[AquaAurora]

Thought it'd be good to share what all we've tried and succeeded at growing riparium style! As well as share tips and tricks on riparium setups. Its a great extra aspect to the aquarium hobby you should try exploring if you have not yet!

A Little Intro:
A Riparium can be most simply defined as keeping plant leaves/stems emersed (above water) while roots are immersed (below water) in the aquarium. This can be done via raft, planter basket, shower caddies, stuffed in HOB or attached to hardscape/decor to achieve the same effect, as well as just left leaning against the side of the tank/sticking through an opening in a lid or if tall enough planting the base of the plant in the aquarium substrate (edit: to clarify I am referring to Lucky bamboo here with stocks below water but stems above).
In a high humidity riparium many aquatic plants can be grown this way, but a lot of house hold and other plants also work with this style and don't need such high humidity. Its a great way to boost nitrate absorption and add more life and color above/around the tank as well as giving more hiding places in the roots for fauna. The downside would be the obvious shade created by these emersed plants means less light for immersed plants below them, but some work with lighting types (like submersible LEDs) or setting up lights at an angle can help get around this.
A note if you are using potted plants on the riparium: rinse gently but thoroughly to remove all soil. If you keep very delicate fish/invert consider a month quarantine/purge of the plant before putting on the tank (to be rid of pesticides, aphids, etc). I don't quarantine but I have potassium permanganate dipped suspect plants to kill little bugs that might come home on them.


Tip:
you can buy cheap plastic slotted shower caddies with suction cups as an easy riparium planter basket. I use these two: cost $2 and $3 at my local grocery store.



If the suction cups fail from poor quality or heavy plant/media you can replace suction cups with encased wire (keep exposed metal tips out of the tank). I got this wire from home depot in the electrical section, forget price but I think under $5 for more wire than I could ever need, its very rigid and keeps its form once bent into place. You'll need wire cutters to cut these.

If you clean the soil out of the little brown black or green plastic planter baskets a lot of the smaller plants are sold in you can cut a hole(s) in it to stuff a suction cup (or encased wire) through as another alternative planter. Plus side to this method is media is not visible as planter is not transparent.
There are plenty of other planter boxes/basket options! Just don't use metal.


Tell us About Your Riparium Plants:
Have a plant you keep successfully riparium style? Fill out this simple form to tell us about it!
Common or Proper name:
How long plant has been riparium style:
Comments(optional): (notes on growth (leaves or roots), photos, lighting, humidity, temperature, fertilized used, what ever you wish to share)


List of Riparium Plant used by Memebers:(will update as I see new posts)
Dwarf Palm Neanthe Bella
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia__(few varieties))
Fittonia
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Pothos
Altherna (Scarlet Temple)
Prayer plant (Maranta)
Helxine soleirolii
Aloe
Croton various
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena braunii)
Dragon's Tongue (Hemigraphis repanda)
Purple waffle (Hemigraphis colorata 'Exotica')
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
Polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
Raspberry Swirl Joseph's Coat (Alternanthera ficoidea 'Raspberry Swirl')
Sweet Flag
Heart leaf philodendron (Philodendron cordatum)
Arrowhead plant (Sagittaria___)
Ruellia brittoniana 'Katie'
Coleus
Maidenhair fern
Dwarf Lobelia cardinal
Friendship Plant (Pilea involucrata)
Aluminum plant (Pilea Cadierei)
Anthurium
Dwarf Cyperus
Laguncularia white mangrove
Star Grass, Ajuga "chocolate chip"
Pilea cadierei "pan am"
Pilea cadierei minima "aluminum"
Wedelia trilobata
Selaginella sp gold
Lidard's tail (Saururus cernuus)
African violet (Saintpaulia sp.)



Emersed aquatic plants: (some may need higher humidity than others)
Brazillian Pennywort
Hygro Corymbosa "compact"
Ludwigia Repens
Hygrophila Augustifolia
Crypt wendtii
Ludwigia peruensis
Hygrophila tiger
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Baby tears
Java moss
Lindernia
Bacopa salzamannii
Lysimachia nummularia
Glosso
Wide leaf water sprite
Myriophylum
Hydrocotyle japan




I'll do one of mine as an example:
Common or Proper name: Dwarf Palm Neanthe Bella
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year (7/2/14)
Comments(optional): Has grown a LOT since first bought, would not recommend for small setups, its one of my bigger riparium plants at around 24" tall. The peace lily hides it but its gotten to be a thick mass of palm and takes up a long shower caddie. Bought at a local grocery store. Grown in medium light, mid-low humidity, temp 65-75F. Tank dosed with Seachem liquid ferts: iron, phosphates, potassium, and flourish, nitrates 10-20ppm from fish/mts.

First on the riparium (20g long-back left):


Most recent (55g-back left):






I'll post more of mine (I have quite a few as shown in the above photo) and hope you all will share yours as well! ^^

 

[theatermusic87]

I thought I would add what hasn't worked well for me. I'll be back with the more successful ones

Sugar peas- attempted to sprout these in soil and transfer over to a hydroponic esq setup on top of my tank as well as into a HOB filter basket. They did not transition well and eventually died in both locations. This may be due to the transplant as I grew lima beans in a floating raft setup in college and they grew beautifully.

hosta- not sure of the exact variety, seemed like it was going to take off, it grew 5 leaves in a couple weeks, and then it just stopped doing anything. Same setup was the same as above. While it's still alive 6 months later, it hasn't done anything in 5 of those months.

golden moss- I have no idea how to get this to grow. I killed it in a HOB, a riparium planter, and in a pot with dirt...

croton assorted varietys- While they've all grown for me, that growth was very slow. I have a feeling this is due more to them being woody stemmed plants than anything else. They've grown decently well in a window box, but it has still be fairly slow.

african violet- not sure what went wrong with this one, the whole plant kind of turned to mush. It was probably a combination of too much water and not enough light.

mostly everything else that hasn't worked for me has been due to planter error. i.e. not a large enough cutting, or issues transitioning from submerged to emmersed. Those I've tried and failed at were, anubias petite, micro sword, glosso, 4 leaf clover, java moss, and brazilian pennywort (though I did eventually have smashing success with that one, more on that later)

 

[theatermusic87]

Unless otherwise stated all of these have been grown emersed from pea gravel in a planter with flowing tank water

Common or Proper name: Brazillian Pennywort
How long plant has been riparium style: 3-4 months
Comments(optional): explosive growth once established, currently growing out of a HOB filter, EDIBLE for those of you that are interested, grows much faster emersed than submerged, grows bushy and vine like, will put roots down from each internode.

Common or Proper name: Hygro Corymbosa "compact"
How long plant has been riparium style: 6 months
Comments(optional): Takes a while to switch from submerged to emergent growth, I reccomend planting a top that has grown out of the water from a submerged stem, grows tall and spindly rather than bushy

Common or Proper name: Wandering Jew
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): prolific grower, roots easily, some what fragile stem, lower growing and creeping growth, extensive root structure

Common or Proper name: Fittonia
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): nice for color as multiple varieties are available, moderate growth speed, taller and open, occasionally flowers

Common or Proper name: Peace Lily
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): clump grower, has grown noticably, but doesn't appear to be any "bigger" than when first introduced, occasionally flowers, moderate growth speed

Common or Proper name: Pythos
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): Roots easily, viney plant, though at least for me it hasn't produced any off shoots, just one long stem, moderate growth speed

Common or Proper name: Altherna (Scarlet Temple)
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): very slow growth speed, stubborn in transitioning to emersed growth, I recommend using a top that has already grown out of an aquarium as a starter, nice dark red leaves, smaller delicate leaves on a taller stem

Common or Proper name: Purple Waffle
How long plant has been riparium style: 3 months
Comments(optional): Slower growing than in soil (at least for me), textured waffle leaf, purple leaf underside, leaves appear to not care about being wet (might grow submerged?)

Common or Proper name: Maranta
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): grows well, occasionally flowers, nice variety of colors, kind of wilty drapey plant (not a vine, but doesn't really grow upright either), moderate growth

GROWN IN PEA GRAVEL IN STANDING WATER ONLY (a window planter with pots filled with gravel and planted, not water circulation, topped off with water change water from the fish tanks)

Common or Proper name: Aloe
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): moderate growth speed, surprisingly survived and is doing well

Common or Proper name: Croton various
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): Needs more light than the other plants listed, woody stem, slow growth, upright and self supporting

And a picture of the box, as well as the container with the pea stone

 

[AquaAurora]

Its interesting to hear what failed too. I did aquaponics before ripariums (same deal but keeps roots out of reach of fish and usually uses edible plants) and grew lettuce and a herb I forget the name.. had a hard time getting spinach to sprout and transition (tried soil and just dumping seeds directly into basket) but I might have had a bag of duds.

Common or Proper name: Prayer Plant
How long plant has been riparium style: 2-4 months
Comments(optional): I actually had to try twice. My first prayer plant died new leaves kept growing in yellow and it made new leaves slowly, but the second (differnt leaf pattern) is going nuts!
failed prayer plant (died-right side):


successful prayer plant (also seen in 2nd photo of first post):

 

[AquaAurora]

Going to try to do one of these every day. Btw feel free to post about plant(s) others have already posted to share your experience with that plant(s).

Here's a fun one
Common or Proper name: Helxine soleirolii
How long plant has been riparium style:7-8 months
Comments(optional): Got from the greenhouse of a nursery, sold as a garden plant-carpet plant. Growing on an Aquaclear 70 HOB places over the intake pipe and covering it in a thick mass. Medium to almost high light (very close to cfl), searchem liquid ferts dosed + ~10ppm nitrates. If kept trimmed (doesn't live underwater for long) it'd be a great topper to planet baskets to hide the media as long as the larger plant doesn't over shadow it too much. I should probably trim mine but I love how it hides the filter!

Close up:


photo from first day on:


1 month of growth:


3 months of growth:



Today (7-8 months) filter.. what filter?:

 

[miataisalwaystheanswer]

Hemigraphis colorata "purple waffle"

Been hanging on the back of my tank via shower caddy for about a month now.

Tank is EI dosed and the plant has been doing well. Hoping it gets tall so the purple underside of the leaves can be seen better.

 

[AquaAurora]

I love my purple waffle on my 20g long. Once grown riparium style a while I notice all the new leaves grew in lighter green and not as dry looking, they have a cool purple veined underside.

 

[Mariostg]

Let's not forget aquatic plants that grow emersed.

Proper name: Ludwigia Repens
How long plant has been riparium style: Since Oct 8th.
Comments(optional): Yep recent, but what a growth lol

Proper name: Hygrophila Augustifolia
How long plant has been ribarium style: Since Oct 8th.
Comments: Working it's way... Humidity in the house is 65%+.

Proper name: Bacopa caloliniana
How long plant has been ribarium style: less than a month.
Comments: Too early to comment.

8 Oct

1 Nov

I also have Althernanthera reinekii, but too early to show...

 

[miataisalwaystheanswer]

Don't want to sound like a noob but here goes...so plants that can be grown emersed can be planted sumbmersed and be left to grow out of the water? I thought it was one or the other. Would they need to be misted with water or kept in a room with high humidity to survive or will they adjust just fine? Sorry for all the questions, my wife has allowed me one last tank in the house and want it to be a riparium, just want to make sure I'm doing everything right.

 

[AquaAurora]

Let's not forget aquatic plants that grow emersed.

I'm curious to see how the hygro does, mine withered but my humidity is low. I know Ludwigia is a great stem for ripariums as it doesn't need much for humidity, same goes for creeping jenny (its a garden plant and thrives as fully aquatic, so versatile!)

Don't want to sound like a noob but here goes...so plants that can be grown emersed can be planted sumbmersed and be left to grow out of the water? I thought it was one or the other. Would they need to be misted with water or kept in a room with high humidity to survive or will they adjust just fine? Sorry for all the questions, my wife has allowed me one last tank in the house and want it to be a riparium, just want to make sure I'm doing everything right.

Aquatic plants (our typical underwater plants) can be grown emersed the n planted under water (fully immersed) but terrestrial plants (house, garden plants, etc) its best if only the roots can be submerged, leaves need to stay above water. My comment in the first post (that I should probably clarify) about planting in the substrate if tall enough would apply to plants like lucky bamboo that has a thick stock which is ok to keep under water, but the thinner stem where leaves grow must stay above water. Terrestrial plants can't properly absorb co2 underwater, some will die/melt faster than others but they won't thrive if kept submerged. Sadly a lot of lfs like to sell plants as aquatic that are not.



Common or Proper name: Lucky Bamboo
How long plant has been riparium style:4-5 months
Comments(optional): Lucky bamboo (and other members of its family-Draconian) is often sold as an aquatic plant, IT IS NOT. Stems must be kept above the water line or it will stagnate and eventually die. Note: it does not tolerate chlorine or fluoride, if you tap contains fluoride consider using RO or DI water instead. Lucky bamboo is susceptible to a bacterial disease that I've not been able to find much info on but if a stalk starts to yellow remove it from the others immediately and keep an eye on the still green bamboo-if others are infected they will show signs within 4 weeks. This plant does best with minimal/very low light, I have some in a short round vase with water and gravel on a coffee table that gets only minimal ambient sunlight from this window where the rest of it is. No ferts for this tank, just betta poop. There are some baby pothos on top too. Air temp varies being by the window, water temp stays ~80F.

I put a little led over the tank so you can see under water. Stocks are planted in a shower caddie placed in the substrate. All stems are well above water.


Vase with gravel and water no fauna (photo taken at night with tanks lights on that are around the edge of the room, its actually darker than it appears in there)

 

[Mariostg]

i added a humidity component to the H. augustifolia. I suspect it will decrease as winter approaches. Then I shall see how the plant behave.
I have the plant as shown in my post above and also in a soil filled container watered through a wick in a different tank. I beleive the one in the soil has less humidity. It's like it was growing on a shore, few feet away from the water.

 

[AquaAurora]

Today I want to do 2 as they're related

Common or Proper name: Dragon's Tongue (Hemigraphis repanda)
How long plant has been riparium style: ~10 months
Comments(optional): Relative to purple waffle, thin leaves, purple underside, took a bit longer to acclimate to riparium life than its cousin but does great. Stays short. I find it does best in medium light or at least high end of low light.




Common or Proper name: Purple waffle (Hemigraphis colorata 'Exotica')
How long plant has been riparium style: over a year
Comments(optional): Love this stuff, its gotten so big I've had to cut it and separate it a few times as it gets to 'big' (not that big compared to plants on 55g) it sags into the water. When trimmed unrooted pieces will wilt but bounce back in a few weeks. As a house plant leaves are dark green and crispy/dry. On a riaprium new leaves come in light green and softer, underside purple is more of a vein-ing than a solid purple. Low light plant
Old photo:

Most recent:

Underside:




Something I've not has success with: Dwarf taro (elephant plant). I've tried this plant 2x and it always dies on me.. slowly.. Makes new leaves but they always show deficiencies/die then eventual the rots and rhizome/tuber rots... not sure if its my pH, lighting, or what but I gave up on it.

 

[AquaAurora]

Common or Proper name: Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
How long plant has been riparium style: 5 months
Comments(optional): HUGE plant-leaf gets over 10, leaf and stem 20"+, has a cool bloom (the outside of the bloom is always 'dew-y') and interesting leaf pattern. Medium light. The otos love to hang out on its roots (cleanest roots in the tank... wish they'd clean the other roots off)

See 2nd photo of OP for full tank shot with this plant on back right corner.
Close ups:

 

[AquaAurora]

Common or Proper name: Alocosia polly
How long plant has been riparium style: 8+ months
Comments(optional): Another tall stemmed, large leafed plant. Interestingly rubber like leaves with dark green and vey pale green almost white veins on top and dark purple underneath. They take a while to completely uncurl newly grown leaves (a few months). Alocosia took longer then species of plants to acclimate to wet root life and is a slow grower compared to the others still, but I like the contrast if gives. I have 2 plants currently both have 3 leaves.. Its on the 55g, you can see fts in OP 2nd photo

 

[AquaAurora]

Whoops went a few days without an update sorry!

Common or Proper name: Spathiphyllum 'Domino'
How long plant has been riparium style: 17 months
Comments(optional): I've seen it mis-sold as 'marble sword'-it is NOT a sword plant (not an aquatic plant). Its a peace lily and a decent sized one! Mines at 22-24" now and is actually 2 plants.. its grown too big for the planter but I don't wan to split it >.< Love the contrasting white on green leaves, makes it easy to identify.. unlike many of the green leafed peace lilies which can vary in size from 12" to 36"+.
see in 55g fts in 2nd photo of op, left side

 

[Mariostg]

Polka Dot Plant

Common or Proper name: Polka dot
How long plant has been riparium style: 6 months-ish
Comments(optional): I did not know that this plant flowers .

 

[AquaAurora]

Common or Proper name: Polka dot
How long plant has been riparium style: 6 months-ish
Comments(optional): I did not know that this plant flowers .

Lovely flower! I kept the white dot version of that plant on my tank for a bit (moved it outside), mine's flower was more of a very pale purple (almost white). It spat blooms out like crazy while on the tank! Also grew very fast, had to keep cutting it back.

 

[sprucetree]

awesome thread!!!
I have been just trying plants at the local nursery, some worked some did not. this helps so much thanks!

 

[AquaAurora]

awesome thread!!!
I have been just trying plants at the local nursery, some worked some did not. this helps so much thanks!

Feel free to list what did and did not work for you ^^
One that did not work for me was maidenhair fern-I think I shocked the roots being to rough rinsing them free of soil, then my house humidity wasn't high enough for it's needs... then a cat nibbled on it and by then it was done and tossed. I'd love to try a fern again but have been hesitant to.

 

[Wilderman204]

Feel free to list what did and did not work for you ^^
One that did not work for me was maidenhair fern-I think I shocked the roots being to rough rinsing them free of soil, then my house humidity wasn't high enough for it's needs... then a cat nibbled on it and by then it was done and tossed. I'd love to try a fern again but have been hesitant to.

Southern Maiden Hair fern failed for me too. Which is strange bc in my living room I pretty much leave it sitting in water My living room is horribly dry too but it thrives in front my window. Seems to do best when I leave it sitting in water.
I've heard of success with Himalyan maidenhair fern

I just planted Corkscrew rush (Juncus Efusus sp.spiralis) in a riparium planter one week ago, and it looks like it already has doubled its root mass.