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Sagittaria?


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#1 Guest_dredcon_*

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Posted 12 September 2006 - 04:02 PM

I just set up a 30 gallon cube in my office and I planted it with what may be a Sagittaria sp. maybe Sagittaria graminea. The substrate is potting soil, then sand, then small gravel and Lighting is about 30 watts. Can anyone id these plants and give me a little info on their care?

Thanks

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#2 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 13 September 2006 - 12:13 PM

Without a closer look it's hard, but I'd say your assumptions on the species is probably correct. S. graminea is considered a noxious weed (as an emergent) in most of the US, although it is native to the northeast. It was apparently spread through the aquarium trade. It strikes me as interesting, as you really don't find it in the trade nowadays.

I would treat it like other submerged Sagittaria species; I'll try to remember to look to night to see if it is listed in some of my older aquarium plant books. The older texts often have care info on species that were once in the trade, but are now unusual (and thus not in newer books).

I think your substrate setup is just perfect. You will probably need a lot more light, though. I assume that when you say "'30 watts" it is a 36" T12 fluorescent? You will want at least one more, probably two. If you care to make your own hood, I find that fixtures with the bulbs really close together work better than shop lights (and they can be found in 36" lengths.) The sides are exposed (unlike shop lights) and need a hood or you'll be looking straight at the side of the bulbs. There are some that are supposed to be all-weather, too (or something like that).I don't know if the specs are quite right, but I've used a fixture that looked like this:
http://lightingfixtu...ries?&forward=1 It doesn't come with a cord, so you'd need to buy an appropriately rated extension cord, cut one end off, and wire it in. If you've ever assembled a shop light, you can easily do this.

Once you get the lighting up, you will need a lot more plants in the tank to prevent algae from taking over. With aquarium plants, we can't use the same "It'll grow and fill in" philosophy that we use in the garden, because in the mean time we get massive algae blooms. If you want an all-native tank (which takes time to set up as you gather specimens) or have a limited budget (who doesn't?), I'd reccommend some cheap, super fast growers from the pet store to cover the open space. You can then yank them out later. Water sprite is a good species for this, as it produces a lot of little "babies" you can spread around. Elodea and Ceratophyllum work well, too; you can let it float at the top and it will block light there. Just keep it from growing over the Sagittaria!

#3 Guest_dredcon_*

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Posted 13 September 2006 - 04:43 PM

Thanks for the informative reply. The tank is 20x18X18 almost cube. I have 2 18 inch t8 light strips directly over the plants right now. I have some of the same plant from the same location growing in a 10g at home with the lighting that came with the hood and it seems to be doing ok. Do you think I sould get another 18 inch strip light for the tank?


Thanks

#4 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 14 September 2006 - 11:04 AM

I just looked the plant up. It says that it thrives in soil that is not too rich, but with adequate illumination (so wonderfully specific!). Sounds to me like that's what you've got.
Your plants at home are a good indication, but are actually receiving more light since their tank is shorter. If the new growth starts to look spindly, I'd throw another bulb on.

How long have the ones at home been growing? Have they started having runners? If you want to trade for some, I've got a few things around.

#5 Guest_dredcon_*

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Posted 14 September 2006 - 11:24 AM

They have been in my tank at home for a few months. The substrate is very poor in the tank, just shell hash baiscally. I have not noticed any new runner, but I will look when I get home tonight. There is plenty of this stuff growing around here if ya wants some.




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