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Choosing Suitable Plants


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#1 anchar

anchar
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Posted 23 August 2006 - 12:12 PM

Choosing Suitable Plants
by Andrea Watts

Growing plants successfully in an aquarium is reliant on many factors. This article will address the question as to the suitability of certain plants to an aquatic environment.

When you visit your local aquarium shop, you will find a number of plants sold as aquarium plants. In many cases, not all of the plants on display are suitable for long term submersion in your tank. I will endeavor to guide you through some of the more commonly sold species and classify them into aquatic, marginal and terrestrial plant groups.

True Aquatic Plants
This generally refers to plants which grow and thrive when permanently submersed. I find that a good rule of thumb is this.... anything that cannot support its weight out of the water is a true aquatic plant . These true aquatic plants are termed as “submerged”. However, some of these plants can also be classed as “amphibious” ie. they are capable of living both in and out of the water (in this case, the emergent form will be self supporting).


Scientific NameCommon NameCategory
Alternanthera reineckii v. "Cardinalis"Red alternantheraamphibious
Alternanthera reineckii v. "Rosaefolia"Purple alternanthera amphibious
Alternanthera reineckii v. "Lilacina"Pink alternantheraamphibious
Anubias afzeiliiamphibious
Anubias barteriamphibious
Anubias barteri v. "Nana"Nana amphibious
Anubias sp. "Congensis"Congensisamphibious
Anubias x. "Emerald Heart"Emerald Heartamphibious
Anubias giganteanGiganteaamphibious
Anubias lanceolataamphibious
Aponogeton crispusCrispussubmerged
Aponogeton madagascariensisMadagascar Lace Plantsubmerged
Aponogeton natanssubmerged
Aponogeton rigidifoliusamphibious
Aponogeton undulatussubmerged
Bacopa carolinianaBacopaamphibious
Bacopa monnieriBaby's Tearsamphibious
Blyxa sp. Blyxasubmerged
Bolbitis heudelotiiBolbitisamphibious
Cardamine lyrataCardamineamphibious
Ceratophyllum demersumHornwortsubmerged
Ceratopteris siliquosaWater Spriteamphibious
Crassula helmsiiCrassulaamphibious
Cryptocoryne affinisamphibious
Cryptocoryne beckettiamphibious
Cryptocoryne costataamphibious
Cryptocoryne crispatula v. "Balansae Green"Balansaeamphibious
Cryptocoryne linguaamphibious
Cryptocoryne lucens amphibious
Cryptocoryne meyiamphibious
Cryptocoryne nevilliamphibious
Cryptocoryne parvaParvaamphibious
Cryptocoryne pontederifoliaamphibious
Cryptocoryne purpureaamphibious
Cryptocoryne thwaitesiiamphibious
Cryptocoryne undulateamphibious
Cryptocoryne walkeriamphibious
Cryptocoryne wendtii v. "Brown"Brown wendtiiamphibious
Cryptocoryne wendtii v. "Green"Green wendtiiamphibious
Echinodorus amazonicus Amazon Swordamphibious
Echinodorus augustifoliaChain Swordamphibious
Echinodorus barthiiMelon Swordamphibious
Echinodorus bleheriRuffle Swordamphibious
Echinodorus bleheriRuffle Swordamphibious
Echinodorus cordifoliusRadican Swordamphibious
Echinodorus cordifolius v. "Marble"Variegated Swordamphibious
Echinodorus grisebachiiamphibious
Echinodorus horizontalisamphibious
Echinodorus kleinerberamphibious
Echinodorus latifoliousamphibious
Echinodorus v. "Oriental"Oriental Swordamphibious
Echinodorus x. "Ozelot"Ozelot Swordamphibious
Echinodorus parviflorusParviflorus Swordamphibious
Echinodorus x. "Rose"Rose Swordamphibious
Echinodorus x. "Rubin"Red Rubin Swordamphibious
Echinodorus schlueteri v. "Leopard"Leopard Swordamphibious
Echinodorus tenellusChain Swordamphibious
Echinodorus tropicaTropica Swordamphibious
Echinodorus uruguayensis v. "Green"Green Hormaniiamphibious
Echinodorus uruguayensis v. "Red"Red Hormaniiamphibious
Eleocharis acicularisDwarf Hairgrassamphibious
Eleocharis montevidensisGiant Hairgrassamphibious
Eleochais viviparaHairgrassamphibious
Eusteralis stellataStellataamphibious
Fontinalis antipyreticaWillow Mosssubmerged
Glossostima elatinoidesGlossoamphibious
Heteranthera sp.submerged
Hydrocotyle sp.Hydrocotyleamphibious
Hydrocotyle verticillataPennywortamphibious
Hygrophila sp.Willow Leafamphibious
Hygrophila corymbosa x. "Stricta"Templeamphibious
Hygrophila corymbosa v. "Siamensis"Giant Hygroamphibious
Hygrophila difformisWisteriaamphibious
Hygrophila polyspermaHygroamphibious
Hygrophila polysperma v. "Variegated"Variegated Hygroamphibious
Hygrophila sp. "Rubra"Rubraamphibious
Lagenandra thawaitesiiamphibious
Lemna minorDuckweedsubmerged
Lilaeopsis brasiliensisLilaeopsisamphibious
Limnophila sp. Limnophilaamphibious
Lobelia cardinalisLobeliaamphibious
Ludwigia arcuataArcuataamphibious
Ludwigia natansLudwigiaamphibious
Ludwigia repens x. "Palustris"Ludwigiaamphibious
Lymnophila sessifloraAmbuliaamphibious
Lysimachia nummulariaPennywort/Moneywortamphibious
Lysimachia nummularia v. "Aurea"Gold Pennywort/Moneywortamphibious
Micranthemum umbrossumJewel Plantamphibious
Microsorium pteropusJava Fernamphibious
Microsorium pteropus v. "Windelov"Windelovamphibious
Myriophyllum simulans Filligree Myriophyllumamphibious
Nomophila strictaStrictaamphibious
Nuphor japonicaSpatterdockamphibious
Nymphaea lotus v. "Red"Red Tiger Lotusamphibious
Nymphoides aquaticaBanana Plantamphibious
Potamogeton sp.Potamogetonsubmerged
Riccia fluitansRicciaamphibious
Rotala rotundifoliaRotundifoliaamphibious
Rotala wallichiWallichiamphibious
Sagittaria subulataNarrow Leaf Sagittariaamphibious
Vallisnera asiaticaNarrow Leaf Vallissubmersed
Vallisnera tortaCorkscrew Vallissubmersed


Marginal and Terrestrial Plants
The following are terrestrial or marginal plants which are commonly sold at LFS as aquatics...they are ok for short term display only.
Scientific NameCommon Name
Acorus gramineusJap Rush
Acorus gramineus v. "Variegated"Variegated Jap Rush
Aglaonema sp.Zebra Plant
Alteranthera v. "Tri Colour"Yellow Ivy
Calathea sp.Peacock Plant
Chamaedorea elegansBaby Palm
Cordyllne terminallisPink Baby Doll
Dracaena sp.Happy Plant
Hemigraphis exoticaPurple Waffle
Hemigraphis repandaPanama Crypt
Houttuynia cordataLizard's Tail
Liriope muscani v. "Variegated"Liriope
Ophipogon japonicaMondo Grass
Peperomia sp. Aluminium Plant
Pteris spp. Water Fern
Spathiphyllum tassonSpath Lily
Syngonium podophyllum v. "White Butterfly"White Butterfly
Syngonium podophyllum v. "Regina Red"Red Butterfly
Viola esclentaWater Violet



Hopefully these lists will help you to identify and determine whether the plants that you have chosen are, in fact, suitable for long term submersion in the aquarium.




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