Are aquatic plants phototrophic?

[ellena]

I ask as I've recently planted some elodea and it's leaning to the back of the tank which is shaded by the in-lid filter. I've left it a week to see if it would grow towards the light, but it hasn't moved?
Thanks for any input

 

[George Farmer]

Hi ellena

Elodea grows differently to many other plants. It's 100% aquatic and doesn't have a root structure per se.

I think the vast majority of aquarium plants are phototrophic. Some will actually close-up once they've 'had enough' light too.

 

[Ed Seeley]

Every plant is phototrophic to some extent, even aquatic ones.
It does have functional roots too, though they are secondary ones rather than primary ones and possibly their main function is anchorage rather than nutrient uptake, though they can do that too.

 

[ellena]

Thnaks guys It doesn't seem to be suffering any ill-effects, so I'll leave it be I think.

 

[wilsar]

i think you will find plants that are phototropic are not controlled by light duration rather than dark duration. if the dark period is not of stable lenght then the "seasonal mode" is disturbed