Another Pond Transplant

I need help again! What is it? It has a pretty blue flower on it.

Not sure, but it looks similar to Waterleaf (Hydrolea sp). I will attach several aquatic vegetation links the first is the one that I used to find waterleaf.

http://msucares.com/.../waterleaf.html
http://msucares.com/...s/identify.html
http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/
http://plants.usda.gov/

My guess is Blue Waterhyssop - Bacopa Caroliniana.
http://plants.usda.g...ile?symbol=BACA

My guess is Blue Waterhyssop - Bacopa Caroliniana.
http://plants.usda.g...ile?symbol=BACA

I think you may be correct.

My guess is Blue Waterhyssop - Bacopa Caroliniana.
http://plants.usda.g...ile?symbol=BACA

I am certain that it is Bacopa caroliniana. One of my favorite wetland/aquatic plants.

I am certain that it is Bacopa caroliniana. One of my favorite wetland/aquatic plants.

I was thinking some type of Bacopa - thanks!

I always have the worst luck with Bacopa. It really bugs me! We have tons of the stuff growing around here, and it's been a hobby favorite for over a century, but I can't make it grow without going to a LOT of trouble. It's just not fair. Such a little cutie. It grows outdoors okay with no effort, but not in my tanks. My Baby's Tears are less hassle. GRRRR!!!!

Interesting. I have no trouble growing it with soil in the substrate, so long as there is sufficient light (which you must have if you are growing babies tears - Micranthemum umbrosum) Do you have soil in your tank?

You can also try growing it as a potted plant. It does quite well if it is in full sun. Just use a pot that doesn't have drainage, and leave an inch or so above the soil to that you can keep it topped off with water. It flowers beautifully under those conditions, as it really is an emergent, rather than submergent, plant.

Do you have soil in your tank?

has anyone read ecology of the planted aquarium by diana walstad?

Yes. It's generally a good book, and will introduce the beginner to a lot of concepts. Some of her conclusions I question, such as not putting more than an inch or so of soil in the bottom (I have put much more), and that hydrogen sulfide is bad for your plants (I have had plenty of it, with no ill-effect to plants. Wetland and aquatic plants are specifically adapted to environments with hydrogen sulfide), and a few other conclusions.

However, to get started, I highly recommend the book.

I always have the worst luck with Bacopa. It really bugs me! We have tons of the stuff growing around here, and it's been a hobby favorite for over a century, but I can't make it grow without going to a LOT of trouble. It's just not fair. Such a little cutie. It grows outdoors okay with no effort, but not in my tanks. My Baby's Tears are less hassle. GRRRR!!!!

That really surprises me! I can't kill it if I try. All I do is break off some ends, tie them together into a small clump, weigh it down with a rock and it takes off!

Yeah, well..it surprises me, too. I can get it to grow in "plant" tanks okay, but not in "fish" tanks. I can also grow it like crazy outdoors in shallow pools, but otherwise it just mocks me. I dont know why. I guess it just needs a lot more light than I tend to want to provide most times. Yes, the Baby's Tears do need very strong lighting, and they get it.

Some of my tanks have soil substrate, some have "Eco-Complete," and some just have gravel. These do give different results, sure, but I haven't decided which I prefer. My next tank, I think, will be a saltwater turtlegrass-flats tank, with a form-fitting clump of turtlegrass "sod" used as the entire substrate, but the next freshwater plant tank will probably use soil and sand. I've enjoyed the results from the Eco-complete, but it's a bit pricey.

By the way, one tank with soil has been running for two years, and the dirt is still mostly DRY!
That's right; the soil is plainly visible through the glass, and the roots running through it are easy to see, but the dirt is obviously still dry. The 1/2 inch layer of sand above does a good job of keeping out the water. I wouldn't have expected that. Sometimes I think about poking several dozen holes in the sand to finally soak the soil, but at this point I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing.

As for Diana Walstad's book, yes, I too have a copy, and I love it. I emailed her about adding an expansion to the next edition regarding the alleopathy between plant species, but she didn't want to touch it with a ten-foot planting stick. If I wanted to go to all that trouble of experimenting with it, she said, then I was welcome to it. When I started making plans to do just that, I quickly figured out why she didn't want to do it. LOL! Still, it needs doing by somebody one of these days. It would be great if we finally had a good definitive list of which plants were most and least compatible with each other. If only I had a big aquatic greenhouse and nothing better to do for a couple of years.

As for Diana Walstad's book, yes, I too have a copy, and I love it. I emailed her about adding an expansion to the next edition regarding the alleopathy between plant species, but she didn't want to touch it with a ten-foot planting stick.

What edition do you have? I read the most recent and it definitely discussed this to at least some extent... I don't know how much depth you wanted, but it mentioned this several times and I think described it in its own subsection.

Second Edition.
You're right in that she mentions it several times, but she doesn't give us much more than that, really, barely scratching the surface on a subject which could literally fill a whole book.

I have read Walstad's book. Has anyone here followed her method to the letter? I would have concerns with the few water changes.

I haven't followed it to the letter, mainly in that I have kept deeper soil than she reccommends.

But I really don't do water changes in my planted tanks. And nitrate levels are always extremely low. In fact, I wind up fertilizing at times if the fish load is low. I take a tiny piece of miracle-gro stick and jam it down near the plant roots if needed. There may be waste products other than nitrogen building up, but I never saw any ill effect.