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L. sessiliflora substitute: Cabomba, Hottonia, something else?

3.1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  rzn7z7  
#1 ·
I have a high light, high tech planted tank in which I have some dwarf ambulia growing. Grew it from tissue culture, and thought it would grow nice and bushy with the lighting, CO2 and ferts. So far, it has grown very leggy, and reading online seems to suggest this is a common issue with this plant in high tech setups.

I'm going to continue to try and grow this plant, but does anyone have any suggestions for a substitute? I had Cabomba before, but ditched it as it was growing VERY slowly, lower leaves were dying/turning brown and much preferred the lime green of the ambulia. (I pulled it out in favour of ambulia, and in the 3 weeks I had it, it sure rooted itself good! I had to pull gently to get most of the root mass out!) Again, reading online revealed the issue with colour, suggesting ferts would make it a brighter green and at least reduce lower foliage die off. Now that I have fertilizer, I'm thinking of giving Cabomba a second shot so long as it will grow and stays a bright green!

Another plant I'm considering is Hottonia palustris. Photos make it look similar to Cabomba and Ambulia, but I can't say for certain without actually seeing it. I just don't want it to look like my Myriophyllum brasiliensis. Given its tolerance for colder temps, and that most pictures depict a bright green, dense plant, I think this is a winner!

Basically just looking for a bushy, bright green plant with flat/dense needle-like leaves. Any other plant suggestions besides hornwort would be appreciated!

A few water parameters:
pH: 6.8-7.2
gH: 7
kH: 6
Temperature: 18-20C, all time low of 15C (64.5-68F, all time low of 59F)
 
#3 ·
I have the Limnophila indica version of Ambula in a high-tech setup and it is bright green, dense and grows like a weed (needs weekly trimming). I prefer it to Cabomba, which sheds heavily and has profuse aerial roots. I'm not familiar with the Dwarf version, so I can't comment on the issues. some others you might try: Myrio Green (Myriophyllum Pinnatum) and Stream Bogmoss (Mayaca Fluviatilis). I've had both and they do a good job in giving the look you want, but I still prefer the Limnophila indica.
 
#5 ·
I actually have a plant that to me seems similar to Pogostemon erectus. It was sold to me as Limnophila hippuroides, but its 3 leaf whorls has me thinking its aromatica. If the hippuroides doesn't work out for me I'll consider it!

I like the indica! It's so fluffy! I'll probably really have to hunt it down. Looks similar to the L. aquatica I saw on Etzy. Never went for it as I wasn't sure if it'd work, but I bet its the same plant I have now or Cabomba. Might be a restricted species too, but it looks perfect for what I'm after. Admittedly I've only had the tank up for 6 weeks and plants for 4, so I need to exercise some patience before getting new plants. This sessiliflora may grow the way I want it with some trimming. My goal is to make it look like a "natural" lake or pond you'd find in N. America or Europe. So I have multiple species right now, and ultimately I'm only planning on keeping 3-5 plants that will be planted somewhat randomly to make it look wild!

I've read that Hottonia is usually used for midground, but when you look further it seems Hottonia can get quite big! Is it like Lobelia cardinalis where the aquarium variety is dwarfed?