[ilovetoads2]

Hi. I have decided to put some plants in my frog tank. It is in an exo terra tank, 60cm wide and 60 cm high.

There is a UV light as well as a daytime light. Temperatures are 26-27 C

The front half of this tank holds around 5 inches of water, that I have shallowed with large stones, but it looks bare.

I have been looking online and have chosen these plants:

5 x Elodea Densa
1 x Aponogetum Crispus
5 x Elecocharis Parvulus (Dwarf Hairgrass)
10 x mini Amazon Sword
5 x Bacopa Monnerii
5 x Twisted Vallisneria
10 x Sagittaria Natans
5 x Rotalla Indica
5 x Hygrophylia Polysperma
5 x Cabomba Caroliana
5 x Ludwigia Mullertii
5 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii

It comes as a pack. Could anyone please advise me on how to plant each one so they will emerge out of the water (like in a riparium). Info on which ones will grow to what height and the strength/type of leaves would be helpful as well. Some of these plants will be used in a smaller tank for fire bellied toads as well.

Thanks so much. I have never worked with aquatic plants before...

 

[lauraleellbp]

Welcome to TPT!

I've never kept an emersed setup, so I recommend that you check out the vivarium subforum at the top of this forum, and also some of the riparium threads on here (do a search for the word "riparium")- that should give you lots of ideas on arrangements.

Not all of those plants you're getting will grow emersed, though. Vals won't, and I don't think Aponogetons or Sagittarias will, either.

 

[ilovetoads2]

Thank you for your reply. Not all of the plants will be emersed, some will be submerged. I have been trying to find info on the different plants about how they like to be planted, and whether they spread or grow tall, and if tall, how tall. ect. This is seeming to be more of an artform than one might think!

 

[Hoppy]

I'm pretty sure none of those plants will break the surface of the water and continue to grow as emersed plants. The Amazon swords may send up their "flower" stalks above the water line, but none of the others do that as far as I know.

 

[GTR]

If I'm reading it correct you only have 5" of water. That's not much depth.

SteveU

 

[ilovetoads2]

I have seen some things called ripariums that have just 5 or 6 inches...there wont be any fish. Just plants. I just want to find a balance of plants that will emerge with support, and others that wont (like grassy looking things). Here is a pic of one I like... please have a look, you might recognise some of the plants. Of coarse, I dont have as much room as this, because the back half is already planted, but I do have two tank I want to do, a paludarium housing red eyed tree frogs and small tank (12x24x12) housing fire bellied toads.Many thanks again. I need all the help I can get! LOL

 

[GTR]

Sorry, I wasn't implying that it can't/won't look good. Just that many of those plants get much taller or will require lots of trimming. Not sure you want tall plants that will grow submersed growing up out of the water in the front of the tank.

SteveU

 

[ilovetoads2]

Oh no, that is okay. as I say, I am just starting. So maybe if better explained what it looks like now? IF it does not bore you all....

The back is cork bark panels. I have scindapsus growing up this, with bromelaids, and two orchids. This part is fine. There is also a large chunk of mopani wood creating a lovely stream.waterfall. Then I have 15cm of nothing but water and rocks. The taller ones would be situated along the side, medium along the front of the "land" and the short/submersed ones in the middle. I want the fire bellied toad tank to look like the one pictured, only will add a large peice of mopani or rock or driftwood for a bit of land for feeding time. They will also use the floating trellis as land so this would be great for them....so....does that help?

 

[lauraleellbp]

The sword you'll probably want to grow as emersed, b/c it needs to be grown either as one or the other, but be advised that Amazon swords get huge.

The good news is that since you're getting these plants through a big distributor, chances are good that you may get many of them in "emersed growth" form off the bat.

Most plants look very different in their emersed versus submerged form, and have to die and grow back when switched from one to the other.

I've had stem plants that will start transitioning to emersed growth when they hit the top of the water in my tanks. The bottom of the stem will be submerged growth, then they'll start sending offshoots up above the water with the emersed growth form. Hygros, Rotalas, Bacopas, and Ludwigias are all stems that are capable of doing this.

Out of the plants you have ordered, I'd use the Eleocharis as your underwater foreground plant (it will probably need underwater CO2 injection to fill in well, though), put the Sagittaria behind and/or along the sides as a midground, and then put the stem plants next to the land where they can grow in both forms. Then I'd keep the sword and crypts as emersed growth, if you've got a mister setup (they need high humidity).

 

[ilovetoads2]

Wow thank you so much! I will look up co2 stuff...but will all the stuff needed to help these plants thrive be harmful to my frogs?

When you say to keep them submersed...is this a case of just cutting off the top? You are probably laughing, but I managed to kill every plant I have ever had in my garden. :icon_redf

 

[lauraleellbp]

No, by submersed I mean keep them fully under water, as opposed to emersed meaning just their roots in the water.

And DIY CO2 should be safe for your frogs as long as you put a check valve in the setup to make sure the yeast mixture doesn't ever get into the tank.

You could try growing the hairgrass emersed, or growing it w/out the CO2 if you don't want to fool with it. Hairgrass actually looks nice grown emersed. Just that would leave you without an underwater foreground plant...

 

[ilovetoads2]

Oh, thanks again.

I will take pics when I have done it...wish me luck!:redface:

 

[lauraleellbp]

Best of luck and we definitely look forward to the pics!

What's the type and wattage of your light fixture, BTW?

 

[ilovetoads2]

NOt much, the UV is 25 and the full spectum is only 15. I can add another 15, but no more than that because the frogs are more important than the plants....is it going to be worth it a go with those?

and sorry, but would you recommend sand, or soil with gravel above?

 

[lauraleellbp]

You could make either of those work, I personally prefer Flourite.