Anyone have this plant?

[PBirdsong]

Glossostigma elatinoides

I'm thinking about adding it to my aquarium. I have the light needed, but is there anything else that I may not find in my research that you guys could tell me? And do you think my sand substrate will be fine?

Thanks!

 

[malkore]

playsand? if it compacts much, the glosso roots will rot too easily...that's the problem with very fine playsand.

now, if its coarser like tahitian moon sand or pool filter sand, that'll work perfect.

you'll need 2-2.5wpg and CO2 at 30ppm to make glosso grow happily.

 

[travis simonson]

Without CO2 and high light your Glosso will tend to grow directly upwards instead of forming a nice carpet.

 

[TankGirl]

If you have the light needed and the CO2, and you do not have the very fine play sand, the only thing I can say about it is to plant it very carefully with long tweezers, each plantlet separately, as it takes a bit of coaxing to get it to stay put. Catfish and loaches will make keeping it where it is to get rooted down all the more difficult at first, but replanting it as often as is required does the trick, and once it has set roots in the sand it will be stable as can be.

 

[PBirdsong]

Cool, thanks. I do have the high light, preparing the DIY CO2, but I AM using playsand, so it may not work afterall. Any other ideas?
I want a plant that will carpet the bottom but not go CRAZY like Java Moss does at times.

 

[czcz]

How about Riccia mats? (If you trim in the tank it's messy.) http://www.nature-aquarium.com/riccia.htm

 

[malkore]

glosso's pretty high maintenance too...having to be thinned, and replanted, and what-not.

 

[PBirdsong]

I like the riccia. Where would I find a mat like that, or do I REALLY need one?


PS Is that your bike Malkore?

 

[czcz]

I used window screen. You could use stitching material or something similar. Travis puts riccia between stuff (rocks, mirrors) and hairnets. You just want to be able to move it when you need to; It won't attach to stuff.

 

[malkore]

plastic canvas works great to. just cut two same size pieces, sandwich the riccia in it, then tie or use staples at the corners. weight it down with rocks or attach otherwise, and the riccia grows right up through it.

i've heard a hairnet works good too.

PBird...yes that's my bike

 

[PBirdsong]

Sweet bike! I have been a big CBR fan for a while. How's the Kawasaki?

 

[PBirdsong]

Any good websites to order some riccia from?

Also any suggestions of a cool floating plant? Thinking about putting some floaters in there.

 

[malkore]

I don't like floating plants because they block the light to the plants beneath them, and riccia sure LOVES the light.

might try aquariumplants.com or aquariumlandscapes.net


The Kawi is good. I need to update the photo in my sig as I have installed some additional aftermarket parts.

 

[PBirdsong]

Yeah, I have wondered about that. I thought I restricting the floaters to a certain part of the tank. Then I would have an open area where my riccia, or whatever could grow.




The Bike: Did you just get it?

 

[TankGirl]

Riccia is an excellent floating plant, if it does not work out planted. Water lettuce is also an easily controlled floating plant. Avoid duckweed as it will be almost impossible to control, but that's just my opinion. You can even float java moss if you like.

I too avoid floating plants, as they shade my very carefully cultivated substrate plants, but if you choose carefully where your floating plants will reside, and prune religiously, there are many fish that will spawn in them and use them for cover, so they definitely have their place.