My Elodea Densa

See picture please. The attachments coming off the plants and rooting themselves into the sand. I know it's normal, was just wondering if it's a "good" sign, or more an insignificant sign? Thanks.

I read it can grow to 12-18 inches high in an aquarium which would be wonderful, but in all my years, I've never seen any higher than about 9 inches? Any special effort needed to get them past 9 inches tall? Thanks.

The "attachments" you refer to are their roots. The more roots there are, the healthier your plants are. Give them time they will keep growing longer and longer, assuming the conditions are right for them. If not, they will melt, but yours look very healthy.

Hello. This aquatic plant is also called "Anacharis". It's a floating plant, that sends roots to the bottom and the roots work their way into anything that's porous. Like, most bottom material, sponge filters and driftwood. The roots anchor the plant to the bottom, so it doesn't float away. Attached is a photo of the plant floating in a 55 gallon tank.

10 Tanks (now 11)

It’s not naturally a floating plant, but it will still grow if it’s floating, although not as vigorously. Ime it will always grow more than 9”, usually to about 18” or more. It doesn’t grow as well in soft water.

Hello. Actually, it's an "adaptive plant". It will grow planted or floating. The best way to grow Anacharis or Brazlian Water Weed or whatever, depending on where it's found, is just drop individual plants into the tank. It will grow much faster floating with the leaves close to the light source than it will planted.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

10 Tanks said:

Hello. Actually, it's an "adaptive plant". It will grow planted or floating. The best way to grow Anacharis or Brazlian Water Weed or whatever, depending on where it's found, is just drop individual plants into the tank. It will grow much faster floating with the leaves close to the light source than it will planted.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Click to expand...

I'm going try both ways, thanks for the tips dude

I'm sure you'll be trimming it before you know it, it grows really well!

10 Tanks said:

Hello. Actually, it's an "adaptive plant". It will grow planted or floating. The best way to grow Anacharis or Brazlian Water Weed or whatever, depending on where it's found, is just drop individual plants into the tank. It will grow much faster floating with the leaves close to the light source than it will planted.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Click to expand...

No. It will grow quickest planted in a good substrate. If there isn’t that much light it’ll grow quicker at the surface.

Ichthys said:

No. It will grow quickest planted in a good substrate. If there isn’t that much light it’ll grow quicker at the surface.

Click to expand...

Hello again. My reference say differently. Jeremy Allan at Happy Fish Care says "Anacharis is mostly a floating plant and does not need to be planted in the gravel or substrate. It grows much faster when free-floating." The plant naturally grows toward the light source. If you plant Anacharis, you only expose a few leaves to the light. So, it would make more sense to expose the entire plant to the light by floating it directly under the light source.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

10 Tanks said:

Hello again. My reference say differently. Jeremy Allan at Happy Fish Care says "Anacharis is mostly a floating plant and does not need to be planted in the gravel or substrate. It grows much faster when free-floating." The plant naturally grows toward the light source. If you plant Anacharis, you only expose a few leaves to the light. So, it would make more sense to expose the entire plant to the light by floating it directly under the light source.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Click to expand...

He’s kinda right and wrong at the same time. Egeria and Elodea grow rooted in the substrate, but get most of their nutrients through the leaves. Egeria densa can grow up to 3 meters long. It grows to the surface and then keeps growing, so in shallow water most of the plant is at the surface, but it’s still rooted. So even though it’s rooted it’s still “mostly a floating plant” in a sense.

It will grow either way. As for making more sense to grow it floated, I don’t see it. I’ve always found it grows much bushier when rooted (more leaves per inch of stem), and when it’s at the surface, longer and less bushy, and paler. It’s obvious (to me) that it gets something extra from the substrate.

Does anyone else's Elodea grow at disproportionate rates per stem? I have x4 stems that look like they are on steroids and have reached a height of 13-14" and the other about x16 stems that are all about the same (ish) height of about 6 to 8". I am pretty sure that when I got all of this at the beginning (at the same time), most of the stems were about the same height give or take 1 or 2"