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Floating plants in a high-ish flow environment.

Millns84

Member
Joined
2 Sep 2017
Messages
256
Location
Stockport UK
Afternoon all

Just some general musings about floating plants after some salvinia minima I tried was annihilated within 5 days in my Rio 450...

Problem is that I'm running quite high flow - an FX6 (2000lph) in the centre, two 500lph surface skimmers, two 1000lph canister outputs at either end of the tank and a 2000lph wave maker just under the FX6 outlet... Is there anything that could do well in this sort of environment?

I was considering water lettuce but I'm now sure if it'd get sufficient light given the low height of the lights in the hood.
 
That sounds like too much flow...Here is a picture of my pistia, living in a 175L tank with supposedly 1050lph from the filter (with spray bar), 900lph from the circulation pump just under the spray bar and 300lph skimmer. It is doing OK but not getting bigger than this. The limnobium only survives when I stuck it between the vallisneria reaching the surface. Speaking of, how about something like vallisneria, not a floating plant but reaching and covering the surface?

IMG_2763.JPG
 
I gave vallisneria gigantae a go and it got a little out of hand... Taking handfuls out every week and then it started sending out runners in all directions, trying to take over!

I've currently got some twisted vallis which is around 4 inches from the surface (around a month since being added).

Just a correction on the flow rates... Surface skimmers are actually 300lph and I'm guessing the two 1000lph canisters are putting out a lot less as they've both got prefilter canisters connected.
 
Riccardia chamedryfolia is by far my favorite floating plant for this purpose. It actually has bigger leaves when it is grown on the surface and it forms clumps that are very resistant to flow and spray. It also helps to connect-up floating plants. I will get you a photograph if interested.
 
Riccardia chamedryfolia is by far my favorite floating plant for this purpose. It actually has bigger leaves when it is grown on the surface and it forms clumps that are very resistant to flow and spray. It also helps to connect-up floating plants. I will get you a photograph if interested.

Thank you for the suggestion, I'm liking the look of the riccardia chamedryfolia... So much so that I might grow some submerged too!
 
Did you find anything? I'm running a 4000Lph pump (probably outputting closer to 2000) but in a 300L tank it's still plenty)

I really like the look of LUDWIGIA SEDOIDES but doubt I will have much luck.
 
Did you find anything? I'm running a 4000Lph pump (probably outputting closer to 2000) but in a 300L tank it's still plenty)

I really like the look of LUDWIGIA SEDOIDES but doubt I will have much luck.
I doubt it too. It doesn't naturally grow floating, it roots in the substrate, has a long stem and just the leaf rosette floats. When you buy a severed rosette it's very hard to get it to root, or to stay alive as a floater.
 
Hi, this is definitely Riccia and it makes sense to grow like that. On the other hand riccardia is a alow growing delicate liverwort that I do not believe could be grown like this.

Disagree. There are 100 species in the genus riccia. That genus has a mid-dorsal longitudinal sulcus (furrow or groove).
There are over 200 species in the genus riccardia. That genus is the complex-thallus liverworts and they tend to have a differentiated tissue structure.
I cannot observe the sulcus, so I think we are dealing with riccardia.
You may also notice dichotomous branching, which helps to distinguish these two groups.
The only true way to tell is to use a microscope.
These plants are in entirely different taxum, but there is notable phenotypic divergence (although probably not the sulcus). Their ancestors drifted apart a very very long time ago.
Riccardia also have air sacks - so it is certain that they have evolved for surface growth.
I appreciate that rhizoids can allow any of these liverworts to stick to surfaces, but it's a bit of a myth to think of these plants as submerged, as this never happens.
I noticed that surface growth is far in excess of emergent or submerged growth, with a wider and larger thallus.
I am no expert on liverworts but I am confident it is more probably riccardia.
 
My riccia emerged growth is completely different to submerged..

Almost looks like two completely different plants..

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For the floating plants I went for Salvinia natans. My LFS had it for £2 so it wasn't the biggest investment if it dies.

I've got some duck weed sat on my window sill if it dies..
 
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