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Bucephalandra project

Hanuman

Member
Joined
4 Jan 2019
Messages
2,419
Location
Thailand
I have a shipment of bucephalandra arriving in a week or two. Around half os a kg of various species. I do not wish to make a scape with them but rather simply farm them perhaps for resale or even maybe simply exchange. The point is to propagate them and share it with others. Nothing serious really but wish them to grow a decent rate (yes I know buce grows very slow). The point is I just want to avoid adding on myself more work than necessary which is what will happen if I do a scape with them.

So here are my constraints. I only have a 60cm tank available. I also have an outdoor patio but really not much space outside. I also live in Thailand so temperatures here can get high. Lately reaching 36°C (96.8°F) in the shade. Ambient humidity is around 50% to 60%.

How would you guys recommend I set things up? Use that tank or something else? Grow them emerged or submerged? I am open to any suggestions even if that involves not using that 60cm thank. I just want to keep it simple and low maintenance where possible.

Here is a quick video on my place and available space.
Outdoor: the space you see on the left when passing the house gate is the parking for the car so I can't use that space. Only available space would be where you see the round terracotta pond with plants and small fishes.
Indoor: The 60cm tank I am talking about is the one on the left after entering the home door next to the Buddha head.


Any specifics you can share would be appreciated. I need ideas as I can't get my head around on how to do this the most efficient way possible.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.
 
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I think the best would be in a shallow tank tied to some lava stone with the stones submerged and the plants partially in the air. Use a cover to keep humidity high, and only give the some dappled light/mostly shadow.
 
I think the best would be in a shallow tank tied to some lava stone with the stones submerged and the plants partially in the air. Use a cover to keep humidity high, and only give the some dappled light/mostly shadow.

That’s what I was thinking. At least that tank could be used for that and would not require addition investment. I also did buy some sort of propagator plastic container just in case. It was rather cheap but I guess the 60 cm tank I have should suffice. The good thing about growing emersed is that it would not need co2 injection and they would probably grow faster.
 
Half Kilo! That's a lot of Buce.

Do it vertically and build a living epiphyte wall, the wall behind your pond looks like an excellent space for it.

Not sure it’s suitable for buce. Buce leafs require at least a high level of humidity and roots need to be soaked. Plant also needs lower temperatures. It would require that I install misters with constant spraying. If misters fail it’s just a matter of hours before the buce die concidering the heat here. Thinking it twice not sure growing them outdoor would be a good idea unless in a suffciently big greenhouse where one could lower temperatures by increasing humidity.
 
I'm considering taking some off cuts from my main buce tank and trying to grow them out in my spare quarantine tank, @Edvet suggestion sounds good but I'm wanting to be a bit lazier with it and not needing to keep an eye on water levels so thinking about running very high co2 levels since no live stock
 
Well if you put some corse sand/volcanic rock sand, enough water and partially cover the thing I don't think you will need monitoring water levels. The thing is with high co2 levels dissolved in water you will need higher lighting requirement = higher bills. Personally I want to make it as low tech as possible and use co2 available in the air but if not possible then I'll do like you.
 
You can happily have a high co2 and low light setup which is how I'm running my current tank, it's the light that determines the minimum co2 levels and not the other way about thankfully
 
This is very true, there's a few on here that are attempting buce experiments so it will be interesting to see how everyone gets on as all seem to be doing things quite differently.

I'll stick a journal up when i get mine on the go as well and i'll keep an eye on what you decide and how you get on

I've found this to be really helpful and my current buce tank seems to fit in with what is listed here: https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/bucephalandra.html
 
Thanks for the link. I scrolled through pretty quickly just to check it and it seems pretty interesting. Will definitely read later tonight. I am inclined to take the least complicated approach that yields the maximum output. Not sure what that is yet but I have the feeling that link you sent will help provide some answers. I have also yet to talk with the farmer sending me the bucephalandra for him to give me some recommendations on growing buce. I will probably split part of the shipment I will receive between my project tank and my main display tank. This is to have a reference for growth speeds and development.

This is a picture that the farmer sent me earlier today. This is only part of the shipment that I will receive:
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Soo jealous! Would be good to hear what they have to say about their own set up if they are willing to share
 
This is very true, there's a few on here that are attempting buce experiments so it will be interesting to see how everyone gets on as all seem to be doing things quite differently.

I'll stick a journal up when i get mine on the go as well and i'll keep an eye on what you decide and how you get on

I've found this to be really helpful and my current buce tank seems to fit in with what is listed here: https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/bucephalandra.html

:thumbup: Interesting read
 
I've been growing a few varieties of buce and anubias on little pieces of wood and rock in bell jars and they do really well with lush healthy growth. They stay humid all the time, get a spray of rain water a couple of times a week and a squirt of orchid mist once a week.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190224123543788_COVER.jpg
 
Hey Ray
(sorry I couldn’t resist :oops: :p)
can you do a pic with the bell jar as well

I think it’s so easy for people to glance at the photo and forget the jar o_O
 
I've been growing a few varieties of buce and anubias on little pieces of wood and rock in bell jars and they do really well with lush healthy growth. They stay humid all the time, get a spray of rain water a couple of times a week and a squirt of orchid mist once a week.

Nice. I was thinking of adding a few buce to my new wabi kusa but thinking twice it might not be a good idea as I intend to leave that wabi kusa open.

This means you just gave me the idea of a new project. A closed jar with Bucephalandra. ahah Can you show the jar with the bell? Also what sort of lighting are you using on top of it?
 
Nice. I was thinking of adding a few buce to my new wabi kusa but thinking twice it might not be a good idea as I intend to leave that wabi kusa open.

This means you just gave me the idea of a new project. A closed jar with Bucephalandra. ahah Can you show the jar with the bell? Also what sort of lighting are you using on top of it?
00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190326091147792_COVER~2.jpg

Sorry for the delayed response! I've had them growing with just natural light, under a desk lamp and on this shelf that has a Twinstar 600s rigged up. They do fine in all of these settings but really perk up under the Twinstar
 
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