> My limited experience at growing native aquatics under aquarium conditions
> suggests that most are adapted to a higher light level than many of the
> "foreign" species that are commonly albeit poorly grown by the general
> aquarium fraternity.
>
> If I were to offer a few guiding principles it would be -
> 1.Light - timer for at least 12 hours per day
> at least 2 tubes
> preferrably 5000 kelvin or more spectrum
Up to four tubes does wonders, but only with CO2!
> 2.Substrate - at least 3 inches of coarse sand with some laterite and some
> organic addititive e.g. wormcastings
I have not experimented with that, I have used peat in a couple and that
seems to work.
> 3.CO2 injection - I use a simple yeast/ powerhead system. Many of the most
> attractive stem plants e.g. Pogostemon (=Dysophila=eusteralis) stellata
> don't do well for me at all without it.
Agreed there, most plants seem to need some suplementation to do really
well. There are some exceptions eg those plants that use bicarbonate and
these progressively raise the pH very high ie>9.
>5. Frequent partial water changes - more important than many people
> believe. I try to change 25% weekly.
It is my feeling that the plants are harder to keep happy than the fish
and they do seem to rapidly run out of steam with a delayed water change.
> 6. Heavy Planting - even if you have to use lots of Hornwort and val . It
> uses up all the nutrients and stops food getting to the algae.
Also a preponderance of fast growing stuff is the way to go. I think that
my tiger lotus' are the best things that I have on that score, most
people do not realise just how fast the things grow when they are happy.
> 7. Extra fertilizer for individual plants by substrate injection and to the
> whole tank by soluble additives such as PMDD if they don't seem to be doing
> as well as expected.
I have not tried Eng's method of substrate injection, maybe that would be
worth a thought. Iron chelate can be regarded as essential to rapid plant
growth, there is too much evidence in literature that shows iron being
the limiting element for aquatic plant growth. (by literature I mean non
aquarium scientific stuff ie "That propeller head type stuff")
> Sorry if I seem a bit vague on some of this but I am just feeling my way
> and there isn't a lot of reliable info around on propogation of our native
> plants.
That is the main reason that I asked in the first place. I have not begun
to experiment yet, I can really only comment on the things that grow in
my existing set up.
> When we went to Kikori a couple of years ago we had to avoid walking on
> ciliatas and versteegiis, as well as Microsorium pteropus and M. brassii (
> a beautiful narrow and daintier species) as well as Barclaya ( Hydrostemma)
> motleyi which would have to be one of the most spectacular aquatics
> anywhere.
You really know how to bring a guy down don't you Bruce, thanks for the
availability data anyway.
Peter Hughes