Floating plants

re_hashed · 02-05-2013, 09:08 AM

Floating plants … that my Rainbows won’t eat.

I bought some fantastic water lettuce a while ago, popped them in, and within a couple of weeks they’d magically disappeared. Initially I wasn’t sure why they’d gone but since I have come to the conclusion that it was my wonderful rainbows.

When I was out a few weeks ago I walked passed a stream, which was full of the dreaded ‘duck-week’, and as I desperately wanted some floating plants in my tank, I scooped up a handful and popped them in my tank when I got home. Within the hour, my rainbows were having great fun absolutely pulverising them from underneath, and within a day they’d also all gone *I’d kinda thought that I may have been overrun with the stuff if I wasn’t careful.

Is there a floating plant (the same style as the water lettuce/duck weed) that may survive in my tank?

Also, should I put a piece of courgette (zucchini) in my tank to hopefully encourage my rainbows to eat that instead? They happily leave all of my other plants alone – Anubis, Java Fern, Vals, Various Crypts. They are partial to some hair algae that’s growing form my driftwood right at the surface which I leave there on purpose.

Maybe I wasn’t feeding my fish enough when I put the floaters in, that’s why the fish were going so mad for them?

One other question so I don’t start another thread:

My jungle vals: Growing like the clappers, BUT I can’t get them grow any longer/higher than about 10/15cms max !! I know that they are jungles because when I bought them, and initially put them in my tank, they were 30/40cms in length, the original plants melted (as expected) and I’ve got runners all over the place, so I know that they are healthy, but once they get to 10cms they just stop, put out another runner, and repeat. I bought jungle vals for a ‘wall’ at the back of my tank but that’s not happening at all.

Should I cut through some of the runners, so the energy of the plant actually goes into producing bigger/longer leaves rather than producing endless runners?

Or maybe can someone suggest a tall background plant, which propagates via runners (so I can plant and forget about), for a medium light tank?

See what I mean:

When I first put them in:

A shot as of a few weeks ago:

Paragon · 02-05-2013, 05:47 PM

Some type of myriophyllum will grow tall and unstoppably. It'll also float and make a tangled mess of roots if you'd like.

02-05-2013, 09:08 AM	#1
re_hashed Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2007 Location: Cambridge, England Posts: 49	Floating plants Floating plants … that my Rainbows won’t eat. I bought some fantastic water lettuce a while ago, popped them in, and within a couple of weeks they’d magically disappeared. Initially I wasn’t sure why they’d gone but since I have come to the conclusion that it was my wonderful rainbows. When I was out a few weeks ago I walked passed a stream, which was full of the dreaded ‘duck-week’, and as I desperately wanted some floating plants in my tank, I scooped up a handful and popped them in my tank when I got home. Within the hour, my rainbows were having great fun absolutely pulverising them from underneath, and within a day they’d also all gone I’d kinda thought that I may have been overrun with the stuff if I wasn’t careful. Is there a floating plant (the same style as the water lettuce/duck weed) that may survive in my tank? Also, should I put a piece of courgette (zucchini) in my tank to hopefully encourage my rainbows to eat that instead? They happily leave all of my other plants alone – Anubis, Java Fern, Vals, Various Crypts. They are partial to some hair algae that’s growing form my driftwood right at the surface which I leave there on purpose. Maybe I wasn’t feeding my fish enough when I put the floaters in, that’s why the fish were going so mad for them? One other question so I don’t start another thread:* My jungle vals: Growing like the clappers, BUT I can’t get them grow any longer/higher than about 10/15cms max !! I know that they are jungles because when I bought them, and initially put them in my tank, they were 30/40cms in length, the original plants melted (as expected) and I’ve got runners all over the place, so I know that they are healthy, but once they get to 10cms they just stop, put out another runner, and repeat. I bought jungle vals for a ‘wall’ at the back of my tank but that’s not happening at all. Should I cut through some of the runners, so the energy of the plant actually goes into producing bigger/longer leaves rather than producing endless runners? Or maybe can someone suggest a tall background plant, which propagates via runners (so I can plant and forget about), for a medium light tank? See what I mean: When I first put them in: A shot as of a few weeks ago:

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

02-05-2013, 05:47 PM	#2
Paragon Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 104	Some type of myriophyllum will grow tall and unstoppably. It'll also float and make a tangled mess of roots if you'd like.