plant questions

i have 2 plants, that look like a big leaf plant, such as anubias. well now that they are growing, they are growing leaves like amazon swords... its extremely strange... or maybe im just mistaken as to waht plant it is... any idea???

also, i have water wysteria, and there is green fuzz growing all over the leaves. not sure if its algfea or what, but the otos dont eat it (if it is algea). any idea what it is?

Many sword plants are grown emersed which means they are grown out of the water. The leaves are stiffer and more durable.

When a plant is planted immersed, it will start to develop different leaves suited to under water. They are softer and longer in shape usually.

Many of my sword plants have done the same thing. After a month or so when you trim off the old emersed leaved the new leaves make it look like a completely different plant

but they seriouslt had round leaves, a skinny stem to a big round leaf and those are the same still, but new ones have grown in that are long and skinny, (amazon sword style).


i dont htink it should do that

Mustang is right, the emergent leaves often look totally different, the same is true of Crypts which also are often grown out of water. Another factor could be light. If you have insufficient light, new growth will be spindly and weak.

The fuzz is probably algae if it is green, red or black. If it is brown, diatoms, or white bacteria.

Otto's will eat most green algaes, and diatoms. Diatoms are almost always a sign of insufficient light.

If you have red/black hairy algae, then there are only a few fish that will eat that, the best is probably the Siamese Algae Eater, if you search the board you'll find a lot of info about them - be warned, there are a lot of fish around that look like/are sold as SAE which are not!

Algae thrive where there are nutrients, nitrates and particulaly phosphates. You can reduce these by keeping more plants in good conditions, but you may also want to think about the source of the nutrients. Are you overfeeding? Are you using a pH modifying product, (loaded with phoshates normally), nitrates in your tapwater?

If the fuzz is white, you need to improve your tank hygiene.

its a dark green. my otos dont eat it either...

ill just wait and hope it goes away.

Lateral Line said:

Another factor could be light. If you have insufficient light, new growth will be spindly and weak.

Click to expand...

is it true with all plants?

and is it possible that the plant can transform from a stem plant, to a plant that grows leaves with absolutely no stem (amazon)?

Low light will cause most plants to reach for the surface where it is closer to the light. If it is a high light plant, then it would simply die.

and is it possible that the plant can transform from a stem plant, to a plant that grows leaves with absolutely no stem (amazon)?

Click to expand...

Not that I know of. Stem plants are different from rossette plants (e.g. swords).

Magnus said:

and is it possible that the plant can transform from a stem plant, to a plant that grows leaves with absolutely no stem (amazon)?

Click to expand...

Not that I know of. Stem plants are different from rossette plants (e.g. swords).

Click to expand...

thats what im talking about, they look like 2 completely different plants. COMPLETELY. not a transformed form or anything, but the total opposite

Insufficient light does make plants "bolt" to the surface.

With stem plants the growth is long and spindly, frequently just a small clump of leaves at the top of an empty stalk.

Rosette plants tend, under the same circumstances, to produce longer, narrower, pale semi transparent leaves.

Is what your are seeing a runner that has not anchored to the substrate? Swords can reproduce vegetatively. They produce a runner, (a "stem"), from the base from which small plantlets form at intervals. Normally this creeps along the substrate so the plantlets can root, but in loose substrates, the buoyant plantlets can float the runner up so that it resembles a "stem" with "leaves". Just a thought.

yeah im pretty sure its not a runner, its growing directly from the plant. and more are growing now.

cant you post a picture, is kinda hard to play 20 questions

yeah lol, good idea , here are some pics..

this is the leaf that was first growing on the plant.

this is one of the new leaves that have been growing after it was planted

and this is an overall pic of it

anyone?
pics are up so hope it helps understand