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Echinodorus for open top aquarium

afroturf

Member
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Messages
127
Location
Nottingham
Hi, I am planning a south American biotope aquarium with Apistogrammas tetras etc, I will not be using many plants but I am planing on having a large Echinodorus in one part of the tank with its leaves comming right out the tank.

I would like to know if any one knows of any that would be sutialble for this, I was thinking of something like E. macrophyllus, E. cordifolius or E. grandifolius.

How big a problem will the leaves drying out be?

Are there any that are less likely to dry out?

Cheers.
 
I had two E.cordifolius that grew above the water line in an 18" deep tank. That was covered though but the leaves were fine. The emersed leaf shape was great too.
 
The tropica website recommends some in there article entitled "the open aquarium" find it and read it, I can't seem find it in my history to provide a link.
 
a word of warning

I remember with fondness 13 years ago when I was running my 48"x18"x24" tank, I could never get the carpetting plants to grow, but the large amazon swords literally lapped it up. I was using Mercury Vapour lighting and a Dennerle system then. Most of the large amazon swords started out small and then started to produce bigger and bigger leaves (and the older leaves either got algae or browned off and died). Eventually all submerged leaves would die off and you'd be left with leaves growing out of the tank. From time to time a flowering stem grew out as well and I kept on breaking these off since I did not want them. These plants can literally take over the tank and block the light for the other plants.

They also do a nasty trick that I only realised when I did a tank strip down. Their roots would densify the gravel, making it almost rock hard, this prevented other little plants getting a foot in. At one point one particular plant densified the gravel so well that when I came to remove it I took out a carpet of gravel as well!!!

I can now understand why Amano and other scapers rarely use the larger amazon swords, they require a special setup for their hogging tendencies. :D
 
Cheers for the replys guys.

Garuf I found the link you were talking about it was very helpful.
I've decided to go for E. cordifoilus

sks as for the problems you outlined with you experience with large Swords I don't think these will be a problem in my tank, in terms of the compaction of the substrate, the base of the tank measures 30" x 15" I will order 1 E.cordifolius motherplant from greenline for the right side of the tank and have maybe 5 or so small grass like plants sagittaria sp. etc for the left in amongst some bogwood. so there won't be many plants at all.
And as for blocking out the light thats what i want as its a biotope tank I want it to be dimly lit, the light from the 2x24w t5 is far to bright at the monent.
 
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