Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
I came across this video about growing aquarium plants emersed and apparently they grow way faster that way, so I was wondering if anyone here has experience with that. Is it even worth trying? I'm planning on giving hydrocotyle and Anubias nana a shot.
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cichlidgirl22 - Posts: 103
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2022 5:07 am
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
Are you planning to sell the plants you're gonna grow emersed, or is it just for your own aquarium?
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
Many of our aquarium plants originate from amphibious habitats, where they thrive in both submerged and emerged conditions. This adaptability allows them to flourish in either environment, depending on the seasonal changes they experience in the wild. While growing plants emersed can be faster and more cost-effective for nurseries, it's essential to consider the specific environment you're creating - whether it's an aquarium or a terrarium/paludarium - when deciding how to cultivate your plants.
The transition from submerged to emersed growth, and vice versa, is a gradual process. Plants often need to develop distinct leaf structures to accommodate these changes. For instance, emersed leaves tend to be thicker and more rigid to prevent water loss, whereas submerged leaves are typically thinner and more flexible. The shape of the leaves can also vary significantly. A notable example of this is the Echinodorus genus, which exhibits these characteristics prominently.
If you plan to keep your plants in an aquarium, it's generally not recommended to grow them emersed, unless you intend to sell them.
The transition from submerged to emersed growth, and vice versa, is a gradual process. Plants often need to develop distinct leaf structures to accommodate these changes. For instance, emersed leaves tend to be thicker and more rigid to prevent water loss, whereas submerged leaves are typically thinner and more flexible. The shape of the leaves can also vary significantly. A notable example of this is the Echinodorus genus, which exhibits these characteristics prominently.
If you plan to keep your plants in an aquarium, it's generally not recommended to grow them emersed, unless you intend to sell them.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
To answer your question, I've had great success with emersed plants and I think it's definitely worth trying. Emersed plants grow incredibly quickly due to the abundance of CO2 and other factors. I'm one of many who keep paludariums with a variety of emersed plants. For example, I have a courtyard pond with Java fern, Water sprite, and Java moss all growing emersed. You can see the Java moss growing on the pond's edge, just below the Iris. The key to success is maintaining high humidity. You mentioned hydrocotlye and Anubias, which I've also had experience with. Hydrocotlye, or Pennywort, will grow emersed with ease. Anubias, on the other hand, requires very high humidity to thrive. I've found that placing Anubias near a HOB filter return, where it can get splashed and stay damp, works well. Give it a try and see how it goes.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
I'm not really planning on selling them but if I end up with extra or need some for a new setup, I might. I just want to have a steady supply of plants on hand.cichlidgirl22 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 5:25 pmAre you planning to sell the plants you're gonna grow emersed, or is it just for your own aquarium?
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
Many aquarium plants can multiply quickly once they're established, and they can live for years.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
I'd likely end up selling or reusing themboomer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 6:13 pm Many of our aquarium plants originate from amphibious habitats, where they thrive in both submerged and emerged conditions. This adaptability allows them to flourish in either environment, depending on the seasonal changes they experience in the wild. While growing plants emersed can be faster and more cost-effective for nurseries, it's essential to consider the specific environment you're creating - whether it's an aquarium or a terrarium/paludarium - when deciding how to cultivate your plants.
The transition from submerged to emersed growth, and vice versa, is a gradual process. Plants often need to develop distinct leaf structures to accommodate these changes. For instance, emersed leaves tend to be thicker and more rigid to prevent water loss, whereas submerged leaves are typically thinner and more flexible. The shape of the leaves can also vary significantly. A notable example of this is the Echinodorus genus, which exhibits these characteristics prominently.
If you plan to keep your plants in an aquarium, it's generally not recommended to grow them emersed, unless you intend to sell them.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
I plan on growing them emersed to start, then transferring them to my aquarium once they're established, I've heard it's a great way to get a head start on plant growth.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
I'm experimenting with different setups, thinking of using a plastic container with lava rock or media balls with holes, and some fertilized dirt as the growing medium.FishArch wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 6:38 pmTo answer your question, I've had great success with emersed plants and I think it's definitely worth trying. Emersed plants grow incredibly quickly due to the abundance of CO2 and other factors. I'm one of many who keep paludariums with a variety of emersed plants. For example, I have a courtyard pond with Java fern, Water sprite, and Java moss all growing emersed. You can see the Java moss growing on the pond's edge, just below the Iris. The key to success is maintaining high humidity. You mentioned hydrocotlye and Anubias, which I've also had experience with. Hydrocotlye, or Pennywort, will grow emersed with ease. Anubias, on the other hand, requires very high humidity to thrive. I've found that placing Anubias near a HOB filter return, where it can get splashed and stay damp, works well. Give it a try and see how it goes.
Re: Growing plants emersed in your aquarium
Before you start buying expensive plants, I'd recommend doing some thorough research. If you've got an extra aquarium with a glass lid lying around, that's a great place to start - you can often find them cheap at yard sales. I'm pretty sure there are some threads in our plant section about growing emersed, so it's worth checking those out first. If you can't find anything, I'd be happy to help you out, and I'm sure others will chime in too. Do you have an established aquarium up and running at the moment?
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