJ, so this did not strike me as being so special, However, it does seem to be since it happens so rarely in aquaria. I wish I had some pictures of it and other plants I have had bloom in aquaria. It is much easier to get aquatic plants to bloom in a pond.
\Steve//
> —–Original Message—– > From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of > Debra Penna-Fredericks > Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 2:22 AM > To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com > Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Plant questions > > This is great information, Steve. Thanks. My plants are huge and green. They get plenty of > light and nutrients. I guess I need to get fish/frogs/snails that are not interested in climbing > out of my aquariums if I want flowers on my current plants. > > Deb P. > > — On Sat, 1/10/09, Steve Szabo wrote: > From: Steve Szabo > Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 10:43 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > Deb P., > > > > Actually most plants found in aquaria will flower, if you treat them right. I have had, among > others, anacharis (elodea), valisneria, sagittarius, amazon swords bloom. The flowers are > pretty small, and surprised me each time. The flowers will appear above the water, so you > need to provide some room for them to do their thing, either by lowering the water level or > raising the covering on the tank. > > > > \Steve// > > > > > —–Original Message—– > > > From: AquaticLife@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:AquaticLife@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf > Of > > > Debra Penna-Fredericks > > > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:48 PM > > > To: AquaticLife@ yahoogroups. com > > > Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Plant questions > > > > > > Thank you, Lenny. I will check the sites you suggested soon. I look forward to trying a > > > flowering plant if I can find one. It’s just a quirk, I think. Once I couldn’t find one, I really > > > wanted one. > > > > > > I think one of the articles linked on your website did mention something about what to use > on > > > more sensitive plants. I just was not sure whether Java Moss, specifically, fit into the > > > sensitive category. > > > > > > Since I am about to do some tank swapping (moving 10g contents to 29g and 29g contents to > > > 55g), I’ll be cleaning some of my plants (due to frog death of unknown nature in 10g) and > > > buying some plants that will need to be cleaned. I will try to remember to split my old plants > > > to try the new method on some plants and one of the older methods on some plants for a > > > comparison. > > > > > > I do have a couple of questions about the new method. I assume we should dunk the plants > > > completely in the HP for 2 or 3 minutes, then the vinegar rather than spray them since > > > spraying might miss parts. And I assume the vinegar is not diluted. My questions are 1. How > > > long do I rinse with vinegar (just a quick dip)?, and 2. whether I need to rinse the plants > with > > > water once I am finished? I am thinking about putting vinegar coated plants in my tank and > > > thinking rinsing well with water would be a good idea. > > > > > > It’s going to be a few weeks before I can do this but I’ll let you know what happens when I > > > do. > > > > > > Deb P. > > > > > > — On Sat, 1/10/09, Lenny V. aka GoldLenny wrote: > > > From: Lenny V. aka GoldLenny > > > Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 5:25 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.aquartic les.com/articles /plants/FrancoVa lias_aquatic_ flowers.html > > > > > > goes over some of the flowering plants, with pictures at the bottom, but > > > > > > they usually flower in the air above the water line although some will > > > > > > flower under water. It doesn’t usually happen unless conditions are just > > > > > > right. > > > > > > > > > > > > http://faq.thekrib. com/plant- list.html - scroll down to the “Rosette” plants > > > > > > section… about 1/2 way down the page. You’ll also see the ferns/mosses at > > > > > > the bottom. > > > > > > > > > > > > I think many people use shorter 5% bleach dip periods for Java Moss and some > > > > > > other plants known to be more sensitive. The articles/links in my blog, on > > > > > > sanitizing plants, should go over this. I haven’t read them in a while so > > > > > > if they don’t, I need to add more info to that blog. Let me know. 
> > > > > > > > > > > > I was recently reading a forum thread on how to clean fruits, veggies, > > > > > > lettuce, etc. for human consumption and the concept of using two spray > > > > > > bottles.. one with full consumer strength hydrogen peroxide (usually a 3% > > > > > > solution) and one with vinegar (plain white).. and then spritzing the > > > > > > plants/veggies with these two. Spray one, let it sit a moment, rinse, then > > > > > > spray with the other, let it sit a moment and rinse. Do not mix the two at > > > > > > the same time. Supposedly, university experiments are being done that show > > > > > > this process works better than bleach at killing pathogens such as e. coli, > > > > > > salmonella, etc., without the chance of a chlorine aftertaste in your > > > > > > food… which could also cause you digestive issues. I haven’t done any > > > > > > Google Scholar searches for more details but the concept certainly seems > > > > > > viable to me. I think someone who is about to set up a new planted tank > > > > > > should experiment with this to see how well this might work on aquatic > > > > > > plants (hint, hint)… at least it should work for killing any possible bad > > > > > > bacteria and the HP would probably work on most, if not all, algae spores on > > > > > > the plants. HP is already used in aquaria and I’ve spot treated a > > > > > > filamentous algae using a syringe with HP in a stocked aquarium. Of course, > > > > > > this HP/Vinegar treatment was being used on plants/veggies that were about > > > > > > to be cooked or eaten fresh… not to be sanitized prior to planting in an > > > > > > aquarium so the treatment may not be suitable for aquarium plants if the > > > > > > mortality rate is higher than the procedures we currently use… but I > > > > > > thought it was an interesting twist on milder sanitizing/disinfec ting agents > > > > > > that could be used on plants going into our aquariums. Alum treatment would > > > > > > still be needed for ridding the plant of the potential for snails/eggs. > > > > > > > > > > > > The next time I set up a tank with newly acquired plants.. or if I ever feel > > > > > > the need to sanitize any of my current plants, I’ll give it a try but I > > > > > > don’t anticipate doing this any time soon. > > > > > > > > > > > > Lenny Vasbinder > > > > > > Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny. blogspot. com > > > > > > (Links to any articles referenced in above reply are listed on the right > > > > > > side, alphabetically under Labels and also under Archives by Year, Month) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > —–Original Message—– > > > > > > From: AquaticLife@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:AquaticLife @ yahoogroups. com] On > > > > > > Behalf Of Debra Penna-Fredericks > > > > > > Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 11:14 PM > > > > > > To: AquaticLife@ yahoogroups. com > > > > > > Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] No experience with LIVE aquarium plants- Now > > > > > > Plant questions > > > > > > > > > > > > Excuse me for jumping in on this conversation. I have a question about Java > > > > > > Moss. I have never worked with it but always thought it was pretty cool. I > > > > > > wondered if it would hold up to being dipped in any of the various > > > > > > disinfectants linked off of your website, Lenny, before being placed in the > > > > > > tank? Also, do I remember hearing that it can be completely dried out and > > > > > > still put into water and then it will start growing again? > > > > > > > > > > > > I have a second plant question. I wondered if anyone knew of a good > > > > > > flowering plant for a freshwater aquarium and a good source from which to > > > > > > but it? I would like to find something with small (tiny?) flowers that grow > > > > > > on an underwater plant. I am thinking of something that grows in bunches > > > > > > rather than a lily type. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thank you all for the help you give to everyone on this site. > > > > > > Deb P. (still new to the site) > > > > > > > > > >
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
