[aquariumhobbyist]

I started a dirt tank project on the October of 2014. Plants added were bolbitis "baby leaf" , H. micra, Rotala and M. crenata. After about a month, I saw this interesting plant growing from the substrate and another plant floating around. Neither had been added by me.

Ok the first one I was sure was a grass of some sort and hence didn't expect it to last at all. My expectation was that it would rot away within a couple of months... It didn't and in fact flourished growing out longer stems with a single arrow head shaped leaf (the other leaves still look like grass does).

Picture is pending.

The other "plant" is even wierder. It is green, looks like the drawings of neurons, a fanwort type of structure (but less "fanny", more like the structure of an umbrella frame) along a stem and on these umbrella frames over time develops little pink round balls that I can only imagine to be seeds. A quick search on google yielded zip.

Picture also pending (slightly more problematic than the above due to a localized outbreak of hair algae).

Based on the descriptions alone (for now), any guesses as to what they are?

 

[Milkshake]

Picture please

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

pictures

Right, so here are some pictures I managed to take. Apologies in advance for the quality. Pictures were taken with my only smart phone, an iPhone 3GS.

so the grass like plant:

the arrow head shoots that are sent off occasionally...

and the weird umbrella/neuron

Bump: in the last picture, the second plant may not be clearly visible. Just focus on the pick seeds and you should be able to locate it...

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

The second plant has a weird smell that feels like the kind of scent you get when burning plastics. Weird. Any thoughts?

 

[Tinanti]

The second plant has a weird smell that feels like the kind of scent you get when burning plastics. Weird. Any thoughts?

Chara

 

[Kai808]

The first plant could be an Aponogeton. Can you see it growing from a bulb?

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

The first plant could be an Aponogeton. Can you see it growing from a bulb?

If it does, I have never seen it... is it aquatic? Should I dig it up from the substrate (to check for said bulb)?

Bump:

Chara

Bravo, spot on! Any thoughts as to whether I should remove from the aquarium (seeing as their metabolic processes causes build up of hydrogen sulphide in them)?

edit: on second thoughts, the pictures of chara on the web all seem a lot bigger... mine are quite flimsy and fragile looking...

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

Still no positive ID on the first plant?

 

[du3ce]

looks like pearl weed
edit: nevermind didnt read

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

Still no ID on the second plant?


edit: apologies everyone, I was still waiting for an ID on the first plant, not the second (which has been identified as a chara spp.)

 

[ua hua]

Still no ID on the second plant?

I'm pretty sure Tinanti already identified the plant. It sure looks like chara to me especially the picture of it in your hand.

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

I'm pretty sure Tinanti already identified the plant. It sure looks like chara to me especially the picture of it in your hand.

Apologies, I meant the first plant...

 

[JMN16150]

The first one looks a lot, like an Aponogeton natans that I used to own. It grows pretty big and I found it space hogging It's a lot like a mini water hawthorne.

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

The leaves at the end of the stem are too small and narrow to be natans.

 

[HDBenson]

The leaves at the end of the stem are too small and narrow to be natans.

Depending on the growing conditions a given species of plant can take on an entirely different physical appearance. Just saying. I've had several Aponogentons that were the same species that had different leaf shapes(width, length, veining etc.) depending on where it was in the aquarium.

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

Depending on the growing conditions a given species of plant can take on an entirely different physical appearance. Just saying. I've had several Aponogentons that were the same species that had different leaf shapes(width, length, veining etc.) depending on where it was in the aquarium.

So basically impossible to know.

 

[HDBenson]

NO, not impossible, lol. Inflorescence is the BEST ID. But, if you can uproot the mystery plant and get a full photo that really would help.

 

[aquariumhobbyist]

NO, not impossible, lol. Inflorescence is the BEST ID. But, if you can uproot the mystery plant and get a full photo that really would help.

how so? I only ask because if I do this, all the dirt in tank will come with the plant (walstad tank) and be a colossal mess...

at the end of the day, I suppose if it hasn't rotted away in 6 months, it is aquatic? If I am not wrong in making this assumption, then I am good with not knowing the type of plant it is until it is time to do a major overhaul in the tank.

 

[HDBenson]

how so? I only ask because if I do this, all the dirt in tank will come with the plant (walstad tank) and be a colossal mess...

at the end of the day, I suppose if it hasn't rotted away in 6 months, it is aquatic? If I am not wrong in making this assumption, then I am good with not knowing the type of plant it is until it is time to do a major overhaul in the tank.

You could find the base of the plant and cut it off AT the roots instead of uprooting it so you don't disturb the soil layer. I don't know why people make a fuss about this in dirted tanks. I pull heavily rooted(swords/crypts etc) in dirted tanks all the time without trouble. I just pull up enough to get the plant loose and chop the roots then pull out the individual roots afterwards - it takes 5-10 minutes and patience but no mess.

 

[gillie]

The second look like it could be aponogeton natans or a species very similar

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