7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey everyone,
Just got back from a great trip to the Adirondacks (upstate NY) and brought back with me some lake plants that looked like interesting additions to my tank. One is a lily-like plant that grows huge lily pads and flowers (destined to go outside in a large metal timpani drum at my parents house), but the others I put in my tank. Unfortunately the anacharis-looking plant did not survive the bleach dip and quarantine period, but the other 4 plants did. This one looks like a crypt (stays very short in water less than ~5'):
Another looks like a typical stem plant (nothing special but I figure why not try for some more variety):
Another looks like mondo grass but it was surviving completely submerged, and after a week seems to be fine (not growing but not rotting yet):
But my favorite was to be found last. I was getting ready to leave when the host's father asked me what I was doing. After telling him he began to tell me to watch out for this really invasive plant that had begun to take over the lake. As he was telling me this I managed to snag my prize plant, just a small floating piece maybe 4" long, which he promptly informed me was the pest plant in question.
After doing a google search on Adirondack pest plants I came up with the true name, Eurasian Watermilfoil, scientific name Myriophyllum spicatum:
This is a really cool plant because of its unique arrangement of "leaves". I say "leaves" because they are more like pine needles, but are arranged in 4 leaflets with a space in between. Judging from the 2" it's grown while looking dead, I'd say it should be a success in my tank, and I hope to have a nice dense forest in one of the corners in a while.
Enjoy!
Just got back from a great trip to the Adirondacks (upstate NY) and brought back with me some lake plants that looked like interesting additions to my tank. One is a lily-like plant that grows huge lily pads and flowers (destined to go outside in a large metal timpani drum at my parents house), but the others I put in my tank. Unfortunately the anacharis-looking plant did not survive the bleach dip and quarantine period, but the other 4 plants did. This one looks like a crypt (stays very short in water less than ~5'):
Another looks like a typical stem plant (nothing special but I figure why not try for some more variety):
Another looks like mondo grass but it was surviving completely submerged, and after a week seems to be fine (not growing but not rotting yet):
But my favorite was to be found last. I was getting ready to leave when the host's father asked me what I was doing. After telling him he began to tell me to watch out for this really invasive plant that had begun to take over the lake. As he was telling me this I managed to snag my prize plant, just a small floating piece maybe 4" long, which he promptly informed me was the pest plant in question.
After doing a google search on Adirondack pest plants I came up with the true name, Eurasian Watermilfoil, scientific name Myriophyllum spicatum:
This is a really cool plant because of its unique arrangement of "leaves". I say "leaves" because they are more like pine needles, but are arranged in 4 leaflets with a space in between. Judging from the 2" it's grown while looking dead, I'd say it should be a success in my tank, and I hope to have a nice dense forest in one of the corners in a while.
Enjoy!
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