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Native plants for aquarium


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#1 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 23 June 2010 - 09:16 PM

Just wondering if anyone has any plant reccomendations for me?
I have grown native vals, but they usually die off in the late fall.
I grow Bacopa, Willow Moss, Sag. subulata, and Dwarf Sag, Elodea, Hair Grass, Hornwort...
I have tried some others that I have collected, but not much luck.

#2 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 23 June 2010 - 11:11 PM

Everything that I put in my outdoor pond grows. Everything I put in my inside aquarium dies. All collected locally.

#3 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 07:27 PM

Where do you live? If we know that we can make suggestions based on your local flora. I will say that the number of native true submerged, floating, and, floating-leaved plants is much smaller than the number of emergents and marginals. You will greatly expand your options if you are willing to go the paludarium or riparium route. I've had pretty good success with most local plants I've tried except Callitriche heterophylla and the supposedly foolproof American frogbit (Limnobium spongia).

As far as the plants you mentioned go, Sagittaria and Eleocharis are big genera with lots of native representatives. There are also quite a few other natives commonly sold in the hobby, such as banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica), Riccia fluitans, Lobelia cardinalis, Najas guadelupensis, and Echinodorus cordatus.

#4 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 25 June 2010 - 12:26 AM

Where do you live? If we know that we can make suggestions based on your local flora. I will say that the number of native true submerged, floating, and, floating-leaved plants is much smaller than the number of emergents and marginals. You will greatly expand your options if you are willing to go the paludarium or riparium route. I've had pretty good success with most local plants I've tried except Callitriche heterophylla and the supposedly foolproof American frogbit (Limnobium spongia).

As far as the plants you mentioned go, Sagittaria and Eleocharis are big genera with lots of native representatives. There are also quite a few other natives commonly sold in the hobby, such as banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica), Riccia fluitans, Lobelia cardinalis, Najas guadelupensis, and Echinodorus cordatus.

Oh yeah, I live in VT.

#5 Guest_v369_*

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 02:45 PM

I knowthis is an old post but, I am a big fan of any of the native potemegeon sp., najas, and watershield(Brasenia schreberi),
i have had good luck with these in the home aquarium.they are a on the medium to high end for light requirements but usualy pretty tough.

Edited by v369, 04 December 2010 - 02:47 PM.


#6 Guest_Moontanman_*

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Posted 10 December 2010 - 10:20 PM

If emergent plants are a possibility I suggest a tree! Water Tupelo, Bald or Pond Cypress, even Mangroves can be grown in an aquarium (yes mangroves grow in freshwater) if they can grow up to a light source. An aquarium in front of a south facing window is good. Lots of emergent plants are very cool and good for the water quality in the aquarium. Under artificial lights mangroves do best of the trees I've tried.

Edited by Moontanman, 10 December 2010 - 10:21 PM.


#7 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 11 December 2010 - 11:22 AM

If emergent plants are a possibility I suggest a tree! Water Tupelo, Bald or Pond Cypress, even Mangroves can be grown in an aquarium (yes mangroves grow in freshwater) if they can grow up to a light source. An aquarium in front of a south facing window is good. Lots of emergent plants are very cool and good for the water quality in the aquarium. Under artificial lights mangroves do best of the trees I've tried.


Agree with you there Moon... I have a couple of mangroves growing in the tanks in my walkout basement (so have a window that they get light from). One was grown from a pod, the other was bought from a saltwater fish store, and converted to fresh no problem... The store bought one was purchased more than five years ago and is grown to well over three feet tall.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#8 Guest_Ournativeson_*

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Posted 30 December 2010 - 07:17 PM

I never knew mangroves could be converted to freshwater how do you go about doing this?

#9 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 04:13 PM

I never knew mangroves could be converted to freshwater how do you go about doing this?

Absolutely nothing... just put it in the tank... the one I got from the saltwater store didn't grow very well at first... and it lost a few leaves... but it might have done that just from any transplant... the one that was a pod was dormant for along time (collected in December in Florida)... didnt grow until late summer the next year... it was just plucked up out of the brackish water during a kayak trip and given to me by the guide... brought home dry for a couple days and dropped into the aquarium.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin




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