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Plants for Gravel

Started by Guest_dsaavedra_* , Jul 13 2009 03:40 PM

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16 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 03:40 PM

What is a plant that will easily anchor itself in gravel??!?!?

i seem to be having a very hard time finding one...

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#2 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 05:19 PM

What is a plant that will easily anchor itself in gravel??!?!?

i seem to be having a very hard time finding one...

Dave,
There are plenty, really. We can certainly help you find something you like. Is there a particular "look" you are going for? Long vertical (like Elodea or Ceratophyllum, like you had)? Or rosettes? Really short? Etc? Or a combo?

Also, are you intent on having natives, or are you interested in exotics as well?

Natives that are very easy rooters for gravel include:
Valnisneria
Any of the Echinodorus
Any Sagittaria
Basically anything you buy that is already in a pot

Some of the plants that you buy as cuttings (often called "bunched plants" at the store) can be easy to root, others a little less so. I think of Bacopa as easy to root. I actually think of Elodea as not that easy to root. It will root, but not quickly and won't send out as many. Part of the trick to getting cuttings to root is to be sure that the stems are not crushed/bruised before you get them or as you are putting them into the gravel.

Lastly, what size gravel are you using? Typically the finer the gravel is, the better. There is some pretty coarse stuff out there that will be pretty difficult to grow plants in unless they are very vigorous. The stuff that is more like pebbles won't work very well. You want gravel that is maybe around 3 mm in diameter. They sell stuff specifically for plants, but I don't think it is necessary.

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#3 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 11:24 PM

i'm going for a pond type theme. what i have in here are 2 pumpkinseeds and a bluegill.

i really like the look of elodea, and my coontail looked nice when it was anchored in the gravel. i want a plant that is tall, grows from bottom to top like elodea would.

of the plants you listed, the Valnisneria looks ok, and i don't like any of the others. i like plants that are "bushier" than the eelgrass though.

oh, and the less maintenance needed the better lol

Edited by dsaavedra, 13 July 2009 - 11:26 PM.

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#4 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 11:42 PM

so, have any suggestions?

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#5 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 25 July 2009 - 05:28 AM

I've recently collected some Water Stargrass (Zosterella dubia) that seems to be doing well and is growing roots. This plant has a little more of a "bushy" appearance than Vallisneria. If I remember, I'll try to post some pictures here as it "grows in" to the tank a little bit.

Brian

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#6 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 07 August 2009 - 02:33 PM

any other suggestions? my fish are still deprived of cover.....

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#7 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 12:02 PM

Well, you haven't said what you have for substrate, so it's a little hard to reccommend something. Take a look at Bacopa caroliniana. It evenually grows tall and might give you the look you want.

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#8 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 12:16 PM

i've just got gravel for substrate. the pebbles are about 1cm average.

Bacopa caroliniana looks pretty good. does it root easily in gravel?

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#9 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 12:28 PM

Ah. That's your problem, then. Gravel of that size is just too big to support the roots of most plants. See, the substrate isn't just to hold the plants down. It's the root contact with the substrate that helps them get nutrients. I've noticed that plants in pea gravel really don't put out a lot of roots, and eventually wither away. It might work out differently with a nutrient dosing regime, but that is a lot of work for most people. I would suggest replacing your substrate with a much smaller gravel, or a soil/gravel combo.

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#10 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 05:12 PM

You could take out the gravel and put in a soil base, then cover it with the same gravel. Plants would grow through the gravel and into the soil.

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#11 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 05:49 PM

what kind of soil would i use? and how would that affect water clarity?

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#12 Guest_threegoldfish_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 06:22 PM

I use a mix of clay and topsoil from the backyard, topped with a layer of inert substrate (sand or small gravel). I have geophagus in my big soil planted tank and they're able to fuss about in the substrate without stirring up the dirt that way. My experience is that the tanks will initially be cloudy, but the worst of it will settle quickly and water changes and rinsing out your filter will take care of the rest. Even when I add and remove plants, the water is rarely cloudy for more than a few minutes unless I'm doing major work.

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#13 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 10 August 2009 - 09:03 PM

You can collect your own soil, or you can buy cheap potting soil or top soil, some of us use peat moss. The main thing is to make sure it doesn't contain any fertilizer or weed killer or anything like that.

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#14 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 12 August 2009 - 03:01 AM

You can collect your own soil, or you can buy cheap potting soil or top soil, some of us use peat moss. The main thing is to make sure it doesn't contain any fertilizer or weed killer or anything like that.

Susan,

Would a person want to avoid the soil with the little pieces of styrofoam in it, too? I don't use soil in my tanks, but it occured to me that those pieces may float and make a mess.

Brian

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#15 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 12 August 2009 - 04:01 AM

I've frequently heard that concern on tropical forums, and it may be the reason she suggested cheap potting soil. Like bottled ammonia, you want the cheap stuff because the additives that make it expensive are undesirable for this application. Those floating bits are found in premium soils, and you definitely wouldn't want them in an aquarium.

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#16 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 12 August 2009 - 06:47 AM

The floating bits are called pearlite, and are an expanded rock. Avoid soil with this like the plauge. Also, some on-line recipes call for vermiculite. I tried this years a go and must say I didn't like it. When the soil did get disturbed, the vermiculite would settle on the surface of the gravel rather than get cleaned up by the filter. And I had massaged it into tiny, tiny bits too.

I like to mix in a good amout of dried leaves into the soil or make a leaf layer undert he gravel. It does add tannins, though. If you don't like that look and want to remove tannins, filter charcoal will take care of it.

There are other ways to grow plants without soil, but they also require a finer gravel. It seems like most people on this website (including me) like the soil method; it's less expensive and doesn't require daily fertilizer dosing. But it all depends on your preferences.

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#17 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 13 August 2009 - 05:27 PM

Susan,

Would a person want to avoid the soil with the little pieces of styrofoam in it, too? I don't use soil in my tanks, but it occured to me that those pieces may float and make a mess.

Brian

You got that right! Avoid perlite and vermiculite like the plague. Peat moss will also float if you don't bury it well.

Gzeiger, that's exactly why cheap soil is recommended. I usually use topsoil, if the weather is bad and I can't collect my own. Farmertodd has been doing some amazing things with peat moss, too.